Gameplay I’ve heard more often than not that, next to Kinectimals, this game is the most responsive to the Kinect hardware, which makes sense as it has to track all the nuances of your body movements in time to the beat of the songs, but before I even got into the dancing, I was very pleased with the interface of this game.
Many other Kinect titles have awkward interfaces, basic interfaces, or, in the case of Sonic Riders, interfaces from hell. Dance Central’s navigation is simple but very slick. Your options are all right there for you to see, you put out your right hand, raise and lower it accordingly to highlight your selection, then just swing your hand across your body like a fingertip sliding through pages on an iPhone; to return to a previous menu you just put out your left hand and do the exact same thing. This is how a Kinect navigation interface should be, this is going to set the bar for other games down the road.
The actual game itself handles unbelievably responsively. As the game teaches you the dance steps (and yes it will teach you all 600+ dance moves for those of you who, like me, suffer from terminal caucasian-ness) it tracks every little part of your body to let you know how close you are to nailing that dance step; if my left foot is a little out of place for the step, my character on screen’s left foot will light up red to let me know it needs to be corrected. The precision of the Kinect’s visual capture is incredible and, though it can seem punishing if you’re trying to learn that really complicated move, it’s really the closest realization to a true dancing game to date.
Other dancing games just have you stepping on directions in time to the music, or waving a remote or a wand in your hand, but with Kinect’s full-body motion tracking you can’t cheat the moves and really have to learn them to get the top scores; as an extra aid you will see your outline in the top corner of the screen moving as you move, just to let you see for yourself what may need tightening up.
The dance moves are tough in some instances, and I’m ashamed to admit there was one instance where I almost did faceplant onto my floor, but that’s due to my own lack of coordination.
Graphics Being made by the same house that makes Rock Band, the graphics are on par with the franchise that Harmonix has made famous. There aren’t really any elements here that will make your eyes explode with visual overload, minus the “Freestyle” mode that’s familiair to Rock Band’s “Overdrive” mode, but the graphics still hold steady and there is no sacrifice to framerate, which is more critical in a rhythm game than visual stimulants.
Sound Obviously being a dancing game, this game is going to require a sweet soundtrack. Admittedly I was expecting all Top 40 tracks, the Lady Gagas, the Christina Aguileras etc etc, now the game does have Rihanna, Lady Gaga and the like, but I was quite pleased with the variety of tunes through the ages and genres. With classic acts like The Commodores, older hip hop tracks like Don’t Sweat the Technique and electronica tunes from artists like Benny Benassi, there’s a wide variety to choose from already loaded into the game; throw on the additions that come out on downloadable content and this is a game that has a far more expansive music library than expected. Like any music game, there are tracks you’ll love, some you may not be crazy about, it’s all based on taste, but I was very pleased with the variety that Dance Central has to offer.
Multiplayer This game has potential to be a huge party game, but there are some drawbacks. Local multiplayer is basically the main player is up front and they can have backup dancers with them, but only the dancer front and center will effect the score; I do know this can be preferable in most cases, but it makes playing multiplayer feel watered down. I wish multiplayer could have been stepped up a bit, like have players take turns flashing their moves and serving their opponent!… the dance community still says “serve”, right?
Online multiplayer is nonexistent for the reasons stated above. There’s no point taking it online if you can’t have a dance battle against other crews on XBox Live, so this game will have to stick with its local multiplayer which, again, isn’t really anything to scream from the rooftops about; it’s not bad by any means, but it could have been more.
What I liked This game is very accessible to multiple levels of skill, I was actually learning some dance moves. The game is also a ridiculous amount of fun regardless of how skilled you are, in all honesty when you’re playing with friends this game is more fun if you do lack dancing skills because you get your laughs at one another and it makes the mood really enjoyable; dancing alone is probably less fun but when you have some friends over and are doing really well or really bad, you’re going to have fun and laughs either way. Another plus is that if you are absolutely terrible, worst case scenario you can just chill on the futon and let your lady friends show you how it’s done; I think this game might be the new “Wii Hula Hoop Girl” YouTube sensation.
The addition of downloadable content is also a huge plus for any music game, and that this game already has DLC out is impressive; with this being a game from Harmonix I have no doubt it will soon become a weekly thing that new tracks will be up and ready to go for Dance Central.
To top it all off, it’s actually a pretty good little bit of exercise. Yes it is November and the furnace is on but I was getting that pre-about-to-start-sweating feeling after a few tunes and I had to crack open a window to let some of that wonderful November Canada air in. There is a workout mode, but it’s ultimately the game with a calorie counter on the side, not really necessary, just go with the actual game itself to feel the burn.
What I Would Change Again the multiplayer needs work, a lot of work, but it doesn’t detract from the fun so the lacking multiplayer modes won’t cripple this game.
I also need to change my two left feet for a matching pair of one left one right; also being less self-conscious while playing would no doubt make this game more enjoyable for me.
Final Thoughts I do still prefer Kinect Sports, but no one can deny how fun Dance Central is. Like I said I don’t, and can’t, dance but I had a load of fun playing with this game and it’s definitely a contender for one of the best party games of this year.
written by Lee Clifford
Okay, clearing the air now: I am a terrible dancer. Any time I’ve been at a club I’m either the DD who’s just sorta hanging out waiting for his friends to be done having fun, or I’ll hang out by the bar; I can’t dance, I’ve accepted this aspect about myself and have made peace with it.
