Review – Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival

Almost six years since the last game in the West, it finally arrives for the new generation bringing good and new ideas. After two years of the Japanese launch for Nintendo Switch and an attempt to launch a mobile game, maintaining its focus on arcades and the Japanese market, the company decided to dare within the traditional formula that the series has.

With a focus on multiplayer and several new game modes, the new title in the franchise has 76 songs divided into different styles, from classic to Vocaloid, including soundtracks from famous games and anime. Furthermore, the developers didn’t miss the chance to add a paid subscription service that gives access to more than 500 songs. Get your bachi ready to explore one of the most fun rhythm experiences to survive in the music game market.

Hajimaru yo!

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival has a base that you already know: a pair of buttons are used to hit the middle of the Japanese drum (taiko), represented by the color red, while two others indicate the sides of the taiko, identified by the color blue. With this combination and following the rhythm of the songs, whether the melody or the lyrics, the player needs to score as much as possible to complete the song in up to four difficulties. This is the premise for playing Taiko no Tatsujin, if you are not lucky enough to have the themed controls in the shape of drums, with bachis (a type of drumsticks) to enjoy all this immersion that the game offers, including in arcades around the world.

The big difference in Rhythm Festival, after more than 25 titles released by the franchise, is Bandai Namco’s concern in exploring multiplayer, local or online, to diversify the game. It’s okay that gameplay with up to two players has existed for a long time, but now you can play with up to four players in Don-chan Band mode, in which each player plays a different instrument for a list of 20 songs and everyone needs to be skilled to complete the challenge together.

Another fun new feature is the Great Drum Toy War mode, in which you will compete in a versus-style match and use toys as a type of power-up or skill to hinder your partner and make it difficult to hit the taiko beats. Simply hit a number of DON on your drum to charge the toy that will be sent to cause changes in the opponent’s line of notes, either by hiding the base, shuffling the notes, increasing speed or disrupting visibility. A harder way to play and cheat if you want an extra challenge.

To complete the package of new features, Run mode! Ninja Dojo will pit you and three other players against each other in a race between ninjas. To do this, you need to follow the music, without losing rhythm, and keep an eye on obstacles to overcome them all and stay in first. Get ready to test your skills at high speed, because the further you advance along the line of notes, the closer your character will be to the edge of the screen and with less time to visualize what’s coming towards you in order to hit it at the correct time.

These new features, in addition to being very fun and increasing the possibilities of playing with friends, in my case with my wife, accompany the story proposed by Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival. Yes, that’s right! This time we have a clearer narrative structure in which you progress through the points obtained in any game mode. Don-chan, the little drum and mascot of the series, will live a musical adventure alongside Kumokun through the city of Omiko, all to become a Taiko master. From this plot, we will participate in festivities and artistic presentations, including unlocking new original songs from Bandai Namco.

Furucombo!

Everything about this game ends up being very fun and interesting, especially with the care taken in the visuals that Bandai Namco took for this release. The artistic work to represent Don-Chan and Kumokun, whether in a simple loading screen or in the static scenes of the story, is incredible and very beautiful, in addition to introducing other characters such as, for example, Lantern Eel, Water Mariko and Master Bachio. The game also ends up following this entire setting, with the menus in the shape of the city of Omiko (with several references to the most famous Japanese tourist attractions). Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival offers a very complete experience for those who follow the series and has demonstrated that it has the stamina to move forward, bringing new modes.

The game standard in Taiko mode, in Thunder Shrine, with local gameplay for one or two players, in addition to the possibilities in Dondoko Town, as an online mode hub, you will be able to enjoy a music library with J-Pop hits and Anime Songs , as well as a selection of tracks from older games. For those who enjoy a more traditional style, whether Japanese or European, these songs will be there for you.

To name a few hits, I’m suspicious of talking about songs from RED, the One Piece movie, Higedan, Demon Slayer and even City Pop, but Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival also has Gurenge, My Neighbor Totoro, MEGALOVANIA, Into The Night and Feel Special. There is no shortage of music options for you to try and master, achieving the best scores or the “Furucombo!” by hitting all the notes.

Bandai Namco did a lot right with the release of Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival and focusing on bringing new game modes. The controls remain simple and the games are easy to understand, leaving just the fun for you to enjoy, in addition to enjoying a cute story with interesting insights. It’s a shame the game isn’t yet in Brazilian Portuguese, but certainly with the amount of content to be played and so much to unlock, this will be a game that I’ll keep on my PS5 for a long time.