Is GameFreak's newest adventure a smash hit or is it singing off-key? Find out in our review!
HarmoKnight is an interesting concept that combines rhythm and platforming in some endearing ways. GameFreak, primarily known through the massively popular Pokémon games, went out on a limb to create something with a distinctly different flavor. It was a risky move, but the end result is a cute, fluffy adventure appropriate for all ages that does falter in some areas.
Collecting notes is required for success.
For instance, right off the bat you'll undoubtedly note that nearly every aspect of the game is geared toward a younger audience. Whether intentional or not, it's a hard fact to overlook, especially when you consider the adorable, cartoonish aesthetic and the sole advice-giver on this musical journey is a rabbit named Tappy. With Tappy's sage advice, you set out on an adventure as the sprightly young Tempo to save the musical world of Meloadia from the advancing threat of the menacing Noizoids.
Like the ne'er-do-wells of the rhythm games before them, Noizoids are malevolent beings (usually quite colorful, like a certain intergalactic TV station game we know) and they're trying to make a mess of the place. Tempo and Tappy (and the friends they make along the way) must use their special talents, and the special staff bestowed upon Tempo, to rid the land of its pesky intruders and ensure the safety of its royalty. Seeing as Tempo is the apprentice of a wizened old man who was once a HarmoKnight, it's a pretty cut-and-dry endeavor and certainly one that we've seen before. But it's so friendly and good-natured that it's hard not to become invested in the smiling faces that comprise your party.
