Hyrule cadence review

Beat along to the beat

So, you know this is a Link / Zelda game, and you know it’s a procedurally generated rhythm game. But what does the actual gameplay look like?

While there are a few different game modes, the core gameplay is all about matching your attacks with the beat. This means it’s not enough to just hit the enemy – instead, you need to time your attack along with the music to get better items that will help you survive.

All of this assumes you are in combat, of course. When there are no enemies on screen, you actually move at the same relaxed pace as any other Zelda game.

While the gameplay looks simple, the difficulty can escalate quite quickly. This is especially true when you’re facing a room full of enemies or an epic boss battle (complete with fast-paced music).

Play again

We continue to emphasize the musical component of this game. But what kind of music will you listen to?

The soundtrack is mostly made up of familiar Zelda tunes that have been remixed into different styles. In some cases, this makes the songs very relaxing (and offers just as easy battles). In other cases, you get music much faster and more intense than the original melody (offering a correspondingly higher challenge).

You may or may not like the core gameplay of this title. But it is impossible to deny the pure and touching charm of the soundtrack.

Live, die, rupee

To understand this game, you need to understand how roguelike games work. Basically, these games were the original “live, die, repeat” style of play.

In the original Rogue and similar games, you had a single character. He would explore a procedurally generated world and when they are dead, it’s over. If you played again, you had a completely new character and had to start over.