Rhythm Thief & The Emperor’s Treasure

"A certain je-ne-sais-quoi."

 

Developer: SEGA
Publisher: SEGA
Platform(s): 3DS
Genre: Rhythm
Release Date: March 31, 2012 (US), April 5, 2012 (EU)

 

SEGA’s support of the Nintendo 3DS has been sizable already. Shinobi, Sonic Generations and more have already been launched in a short period of time. Now, the publisher wants to step into the rhythm game section as well and brings Rhythm Thief & The Emperor’s Treasure. It’s about a rhythmical thief that likes to steal treasure. So far, there are no surprises.

 

 

What sets this game apart from the rest is that it tries to blend more than just one type of pattern into its gameplay. The smooth criminal will dance, run and bounce all over ritzy, cel-shaded Paris and that will involve many differing situations. Sure, he can hit the disco-lighted floor with a few friends and cut a pulsing rug, but our stylish redhead still wants to get paid at the end of the day. Therefore, he’ll also be able to strike poses in museums to hide behind statues and punch out foes with magical cadences. This game has a certain je-ne-sais-quoi.

The French flair stops at the visual however, as the game’s fundamental audio will be a lot more modern and offbeat. There are no chansons here. The heavy focus on percussion emphasizes the gameplay mechanics that require timed inputs, with or without a guiding prompt. This way, it’s possible for players to simply follow the beat along with the game’s tells through dance moves or color codes, as to hit the right note at the right time. Additionally, the jazzy rhythm adds challenge to an otherwise simple pattern. Players will have several beat pattern laced throughout any episode, making each a different venture. This game’s core is solid and flourishes through it.

 

 

Additionally, Rhythm Thief doesn’t stick to just stylus commands for its games. It will also issue color coded commands or use the handheld’s buttons as to create a mix of different styles that keep gameplay novel. It is perhaps its strongest point, as most rhythm games stick to what they know, but this title isn’t afraid to think outside the box and that straight out the gate. This gets complemented by a progressing storyline that sees our hero du jour transcend from street artist to con artiste. There are even boss fights amongst the plentiful challenges, which in total blurs the line between traditional game and rhythm mini-game extravaganza.

Naturally, any game based on pattern recognition and timing also relies on replay value in order to incentivize skill progress. Rhythm Thief is no different and implements a scoring system after each episode that ranks the player’s skill. Consecutively succeeding moves strings a combo together that fill the Groove Gauge and heightens the score. Failing any moves shames the gods of dance and depletes the gauge. It’s a simple enough trait, but it’s the game’s rhythm itself that will drive players onwards.

 

 

It’s amazing just how swift Rhythm Thief’s beats will encourage players to get entranced and keep the momentum going as the challenges become more difficult. The excellent auxiliary design that courses a viewer’s attention to the proper action makes sure the player is gifted with a natural progression that is easy to learn and to maintain. While it’s uncertain if the full game will succeed in keeping this up before growing stale, it is off to a great start so far.

If there is one discrepancy however it’s that the 3D effect blurs the critical features needed to make this work and that stumps gameplay a lot. With it, Rhythm Thief becomes Vision Thief with harder to spot patterns and guides, while the screen fades into a messy state that confuses players. Turn it off and enjoy SEGA’s game for the colorfully animated show it is.

 

 

Rhythm Thief & The Emperor’s Treasure also promises to make use of connectivity to get players to dance their virtual butts off together. Hopefully it’s as solid as the singleplayer, as this title is rhythmic gold. For players that remember Elite Beat Agents, consider SEGA’s latest to be the spiritual successor of blending grooves with stories that look and feel awesome. Look out for this game in a few weeks, cool cats.

Screenshots
 

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed. (@Daavpuke)