Rift of the NecroDancer Review

After a legendary jaunt in Hyrule, Cadence has got a new rhythm adventure on her hands with the release of Brace Yourself Games, Tic Toc Games, and Klei Publishing’s Rift of the NecroDancer.

Should players set out to feel this rhythm, or is this just not one’s tempo?

Rift of the NecroDancer Review

After some handy calibration settings, Rift of the NecroDancer bread and butter (or would it be apples and cheese?) comes in the form of its Story Mode.

Said Story Mode features a light story with talking heads, the aforementioned protagonist Cadence, and (as one would expect) a deadly Rift.

Rift of the NecroDancer’s Story Mode is short but sweet, featuring charm, cameos, and plenty of silly sound bites.

Rift of the NecroDancer also features a number of minigames and Boss Battles thrown in to break things up. Taking the fight against foes has players dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge as they hit starbursts – think Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! by Nintendo. Meanwhile minigames also pull from Nintendo, challenging Rhythm Heaven as Cadence does yoga, photography, and other odd tasks to the beat – we can dig it.

When it comes to Rift of the NecroDancer’s core gameplay, players will be tasked with taking on a number of different Rhythm Rifts. Thankfully, things are in a format where the enemies come to the player – they really shouldn’t have! 

Rift of the NecroDancer features a three-arrow setup that packs serious depth. While players simply need to time their presses ever so right to contend with slimes, skulls (that turn to skeletons), and other threats in the Action Row, each has their own pattern and color that makes things interesting.

And don’t even get us started on traps…

From holding down notes for Wyrms to dealing with happenstance harpies, Rift of the NecroDancer keeps the beat while keeping players attention. For those looking to go the extra mile, players can also tap into Vibe Power, granting a score multiplier and invincibility.

While there is a steeper learning curve than the Guitar Heroes and Dance Dance Revolutions of the world, Rift of the NecroDancer rewards mastery with a fresh experience we absolutely loved. 

Rift of the NecroDancer’s got some catchy tunes to accompany the action too – we especially were drawn to Danny Baranowsky’s work and are already following him on Spotify for that Count Funkula magic.

Just be prepared to cut your teeth as you figure out how those dang armadillos do their business. However, those ready to take things to the next level can check out a Remix Mode, Daily Challenges, and Modifiers, all while netting Diamonds for unlockables – a huge plus when it comes to replayability.

Rift of the NecroDancer’s Scoring and Ranking system is at the top of its class. We were eager to get those numbers up throughout the review period, and Rift of the NecroDancer encourages mastery of each song.

Outside of its setlist, Rift of the NecroDancer also features Steam Workshop support, complete with a Level Editor for players to create their own tracks. 

Reviewing Rift of the NecroDancer right at launch, there are a few hundred items on Steam as of this writing – time will tell if the community catches on, but things are already off to a promising start.

Rift of the NecroDancer packs a steep learning curve, but those that come to know their way around slimes and skeletons are in for a real treat. Those that take the time to learn the inner workings of Rift of the NecroDancer’s Action Row will be blessed with good tunes, a high skill ceiling, and plenty of replayability.

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