Rhythm Sprout

Rhythm Sprout is a good take on the rhythm game adventure genre, with decent mechanics and a world that gives players reasons to push through and master songs. I like the variety of possible tweaks for any level and the Beginner mode. But the music-driven mechanics do not offer too much variety and the difficulty curve ramps up pretty quickly. The entire experience is a good way of introducing players to the rhythm genre, especially if they skew younger. And the game would have benefited greatly from a cooperative mode that allowed a more experienced player to guide a new one. Rhythm Sprout is competent and colorful but never attempts to significantly tweak a familiar formula.

Though the short run-time, on top of its overused hit-and-miss humor, may work against it, what Rhythm Sprout lacks in unique aesthetic or visual identity, it more than makes up for with a soundtrack as much a gameplay loop that’s both enjoyable and easy to make repeat trips back to. Frantic its drastic shifts in rhythm may feel at times, the game just about manages to maintain a sense of fairness and coherency throughout. Owed in part to the way tracks develop and evolve overtime, but so too how SURT themselves identify that any good rhythm game isn’t so much about keeping players in the zone so as to succeed, but keeping them there so as to potentially trip them up. That continuous string of mind-games, baits and other such devious means are part the reason why Rhythm Sprout is such a fun trek to partake in. A simple-enough premise, but executed to delightful effect.