As a child that grew up on the rhythm and music games such as Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Boogie, and yes, Disney’s High Scholl Musical Sing It!, I was over the moon to find out that tinyBuild and SURT were releasing a new music-centered game with action mechanics sprinkled throughout. Aptly titled, Rhythm Sprout, the game would have players enter a journey as a healthy vegetable knight on his way to end the terror of candy villains. Boasting beautiful cartoonish graphics and an adorable cast of characters, Rhythm Sprout looked like just the game I needed.
Having played my fair share of Rhythm Sprout, however, I’m left with feeling of being pretty unsatisfied with the final product. Though its visuals were charming, there seemed to be something missing from this title that the others before it could deliver flawlessly. And while this isn’t a terrible game, it’s definitely one you won’t remember a week from now.
Rhythm Sprout Review Biggest Takeaways
- Rhythm Sprout has a uniquely adorable world of healthy heroes and sugary villains.
- The gameplay, while charming at first, can become very tedious.
- An absence of catchy songs to sing to makes each level more and more forgettable as you progress.
- There’s hardly anything that really changes up the formula that Rhythm Sprout divulges within the opening moments of the story.
- Rhythm Sprout continuously throws players into uninteresting dialogue moments with false choice mechanics that fall flat.
Final Score: 4/10
A Knight’s Tale That Offers Little Momentum
Right off the bat, Rhythm Sprout offers dialogue that’s meant to be comedic with crass jokes and in-your-face scenarios that are meant to be funny, because, loud and edgy. Though there were some silly moments and nothing was too edgy to the point of the offense, it just reminded me just kind of that edgy kid that would play devil’s advocate in all class discussions at school. They weren’t ever too bad, but just kind of annoying to the point that you’d wince a bit whenever they’d start talking.
Rhythm Sprout also has a ton of dialogue to slog through. As the game is incredibly short, it feels like it solely exists to pad the runtime. I honestly started skipping the dialogue about halfway through, because I just stopped caring about the characters and their less-than-impressive sarcastic joke delivery. To add insult to injury, SURT pushed an update out before release which corrupted my game, thus forcing me to start over again, thus skipping cutscenes for a second time.
The Music Game Without the Catchy Tunes to Jam to
Something that I like about Rhythm Sprout is the fact that its controls are extremely simple, allowing players to get into the groove of what the game has to offer. Since this title doesn’t have a guitar or drum controller, nor does it have motion controls, you really are left to the simplicity of your controller’s design. There are only ever about four different buttons you’ll need to use in order to play, which is nice, especially since the levels do become increasingly more difficult.
The problem with Rhythm Sprout’s enjoyment factor comes from the music. Though the game’s own original tracks are really nice to listen to, none of them are ever more than something you’d hear as a person’s ringtone. Players have no iconic song to connect to in order to make playing this epic journey as epic as it appears to want you to feel.
Had Rhythm Sprout introduced popular songs or even original ones that at least had lyrics, then gameplay would feel way more intriguing. Most of the songs really do sound similar, and because of their repetitive gameplay, it makes everything feel as if the game is just droning on. And it’s a shame because this title really had the vibe that it was going to be something grander.
Why Rhythm Sprout Fails to Be More
I personally think that Rhythm Sprout never really finds its voice at full capacity. The gameplay itself feels like it’s just not fully there, the music isn’t nearly as catchy as it needs to be as a music-centric title, and the story is throwaway. It makes Rhythm Sprout to be an incredibly forgettable experience. And it isn’t the first time this has happened.
During the boom of music games in the 2010s, there were countless titles trying to formulate their own voice, only to sink into mediocrity. If you’re going to make a rhythm or music game, it has to really offer something that players aren’t going to be able to get anywhere else. And in all honesty, this has the trappings of being one of those mobile games you pick up and play. It doesn’t feel like a complete game launching on PCs and gaming consoles.
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Is It Worth Trying?
If you’re someone who’s itching to get any kind of new rhythm or music game these days, then Rhythm Sprout will the very least, give you something new to play that at least has a semi-coherent story. Other than that, it really isn’t anything that’s going to get you much joy, unless you’re into this kind of game.
Personally, I prefer music games that pull me into emotional moments with songs from my childhood or ones that resonate with what the story is offering at that moment. And unfortunately for Rhythm Sprout, it never seems to become anything more than yet another music game that missed the mark, no matter how adorable it looks.
Rhythm Sprout is available now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.
So, now you know our thoughts on Rhythm Sprout, and whether or not it’s really worth the money. If this review helped you make a decision on Rhythm Sprout, then be sure to check out some of our other content too, such as “Why is Blood white in Cyberpunk 2077? Answered”. And don’t forget to like Gamer Journalist on Facebook too for all of the latest guides, news, and reviews on the games releasing!
