Elite Beat Agents

Now, unusually, we have an American game to review. It's got all of the elements of the Japanese game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, but is only really a spiritual sequel. 


Breezin' thru.

At the beginning of the game, two difficulty settings are unlocked. They are your typical "easy" and "hard" difficulty settings but have been re-named "breezin'" and "cruzin'". Now, I've personally completed "easy" but the last song on "normal" mode is actually ridiculously hard- and I love rhythm-based games.

Ah yes, it's a rhythm game. Some people love them; but, as sales of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series' show, many people adore them. Unlike Guitar Hero, the aim of the game isn't to become a rock star and be famous- it's to save people. As an Elite Beat Agent, you have to dance your way out of sticky situations.

Manly, manly men.

The Elite Beat Agents are part of a secret American organisation sent to save people. Ex-CIA agent, Commander Kahn, leads this group and dispatches them to where they are needed. 

The main reason I love this game is the music itself. There are tracks such as YMCA and Let's Dance which are, I'm happy to admit, exactly the type of music I love :3

Ok, the actual gameplay.

Tappy-tappy-tap right? Yes, Ok, it isn't the most revolutionary gameplay in the universe. But I didn't expect it to be. What is great about the gameplay is the cutscenes you get between certain parts of a song. Basically, if you get a "yes" on the bar for that section the game shows a positive thing happening to the person you are saving and if you get a "no" the opposite happens. Even the end cutscene changes depending on whether you fail or complete the "mission".

The cutscenes are in comic-book style and this makes them awesome in my opinion. 

Multiplayer.

There are several multiplayer options in this game, which allow up to 4 players. If you play against someone who also owns the game, you will be able to play all of the songs either as a team or in versus mode. However, if you own the game and your friend doesn't then only a few songs will be playable- probably to try ensure that your friend buys the game too!

But it isn't for everyone.

As I've mentioned, not everyone likes rhythm-based games. And if you don't, I really wouldn't suggest you play this game. Also, if you are a casual gamer (like me) you might find the game a little hard- though very rewarding.

Anyway, you'll be hard pushed to find the game (I got my copy from a store called CeX) on the high-street, but there are plenty of copies floating around on the internet, so go for it!

MmRed