There’s one thing that really stood out to us when we started getting to grips with Mad Rat Dead: this game is cool. Everything about it, from the stylish visuals to the sublime soundtrack, screams attitude, and the devs have done a remarkable job in conveying this feeling without going overboard. If you’re a sucker for rhythm games, then you’ll definitely want to check this one out.
You play as the titular Mad Rat, who, after being subjected to a number of devastating lab tests, is sadly dead. All’s not lost, though, as the bizarrely cute Rat God grants our anti-hero another chance to relive his last day on earth. He decides to spend it in the only way he knows how: by exacting revenge on the human who experimented on him.
Having another shot at life does come with a catch, mind. Mad Rat’s heart is in a fragile state and must pump to the rhythm of the music in order to keep ticking. This forms the foundation of the side-scrolling gameplay; in order to navigate the environments, Mad Rat must move to the beat of the music, dashing, jumping, and diving his way through each level with more style than a suited and booted Mafioso. He can also rewind time, undoing any mistakes that might be made during gameplay, which is great if you’re after something a bit more laidback.
Sticking to the beat of the music takes a bit of getting used to, but the gameplay is relatively simple overall: Hitting ‘A’ lets Mad Rat rock out some dance moves, propelling him along the ground; ‘B’ is the jump button, and ‘Y’ lets you slam down from a height. Utilising all three moves is key to keeping with the flow of the music; if you miss a beat, Mad Rat will start to flounder, and this often starts a chain reaction of mistakes as you fight to get back into the right rhythm. If you’ve played your fair share of platformers, sticking to a set rhythm won’t feel natural at first, but it won’t be long until you’re soaring through the game with style and grace.
Of course, a rhythm game would be nothing without great music, and this is really where Mat Rat Dead truly shines. The music is genuinely fantastic, and each level displays the title and composer at the start, should you wish to look it up elsewhere. If we had to complain, we’d say some of the slower tracks can really throw you off pace at first as you get used to the smoother tempo, but this is a minor quibble that didn’t really impact our enjoyment of the game.
With its wacky storyline and stylish graphics, Mad Rat Dead would be a confident platformer even without the rhythm mechanics. But with the help of an excellent soundtrack, it’s an experience that feels wholly original, even if it’s not the first game to blend the platforming and rhythm genres. It can be a tricky game at times, but with the help of the rewind function, it’s one that feels relatively breezy overall, letting you just sink into the music and bust out those sick moves.
Comments 22
New fav rhythm game, I love it!
It's hard though, depending on how you look at it.
Of you're just trying to get through levels then the game is super easy.
If you're trying to get through levels without messing up and racking up points, the difficulty goes through the roof. It really depends on if beating the game is important to you or beating it well.
The review doesn't seem to mention that the X button (I think that's it) let's you charge your next move kinda and can be used to stall, it's crucial depending on the situation, like when you need that extra little bit of hang time or you need to make a longer dash. It's part of the tutorial too so you won't miss it.
Near the end you get some songs that occasionally feel like they are off beat, they also like to throw in songs where the tempo may hang on purpose, like a dramatic pause. This can ruin you're beat streak if you aren't ready or make you dramatically miss a jump (happened to me a lot)
All in all I think this score is right where I would have put it. It's a good game.
At least this game is good, I really do wanna check it out. I love the artstyle.
OT because I'm not sure about where to ask - a Sakuna review?
@SmartNickname You can always just email them through the contact info below.
Sounds good! Downloading the demo now.
Couldn't play through the demo. Story made no sense, pressing A just for the thing to stumble around isn't entertaining, and the full game is way overpriced.
@Kalmaro thanks!
I'm interested in this but $40 seems awfully steep for a game of this type.
@sketchturner You get out what you put in. If you want something like Cadence of Hyrule, a rhythm game that will take you a while to beat the first time then this game won't be for you, it's very hard to NOT beat a level.
Instead, it's all about getting high-scores.
Might look at a video since it's a rhythm game, maybe I'll get it, but right now I gotta deal with Kingdom Hearts's rhythm game. lol
Don’t know entirely why, but I get vibes of that Rap Rat board game from this..
This looks interesting, when I was reading the review Harmoknight comes to mind but it seems like a very different game. Will check it out at some point.
I played the demo and as much as I like myself a ton of platformers and some rhythm games, this one just didn't seem to blend together well for me.
I do hope others get a blast out of this one, though.
This one definitely has a solid art style, but rhythm games typically aren't my cup of tea. I might change my tune for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memories though!
Getting sometime this month unless Sakuna kidnaps me.
I've been stanning this game a bit since trying out the Japanese demo a couple months back. It feels like one of the rare rhythm games to achieve the rare trifecta of a strong style/identity, good controls, and great music~
I appreciate you guys doing a review of it, as it's definitely gonna fly under a lot of folks' radar.
Side note: I feel like the game can get plenty hard trying to manage working your way through a stage while keeping the beat. It's already difficult enough doing a perfect run on Normal Mode, but Hard Mode ramps things up with half-beats thrown into the mix.
Planning to pick this up. Had a ball with the demo, and when I finally get the game, I expect it'll be worth every penny if I'm neurotic about trying to get perfect runs. Not sure if I'll kill myself over it, while I liked the game, the spacing of how you move can feel a little wonky, and I don't think I'm going to go back to the boss battles more than once if they're anything like the demo. I want to stay in motion in this game, not bounce back and forth in a small stage waiting for the baddies to do things.
Nice review. But you should've gone with "Rat Dead Redemption" for the subtitle.
summons @BenAV for his expertise
have you tried this one and is it any good? considering it since it has around £10 off right now
@Phantom_Skye This is one that I don't have actually. I've always been somewhat curious about it but not enough for the price.
Yeah seems a bit steep for what it is, even with the discount now its still quite expensive, I will pass until a hefty discount then tysm for replying XD
"Cons:Might not be challenging enough for some"
Meanwhile I die every 10-20 seconds when I was playing it(the demo version btw)
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