In general, not many games fall into the rhythmic fighting category. In the past, Rock Band and Guitar Hero were some of the most notable examples of this type of game, particularly modes that pitted players against each other in a battle of rhythm and skill. While God of Rock feels quite similar to these experiences, the title, Modus Studios, is an entirely unique premise, and that has both pros and cons.
Since God of Rock is a 2D rhythm fighting game, the idea is to take control of a character from a diverse cast, all with strong musical flair, and then use him to bludgeon an opponent in single combat. Unlike Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken, and all the other 2D fighting games out there, God of Rock isn’t defined by combos and move lists, rather you have to press buttons at the right time in the rhythm to play the game deal damage to your opponent, block attacks and generate the necessary energy to use special moves. As I said, it’s a very unique premise.
The problem is that unlike regular 2D fighters, which are more about memorizing combos and then bashing your opponent in real-time, God of Rock is more about you beating the generated rhythm track , which is thrown at you. It’s such a fast-paced and challenging game that it loses its competitive charm, as you never get a chance to take a moment to plan or study the situation you and your opponent find themselves in. From the moment the game starts you have to be fully focused on the notes that appear on your trail because when you look away to check a health bar or appreciate the backgrounds and melee action they immerse you in characters , you will lose notes, take damage, lose combos and get defeated.
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And that’s exactly the problem God of Rock faces. Anything that appears on the screen beyond the small section dedicated to your track is as if it didn’t exist since you don’t get the chance to appreciate it. Sure, there are brief moments (and when I say brief, I mean a few seconds) when you can shift your attention elsewhere, but realistically it’s going to be one of those special combo attacks that you’ll need to remember. For a game with such a simple concept, it’s really challenging.
On the other hand, God of Rock is a very accessible game. Yes, increasing the difficulty lets you play against better players, and in general things get a lot harder the further you progress in a game (the longer the game lasts, the faster a track gets). But for those looking to play God of Rock for the first time, all they need to know is where the four main buttons are on a controller. Whether it’s the A, B, X, Y buttons on Xbox or the Xs, Circle, Square, Triangle buttons on PlayStation, that’s all you need to play the game. Combos require a few movements of the analog stick or taps on the touchpad, but in most cases it’s just those four buttons and nothing else. The simplicity is impressive.
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The cast of characters is another of its strengths. Each of the 12 people reflects a specific culture and music genre, and each has unique combo attacks, which is great fun. My favorite is definitely King because who wouldn’t want to play with what is clearly an alter ego of Elvis Presley. The downside, however, as I mentioned before, is that when you go into a match it doesn’t matter who you’re playing as, because aside from those slightly different combos, there are very few ways to tell who you’re playing against . without taking your eyes off the rhythmic track and sacrificing the chance of winning.
The list of available game modes is also pretty sparse, as there’s rumored to be a story mode, but it seems more like a way to progress from arcade mode into back-to-back battles. Apart from that we have the local games, the online multiplayer mode and the level editor, which is called a saving grace since you can create new variants of circuits designed by the community. At its core, God of Rock feels like it’s missing a few things, and for solo players or those who don’t play a lot of local games, it probably won’t be long before things start to feel a bit repetitive.
That being said, I love the concept of this game and I think it has potential for the future, but there are too many things at work today for God of Rock to compete on its own.
