Review: Hyrule Cadence: NecroDancer Crypt

Dun dun dun dunnnnnnnn

Music has always been a monumental part of Zeldais the global success. Nintendo has even created a whole series of concerts from his legacy.

Crypt of NecroDancer is a game literally dedicated to music.

It's a match made in paradise.

Hyrule cadence: NecroDancer Crypt (Switch)
Developer: Brace Yourself Games
Publisher: Nintendo
MSRP: $ 24.99
Publication date: June 13, 2019

The way this project has taken place is nothing short of a miracle, given the proximity with which Nintendo retains their valuable assets, but I am happy that this is the case.

If you have never played NecroDancer before you go, I'll give you the recap. Basically, you're going through dungeons with a top-down view similar to a real roguelike. As you advance over time, you accumulate a bonus and the actions become more powerful if you keep that time. Things get really interesting when you add the enemy tactic of Brace Yourself Games, where each type of villain does something different that requires you not only to think about the race, but to keep your pace intact while you do it.

It's a lot harder than it looks. You have the entire meta of the game to understand (which includes elements that are minor mysteries until you use them), in addition to mastering the rhythmic elements well. Fortunately for those of you who are put off by all that has been mentioned so far, Brace Yourself has made every effort to borrow signals from Zelda series itself, but alleviates some of the frustration that is usually found in the phantasmagoric subgenus.

So it's a brand new adventure, with its own cinematics and storytelling. The "Cadence" of the nickname is the name of the hero of the first game, which comes back and is joined by a playable link and Zelda. The cadence is magically lost to Hyrule at the very beginning, and there is immediate Link to the past atmosphere. Finish a tutorial, choose who you want to be (Zelda or Link, but the other can be unlocked later to facilitate swapping), and you're ready.

Although this is a lie, this term has become stained in recent years: cadence (and by extension, Crypt) is a little more forgiving than most. Instead of a menu-shaped hub, cadence is connected by a legitimate network based on a network Zelda Overworld, complete with a map, in the same vein as classics like Link to the past and Link's Awakening (or you know the original). It's a simple change but 100% welcome.

Cadence of Hyrule feels like a full-on Zelda game with a different combat and movement system. The permanent updates (most of which are drawn from previous games) are all for me, and it is extremely rewarding to find or buy another or classic increase item. Moreover, she does not take herself too seriously because she tries to forge her own identity beyond nostalgia. The Ghoma is now the "Ghomaracas", and although many enemies retain the same mechanisms as NecroDancer (slimes are always slimes, and jumping skeletons are now Bokoblins), the multi-faceted approach to almost everything you do is always present.

This Zelda/ The influence of Nintendo continues. The Sheikah Stone checkpoints (that you can resurrect when you die, or teleport yourself when you get the quick travel object) make things a lot easier to bear. The Overworld format is more appealing, the dungeons have shortcuts, so you do not have to redo each piece if you fail, and the diamond's motto comes back for permanent progression (and your stock is not lost when you leave a hub like the original). The only thing you lose is the temporary equipment and your stock in rupees.

As for the main campaign, the slow traditional pace of "barely beat the first boss, then die immediately as soon as you enter the second zone, then buy an upgrade to barely push it further in turn" faded away. Now in some cases I like that and the pleasure of beating something at once that you thought impossible is absolute happiness. But not all games need to use this formula, and a Zelda The roguelike crossover would not have benefited from this approach.

I am happy cadence went that route. If I have a complaint to make to the campaign is that the bosses are a bit simplistic and they can be brutally forced once you really start to do more than one with the game Some subsequent meetings hinder this strategy, but not the four basic, which is disappointing. Even so, they are all memorable in their own way, as was the case for the trip.

So how's the music? Killer. It must be! Danny Baranowsky has done it once again and has the strong backbone of the past 33 years. Zelda the story of working with does not hurt. I mean, I've heard most of these melodies for my entire life and I have not had enough, and 25 tracks are plenty to maintain the variety over an entire campaign.

Speaking of which, my first run took me about five hours (100% of the file took three more), which is much faster than the first one. NecroDancer. However, I immediately started another race and I tinkered the permadeath option, with no plan to stop anytime soon. Plus, two-player mode is enabled (no appointment, on the same console), with custom settings (one of which allows you to play as a single character) and daily challenges. I do not need to tell you that there are no mods on Switch to further improve longevity, but I tell you anyway.

Cadence of Hyrule I'm really surprised. He takes the best parts of Crypt of NecroDancer and makes them more accessible, which really comes with the territory when you pay homage to THE legend of Zelda. Although it still takes a while, the open and well-known open world format is a much better way for new players to acclimatize.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer.]}

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Cadence of Hyrule commented by Chris Carter