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  1. A combination of The Legend of Zelda and Crypt of the NecroDancer is a mash-up I absolutely did not know that I wanted until I saw it revealed in the Nintendo Direct earlier this year, but seeing both Link and Zelda exploring Hyrule in the rhythmic pattern of Crypt immediately sold me on the premise. I hadn't realized how smoothly the two franchises would blend together though, drawing the best ideas of both into a game that is instantly familiar yet delightfully unique. Cadence of Hyrule is a game that might initially perplex Zelda fans with its rhythm-based gameplay but should win over new fans for Crypt of the NecroDancer. As is so often the case, something is amiss in the land of Hyrule. A man named Octavo has used a magical lute to put Link, Zelda, and other prominent individuals into a deep slumber, but Cadence is mysteriously transported to Hyrule where she helps the heroes put things right while looking for a way back to her own world. It's a solid if relatively by-the-numbers storyline, though the recently released free DLC focusing on Octavo might help add some depth to the plot. Regardless, it's fun to see these characters meet and set the stage for an unusual adventure through Hyrule. The game starts with a quick tutorial on how the gameplay of Crypt of the NecroDancer works, which is particularly helpful for new players because it does take some time to get used to it. In Cadence of Hyrule (and Crypt), the environment is divided into a grid and everything moves to the beat of the music, including you. There's a helpful visual along the bottom of the screen to show you the rhythm which is useful initially, but after a bit of practice you'll be able to feel the rhythm without keeping an eye on the bottom of the screen. So the challenge of the game is maintaining the rhythm while still moving and attacking enemies. You attack by standing next to an enemy and moving into them, but you have to be careful that you don't get hit yourself by enemies moving into you. Each enemy has different attack patterns, so for example a basic Bokoblin will simply move into you from an adjacent square, but a Tektite will attack diagonally, and some enemies have long range attacks. You have to move carefully to dodge attacks and get your own hits in all while keeping to the rhythm of the music. It sounds far more confusing than it is, and although you might struggle at first, the sense of flow and rhythm in the game quickly becomes second nature—getting into the groove of things is awfully satisfying. Cadence of Hyrule is also the type of game that becomes much easier the longer you play. Once you know each enemy's attack pattern, it becomes easier to avoid them. Once you've made a bit of progress and picked up some pieces of heart to increase your health, you won't be as worried about making a mistake and taking a hit or two. Once you have better weapons (including my personal favorite, a spear that allows you to attack from two squares away instead of just one) the game feels much more manageable. This is all to say: don't be discouraged by the early parts of the game. Like Crypt, Cadence of Hyrule has a steep learning curve initially, and the fact that you lose some items upon dying might seem frustrating. However, Cadence of Hyrule is actually much easier and more forgiving than Crypt—the majority of items you actually keep even after dying, including all of the most important things like weapons and classic Zelda items. I should also mention that if the rhythmic movement really isn't your thing there is Fixed Beat mode where nothing moves until you do, giving you ample time to plan your movements and attacks. It's definitely a crutch, but one that many players might find helpful, at least until they've mastered some of the basics. And once you're in the groove of things, the game is incredibly addictive. It makes sense since it follows the basic structure of a Zelda game—explore, collect items, complete dungeons—but the inherent rhythmic structure of the game really makes it hard to put down. Exploring every little cave and clearing enemies from one screen after another while keeping your rhythm the entire time has an almost hypnotic appeal. It's also great to see how much of Cadence of Hyrule is a Zelda experience just with a unique control scheme. The items are a blast to use and have some clever uses that work within the context of this rhythm adventure. That said, I would have preferred even more focus on items since they really are an iconic part of Zelda. It makes sense since the rhythmic nature of Cadence of Hyrule makes it hard to incorporate item puzzles—even just using them without losing the beat can be tricky—but it still would have been nice to see some of them in dungeons. Another aspect of Crypt that has carried over here is the infinite replayability of Cadence of Hyrule. The world map and dungeon layouts are randomly generated, so every time you start a new game you're faced with a fresh challenge. You can also choose to play as either Link or Zelda who each have some unique attacks—Link can use his classic spin attack while Zelda can use magic—which further incentivizes multiple playthroughs. There's also drop-in/drop-out co-op if you want to get another player into the mix, and finally there is the recently released free update to add another playable character. It's great that there are so many reasons to journey through the game repeatedly especially since one playthrough can actually be pretty short—just five hours or so, depending on how often you die. Where would a rhythmic adventure game be without a stellar soundtrack? Composer Danny Baranowsky did an amazing job of blending classic Zelda tunes with the high energy melodies of Crypt, and the resulting soundtrack is truly delightful. It has the clear rhythm and beats you'd want for the gameplay structure while also providing some fantastically catchy tunes while you're exploring. And if this game introduces more players to the glory of the Shopkeeper's dulcet tones, all the better. The game's visuals find a perfect blend between the styles of the two games as well, combining the charming animation of Crypt enemies with the familiar looks of Bokoblins, Moblins, Darknuts, and more. It's an ideal merging of form and function as their attack patterns become clearly recognizable while still retaining the style of Zelda's visual design. Cadence of Hyrule may draw some confused reactions from fans of only Zelda, but it is absolutely worth giving this game a spin, even if you aren't already familiar with Crypt of the NecroDancer. The developers have done an amazing job of bridging the gap between these two franchises to create a unique, fresh adventure in the land of Hyrule, something that only could have come from this unique partnership between Nintendo and developer Brace Yourself Games. Cadence of Hyrule is a fantastically hypnotic, rhythmic adventure, one that will keep you moving to the beat for hours. Rating: 9 out of 10 Beats
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