Unbeatable - Review
Music is fucking cool and awesome and so is Unbeatable. Let me back up a bit, music has always been incredibly important in my life. I've been playing Trumpet for over 17 years at time of writing. I was a band kid throughout middle and high school and into college, and I've continued to play in a local community band to this day. I say all this as a preface to illustrate that like most people, I am incredibly biased. Music nerd liked the music game. But with Unbeatable, it's a little bit more than that. Unbeatable is a game that's story and themes and so incredibly intertwined with creating art and being the person that creates it. And to lay my bias even barer, I also follow a lot of people that made this game. I've listened and read about this game's development and the people who made it, so this is not a review of Unbeatable, but that is not going to stop me from recommending it to everyone and anyone who will listen. I do want to talk a little bit about the story mode, but I won't go into plot specifics for 2 reasons: 1. I think this is a story worth going into mostly blind 2. The exact plot points don't really matter Point 2 may sound like a dig, but it's more complicated than that. It's one of the main reason's I want to talk about the story mode. The plot itself is quite messy (lovingly), and it still works because it's not the point. It is much more about the themes and the characters. This isn't a story to scrutinize plot holes, or nit pick the world building. Just go with the flow, and just sit with it. My other recommendation for the story mode is to be patient. My biggest issue with the story mode is that I wanted more of the rhythm game part of the rhythm game in my rhythm game. Again, just go with the flow, have a little faith, and you'll be rewarded. And when you do actually get to the rhythm game part, it's damn good. And this is when the game really popped off for me. The story mode was great. But Arcade mode dude? It sunk it's hooks deep into my skull. I may just secretly be a closeted rhythm gamer, but besides BPM: Bullets Per Minute, I haven't stepped into the genre till now. It definitely helps that I really meshed with the style(s) of music they went with. But damn there's just something to practicing and getting better at something. When I started I could barely do the expert difficulties. Now? Still pretty bad, but I've got S's on Hard and below and got my first S++ on the shortest beginner track. But your not allowed to play the Arcade mode until you finish the story. Not that it's locked or anything, I am banning you from playing first myself. I expect a full report on my desk by Monday. Unbeatable is an incredibly ambitious game that doesn't land every decision it makes, but that's the whole point. All you can do is your best, and there is no doubt in my mind that this team gave it there all. This is the kind of game that only exists because of an incredible level of passion at every point of development, and it's a game that made me FEEL EMOTIONS. And that's all there is to it.