Games come in many different genres. Being original is hard these days. Mixing and matching genres into new ones is one way to keep things fresh. God of Rock by Modus is entirely going that route with an odd mix.
Revive the greats
The God of Rock is looking for some entertainment. Things have been dull for quite some time and reviving the souls of the universe’s most excellent musicians seems like a good idea. In a good mood, the God of Rock even provides new bodies and gives them special powers. Instead of letting these musicians do what they do best, the God of Rock decides to put them in a 1v1 fighting tournament instead. This bonkers idea tries to legitimize the mixing of two genres not meant to mix: rhythm games and fighting games. The blend sounds weird but strangely, I had high hopes for this one. I’m always down for a good rhythm game and I tend to find rhythm in executing epic moves in a fighting game. This might be a crazy idea but it could turn out one of the best game ideas.
Small roster
The characters in God of Rock are perfectly stylized for this type of game. They all have a distinguished look with no Ken and Ryu similarities to be found. Each of the characters has a different backstory explained in “comic form” when choosing your fighter. When a fight starts, they all have a few catchphrases that seem to riff on the opponent. These humorous little things add a lot of charm to the game and are done well. Visually every fighter looks awesome and ridiculous at the same time fitting with the sort of game God of Rock is trying to be. The only downside is a small roster of only 12 characters. When they are well thought out like these seem to be I gladly let the small roster slide.
Rhythm fight
Now then, for the meat and potatoes of God of Rock… Let’s take a look at the odd gameplay introduced by this game. At the bottom of the screen are two note charts. One is for the player on the left, the other one is for the player on the right. Above the note chart, you see the fight unfold. So effectively, you as a player only use a quarter of the screen for the rhythm-based gameplay of this mash-up. This immediately raises one of the main problems this game has. The rhythm chart you need to focus on is small, leaving you less room to anticipate the notes as they come flying at you. Besides this problem, another one arises soon after you realise how you hit the notes correctly. The note chart has 4 lanes for each main button on your controller. These 4 lanes are in a straight line but those buttons are not in a straight line on your controller. This messed me up big time. I’ve read the layout can be changed on the PC version of this game but I found no way to change these on a console.
With perseverance, you can overcome anything and I powered through what was about to be a frustrating endeavour. I’m rather good when it comes down to rhythm games but I could not fully grasp (and enjoy) the way God of Rock intends you to play this game. Luckily, hitting the notes is not the only thing this game has going on. Each note hit at the right time will perform a hit by your character. If your opponent matches that same hit, they block you. Once you have enough notes correct, special meters start to fill allowing you to perform special moves. These are different for each character and are performed by inputting a certain sequence of buttons. These attacks can alter the outcome of the match when performed at the right time.
Ultra moves
Besides each character having different special moves, they also have what is called an Ultra move. These are a type of “finisher” to mess with your opponent. Some characters can add notes to the opponents’ chart while other obstruct your view with spray paint. These unique powers are fun to explore (if you ignore the mental pain you have to get through to hit enough notes to charge these powers). Getting further into the game, you learn about reversals to counter the moves of your opponent. With all the usual fighting tropes present in this game you feel like this game is a fighting game in the first place. The tracks offered will scale in difficulty the longer you fight. This means, tracks don’t end and can’t be learned/practised like in many other rhythm games.
Conclusion
I found Rock of God barely playable on a console. I love the idea and the quirkiness but have to conclude it did not deliver the hype. I think the PC version is the way to go if you want to have a fun experience (with an adjustable button layout). I would stay clear of the console version if you’re not a hardcore rhythm game enthusiast with a tendency to hurt your brain.
