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From a talented team in our very own Melbourne, Spin Rhythm XD has more than earned its reputation as a fantastic take on arcade rhythm games, easy to pick up and incredibly addictive in the quest for mastery. And now it’s ready for a whole new wave of players.
While there’s a lot to say about Spin Rhythm XD that’s already been said when it came to other platforms, the focus here is on the recently launched PS5 version, and the good news is that it’s a great way to play an exceptional game. If you, like me, can claim that most of your rhythm game experience comes from using a PlayStation controller – games like Parappa the Rapper, Bust-A-Move, and Invector to name a few – it’s great to finally have this hit title at home. This also marks the game’s debut as a VR title with PS VR2 support (as well as a Steam VR update for the game’s existing PC version).
If you’ve played the PC or Switch versions of Spin Rhythm XD, you’ll know pretty much what to expect here. The game takes the idea of matching notes on a scrolling “highway” and adds a unique twist by letting you rotation a wheel at the bottom of the track to alternate between two colors, rather than simply assigning a button to them. Add sections that require you to forcefully operate the wheel in one direction or the other and special bar notes that introduce a second button, and you have a refreshingly easy-to-learn tactile system that’s incredibly challenging and satisfying to master at a high level.
It’s one of those rare arcade rhythm games that feels like it was made for a controller, which bodes well for the PlayStation release. It’s also a great A customizable experience, allowing players to adjust everything from the layout of the controls to the inertia of the wheel and even how the wheel is driven – the gyro and touchpad are both viable options on the DualShock/DualSense and both have their own unique advantages over the analog stick. Digging deeper, you can change things like visual guides and feedback, track and menu colors and even how items appear after missing a note. There’s a level of customization I’ve yet to experience in a rhythm game and it’s incredibly refreshing.
Of course, a rhythm game will live or die by its soundtrack, and thanks to a few years on the market via PC and Nintendo Switch, Spin Rhythm XD is launching on PlayStation with a solid catalog. It features some big names for anyone who loves EDM and chiptune-adjacent beats, from Anamanaguchi to Hyper Potions, Panda Eyes, Lena Raine, 2 Mello, Tokyo Machine, and more. Each track feels carefully chosen to ensure that playing them with the game’s unique controls feels immersive and capable, which is all you can ask for from a game like this. There’s also a nice difficulty cap. I found “Hard” to be the sweet spot for me, though tracks always increase in actual challenge based on a numerical rating to give you a more accurate indication, and there are two levels up from there.
The only way Spin Rhythm XD falls flat on PlayStation is the lack of game modes. There’s only one option: pick a song and play it. A game like this doesn’t need a long campaign or anything fancy, but an option or two to play it in other ways (multiplayer, for example) would have been welcome. There’s certainly enough here for the perfectionists with unlockable tracks and cosmetics, and a decent list for trophy hunters, but the game feels minimalist for a console effort.
The other new thing here is virtual reality support, and while I was initially eager to see if I could transport myself inside the game would be the best way to play (and improve my skills), the reality isn’t nearly as exciting. The control scheme used is novel and makes sense in context, with players also playing notes with the Sense controllers while they grab and spin the wheel, but I was really hoping for something more freeform and with less emphasis on pointing. It’s a fun distraction if you’re looking for a new way to play and it greatly increases the immersion factor, but it’s far from the definitive Spin Rhythm XD experience.