As someone with an affinity for rhythm games, I can’t help but take a peek at all video game campaigns which pull from that genre. The latest is Harmonic Crusade by Cracked Bat Games which looks to mesh RPG and rhythm mechanics. Because the storyline is basically totally under wraps at this point, the mechanics are basically all we can discuss. The basics sound pretty neat, at least.
In Harmonic Crusade you’re basically playing a rhythm game during battles. This is opposed to the standard of turn-based or real time fights where you select attacks, skills, etc. During a fight you’ll have to keep an eye on two “lanes” which notes will move down. As with typical rhythm titles your goal is to hit all the notes in time. Unlike most traditional games, you’re going to need to control both lanes either simulatenously or by switching back and forth. The concept sounds a bit like the multitasking of Sequence or The World Ends With You, but with a larger RPG slant. If you’d like to get a feel for the concept then there’s a web demo for Harmonic Crusade available.
Although it’s a shame there’s not more description about the game itself, there does certainly seem to be a good team involved. Progammer Alan James worked on DJManiax and Pump It Up, and although I’ve not played the former the latter is a pretty great time. The rest of the staff has a similar pedigree, but I’d be lying to say that any of them excited my rhythm fan self nearly as much. Harmonic Crusade needs $75,000 CAD (about $59,800) to be successfully funded for PC.
Track the progress of the Harmonic Crusade Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
