Starting our Rhythm Sprout preview has me wondering if you’ve ever enjoyed eating vegetables and exercise, if so then congratulations on your lifestyle choices firstly. Secondly, if you’ve enjoyed the past two things AND music, then you’re in luck. A fit little sprout on a mission to save a kingdom from bad sweets in walking and swinging his way through many lands to do just that.
From new developer, SURT, comes Rhythm Sprout, a new rhythm game that’s simple to pick up and learn and can be hard to master. Using either your controller or keyboard, you can play through many lands with different themes and music choices. Rhythm Sprout is a neat, little game that has a lot of heart and pizzaz to show off is pretty impressive from first play.
Rhythm Sprout
Developer: SURT
Publisher: tinyBuild
Platforms: Microsoft Windows (Previewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Release Date: TBA
Players: 1
Price: TBA
Rhythm Sprout is set in a kingdom where everything is a vegetable and healthy, and you take up the mantle as Sprout, the Chosen Onion.
You are tasked by King Brock to save the kingdom from King Sugar Daddy and the bad sweets…and maybe Princess Cauliflower too. As you travel, you’ll encounter other vegetables and have very “interesting” dialogue with them.
The story in Rhythm Sprout, as it is in the demo, is brief but gives a good understanding of what is happening in the world around you and makes your journey seem a little bit funnier.
Geared up with nothing but your exercise clothing, sword, headphones, and medieval helmet you go across multiple lands to the beat of the music.
Rhythm games are fairly easy to get into, with Rhythm Sprout, it gets easier with a 3 button input system. It’s easy enough to learn and get adapted to and can be challenging enough for more hardcore rhythm game players. Before each stage starts, you can see the inputs so you’re aware of what your setup is to collect bars.
A ranking system in the form of when you collect bars in shown on the HUD on the bottom right. Each one can be A, B, C, and F. There are also Dodge symbols during the gameplay, usually when enemies attack with beams and seldom when you’re walking through an area.
At the end of every stage in Rhythm Sprout a combo and score counter are present to show what is cleared, and from what I can assume, shows completion and helps with unlocks.
Progress of your movement is tracked at the top of the screen showing how much you have left to travel. In a similar fashion to a game like Muse Dash, you fight enemies mid song to a beat to advance. It’s a fun experience so far and it can only get better with more areas to explore with more songs.
Cartoony and stylized is the best way to describe the graphics of this cute rhythm game. Rhythm Sprout is appealing and not something to complain about at all.
Every area you travel through is themed; in the demo you’re given 3 different locations which includes a snowy village, haunted mansion, and a beach.
Chromatic aberration is used for the world and characters while the HUD and other gameplay elements are left untouched.
The HUD is also easy to read and non-cluttered so you can see everything you want to see. It’s a fresh and razor sharp design made for the big beats of the game.
Obviously, music in Rhythm Sprout is the biggest factor in the game since it’s a rhythm game (duh). While they aren’t listed by any big or known names, they aren’t less in quality because of it.
The songs are catchy, high quality and also make for good listening for every stage you encounter. Even menu music is a good bop with great chord progression.
In the way of sound effects, they are minimal. There is also no voice acting but instead default to gibberish that is unintelligible but has subtitles provided anyways.
In my personal opinion, the lack of voice acting is one of it’s biggest strengths. All in all, the audio design is excellent and I hope there is no dip in it’s quality.
Ultimately, Rhythm Sprout is a great start to a new franchise that I feel can go the distance, no pun intended. It’s fun enough to play for those small gaming sessions where you have a few moments to kill some time. If you want an addition to your rhythm games library, this one is it.
Playable across all of your favorite gaming consoles and PC, Rhythm Sprout is also playable on Steam Deck if you want to really waste time on a car, train, or bus ride. For more information regarding Rhythm Sprout’s release date, make sure to check out its Steam page and official website.
