The battle royale formula is not so tricky it seems. At least that’s what developers at Glee-Cheese Studio prove with their latest title, Headbangers: Rhythm Royale, which takes that formula and adds a bit of rhythm. It’s an interesting and enjoyable mashup, but one that may prove to be novel and short-lived.
Headbangers: Rhythm Royale
Glee-Cheese Studio
Price: $19.99
Platform: Steam, Xbox Series X|S (reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Players who have participated in Fall Guys or any of its many derivatives know what to expect. Thirty pigeons go in, but only one will come out as players go talon-to-talon in four rounds of quickly paced minigames. These games might be as simple as “Simon Says” or as complex as memorizing several notes of a musical beat, but just about all require the player to have fast reflexes and a sense of rhythm. After every round, half the player pool is eliminated until only one bird is standing. Winner, winner, pigeon dinner.
After each match, players are awarded breadcrumbs and experience, both of which can be used to outfit their pigeons in wacky outfits and emotes. (Mine is currently dressed like Batman with shader sunglasses).
It’s a cute game with cute tunes that’ll make you want to bob your head to the game’s beats. More than once I found myself tapping my toes in time with my button presses. But these qualities are greatly offset by Headbangers shortcomings.
Several of Headbangers 23 minigames play too similarly to count separately. Several minigames, like Yes Commander and Oui Votre Majesty, are just different versions of Follow the Leader played at different intensities. This is also true for at least one other set of minigames. Still though, in short intervals, the randomness generator was good enough to make most matches feel distinct from one another.
Headbangers also comes with a barrier to entry. For the musically disinclined, it may be frustrating trying to keep in time with the more complex beats that appear in the penultimate and final minigames. All are blurringly fast and sometimes require deep memorization.
Of course, if players stick around long enough, Headbangers: Rhythm Royale may quickly begin to feel same-y. But I doubt it has any staying power. At best, Headbangers is a novelty – something to do with friends on those nights when you can’t think of anything better to do. In a way, that makes Xbox Game Pass, where players won’t have to commit to an additional price tag, the perfect home for Headbangers: Rhythm Royale.
The Final Word
Headbangers: Rhythm Royale is a cute and light-hearted experience albeit a short-lived one as you’ll inevitably find something better to do.
– MonsterVine Rating: 3 out of 5 – Average