That said, you’ll be understanding as to why I was a little intimidated to try out Kinect’s killer app, Dance Central. This dancing title has been dubbed many things, “The reason to get a Kinect”, “The Dance Dance Revolution Killer” and so on and so forth. Now, any time a game is called a “killer” of any well established franchise, I get skeptical because I recall Tribes 2’s box art in big, bold, red letters stating “Bye Bye Halo!” and more recently Medal of Honour declaring it would be “The COD Killer”, both of which failed immensely to achieve their claims. So as I loaded up a game with such an expectation in mind, I was admittedly skeptical and maybe approached the game with more hostility than I normally would a title; that and, again, I can’t dance so I was doubly hostile towards this title.
The alarming part is: minus the necklace and scarf, I have a suit just like this… I tell people these things.
So I slid my shiny new copy of Dance Central into my XBox 360 game tray and closed it, opening up a road to God only knew where. Now, I am a musician so holding a beat is no problem for me, and I wouldn’t say I have a fathomless knowledge of club and Top 40 tunes but I know enough to get by, so ultimately it just comes down to sheer lack of dancing skill for me, so I consider myself a prime player to gauge how accessible this game is to all different skill levels.
written by Lee Clifford
Okay, clearing the air now: I am a terrible dancer. Any time I’ve been at a club I’m either the DD who’s just sorta hanging out waiting for his friends to be done having fun, or I’ll hang out by the bar; I can’t dance, I’ve accepted this aspect about myself and have made peace with it.
That said, you’ll be understanding as to why I was a little intimidated to try out Kinect’s killer app, Dance Central. This dancing title has been dubbed many things, “The reason to get a Kinect”, “The Dance Dance Revolution Killer” and so on and so forth. Now, any time a game is called a “killer” of any well established franchise, I get skeptical because I recall Tribes 2’s box art in big, bold, red letters stating “Bye Bye Halo!” and more recently Medal of Honour declaring it would be “The COD Killer”, both of which failed immensely to achieve their claims. So as I loaded up a game with such an expectation in mind, I was admittedly skeptical and maybe approached the game with more hostility than I normally would a title; that and, again, I can’t dance so I was doubly hostile towards this title.
The alarming part is: minus the necklace and scarf, I have a suit just like this… I tell people these things.
So I slid my shiny new copy of Dance Central into my XBox 360 game tray and closed it, opening up a road to God only knew where. Now, I am a musician so holding a beat is no problem for me, and I wouldn’t say I have a fathomless knowledge of club and Top 40 tunes but I know enough to get by, so ultimately it just comes down to sheer lack of dancing skill for me, so I consider myself a prime player to gauge how accessible this game is to all different skill levels.
written by Lee Clifford
Okay, clearing the air now: I am a terrible dancer. Any time I’ve been at a club I’m either the DD who’s just sorta hanging out waiting for his friends to be done having fun, or I’ll hang out by the bar; I can’t dance, I’ve accepted this aspect about myself and have made peace with it.
That said, you’ll be understanding as to why I was a little intimidated to try out Kinect’s killer app, Dance Central. This dancing title has been dubbed many things, “The reason to get a Kinect”, “The Dance Dance Revolution Killer” and so on and so forth. Now, any time a game is called a “killer” of any well established franchise, I get skeptical because I recall Tribes 2’s box art in big, bold, red letters stating “Bye Bye Halo!” and more recently Medal of Honour declaring it would be “The COD Killer”, both of which failed immensely to achieve their claims. So as I loaded up a game with such an expectation in mind, I was admittedly skeptical and maybe approached the game with more hostility than I normally would a title; that and, again, I can’t dance so I was doubly hostile towards this title.
The alarming part is: minus the necklace and scarf, I have a suit just like this… I tell people these things.
So I slid my shiny new copy of Dance Central into my XBox 360 game tray and closed it, opening up a road to God only knew where. Now, I am a musician so holding a beat is no problem for me, and I wouldn’t say I have a fathomless knowledge of club and Top 40 tunes but I know enough to get by, so ultimately it just comes down to sheer lack of dancing skill for me, so I consider myself a prime player to gauge how accessible this game is to all different skill levels.
written by Lee Clifford
Okay, clearing the air now: I am a terrible dancer. Any time I’ve been at a club I’m either the DD who’s just sorta hanging out waiting for his friends to be done having fun, or I’ll hang out by the bar; I can’t dance, I’ve accepted this aspect about myself and have made peace with it.
That said, you’ll be understanding as to why I was a little intimidated to try out Kinect’s killer app, Dance Central. This dancing title has been dubbed many things, “The reason to get a Kinect”, “The Dance Dance Revolution Killer” and so on and so forth. Now, any time a game is called a “killer” of any well established franchise, I get skeptical because I recall Tribes 2’s box art in big, bold, red letters stating “Bye Bye Halo!” and more recently Medal of Honour declaring it would be “The COD Killer”, both of which failed immensely to achieve their claims. So as I loaded up a game with such an expectation in mind, I was admittedly skeptical and maybe approached the game with more hostility than I normally would a title; that and, again, I can’t dance so I was doubly hostile towards this title.
The alarming part is: minus the necklace and scarf, I have a suit just like this… I tell people these things.
So I slid my shiny new copy of Dance Central into my XBox 360 game tray and closed it, opening up a road to God only knew where. Now, I am a musician so holding a beat is no problem for me, and I wouldn’t say I have a fathomless knowledge of club and Top 40 tunes but I know enough to get by, so ultimately it just comes down to sheer lack of dancing skill for me, so I consider myself a prime player to gauge how accessible this game is to all different skill levels.
