Just Shapes & Beats

a game by	Berzerk Studio
Platform:	PC
Editor Rating:	7.5/10, based on 1 review
User Rating:	6.8/10 - 5 votes
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See also:	Best Indie Games, Dancing Games, Download Co-op Games, Bullet Hell Games, Games Like Raft, Rhythm Games

Just Shapes & Beats is a pretty unique rhythm game developed by the small Berzerk studio especially for PC and the Nintendo Switch. When triple-A developers take a shot at rhythm games they come up with some incredible stuff, but lately, they've been centered on adding rhythm elements to already popular franchises. But when it comes to smaller developers like Berzerk Studios and the general indie game community, they've been innovating in rhythm games in crazy ways. While Just Shapes and Beats may not be the most original game ever made, it has a lot going on for itself, so let's see what it is all about now.

About the game

To start off, we'd have to clarify that Just Shapes & Beats is a combination of rhythm and a little genre known as "bullet hell". This genre is especially popular in Japan, and it consists of dodging an insane amount of projectiles as you progress. Top-level reflexes are required to succeed in your usual bullet hell, and incredible eye-to-hand coordination, but in the case of Jus Shapes & Beats, you also need to include the rhythm genre.

The setting is quite simple in this game, you’re in a peaceful world, surrounded by quietness, that is until an evil, chaotic being -represented here by the most strident music possible- disrupts the source of peace and harmony. This being is now filling the entire world with chaos and loud rhythms that resonate continuously all over the place.

However, that is all up to the player's interpretation, as the game does not have any direct storytelling, and it is instead a purely visual and musical narrative. The main objective of this game is to bring back peace and tranquility to this world and to do this we'll have to go through many different musical levels, to follow the rhythm and survive this bullet hell. But don't worry, there are some mini-games and puzzles in there so it doesn't get too repetitive or frustrating in case you were to get stuck at some point.

Stylish rhythm

What’s great about these rhythm games is that you don’t really need complex graphics or hardcore levels of gameplay to make the game fun. And often, it is the games that have the most straightforward mechanics, the ones that are more popular and successful. You just have to look at other great rhythm games from the past years like Sayonara Wild Hearts to see that style can be a top priority in this genre.

Just Shapes & Beats is a pretty simple game, which actually honors the title of the game itself, and it is a perfect game to disconnect for a while. it's a go back to a more simple game style, you could think of it as gaming for when you need a gaming detox. It's not something to play hardcore or much seriously, but more so to have some fun.

7.5

It has multiplayer modes both local and online, complex levels, fun minigames, and some puzzles. The visuals may be a bit too simple to make it stylish enough, as it feels more as if you're playing a simple smartphone game. But overall, this game works great for what it's supposed to, and that's enough.

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