Melody's Escape Preview

Rhythm games have seen an unexpected resurgence as of late; we seem to be well outside of the ‘post-Guitar Hero lull’ and music games are starting to interest players once again. Melody’s Escape is one of the more recent successful Steam Greenlight proposals that can now be found in the Early Access section of the digital shopfront. With just a single-man design team behind it, Melody’s Escape isn’t exactly the new Rock Band, but it’s certainly shaping up to be a thoroughly enjoyable title that could be great for short thrills. If you’re a fan of playing games along with your own music, then you’re going to love this one.

The concept is simple; the aptly named Melody slips on her headphones at the start of each level and runs across the screen at varying paces depending on the music. As the player, you must hit buttons, Parappa the Rappa style, in time with certain elements of the song. Get the timing or buttons wrong and Melody will trip, slip or fall; get them right and you’ll rack up a huge multiplier and loads of points. It’s a timeless mechanic, it seems, although Melody’s Escape comes with the added bonus of being able to play the game using your own music collection. In its current pre-release stage the game is very good at picking out the right elements of each song to base the gameplay on; it’s a crucial feature that many games of this ilk fail to provide.

Certainly, playing a game based on your personal music collection is an appealing prospect, but Melody’s Escape is also looking to entice players with its vibrant neon visuals. Not only is the game world a beautiful combination of plush colours but Melody herself is a bold neon figure who stands out against the colourful background. With each different button that the player successfully hits, her hair changes colour based on the shade of that particular button and a bright explosion of sparks emits from the button icon. Melody’s Escape is an eye-catching game, something that should help it gain a little bit of extra attention.

The gameplay in action is pleasingly addictive; the four different speeds at which Melody moves across the screen give the game a wonderful sense of momentum. Quiet, downbeat sections of music see Melody casually walking along the path, an increase in tempo comes along and she begins to jog. The more upbeat and busy the music gets, the faster she runs; by the time a song has reached its high point she’ll be literally flying. It’s a very simple idea, and one that’s more of a novelty than a core mechanic, but it’s executed masterfully and great fun to play.

In its current build, Melody’s Escape is a brutally fast paced game. At times it can actually be a little straining on the eyes to keep track of Melody and the buttons you need to press to keep her running. What’s more, it’s a punishingly difficult game to begin with; playing on anything other than the easiest difficulty can be very tricky. As with any rhythm game, once that initial difficulty curve is cleared, it becomes a lot simpler and a lot more fun. Getting the button combinations right and watching Melody vault, slide, jump, fly and glide along and around obstacles is a satisfying experience.

At the moment, the game is based entirely around the one familiar game mode in which you score points based on how many notes you can chain together. It’s pretty basic and the only variation stems from the ability to play custom music. Certainly though, that does provide plenty of variety; from powerful rock ballads to acoustic love songs, the only limitation is your own musical preference. Currently, there have been no announced plans for additional game modes, but there’s a lot of potential here for more. Additional settings would also be a good addition, maybe even some combat related animations. With the game still in Early Access though, there’s plenty of time for more to be added.

Melody’s Escape is a charming little indie title that could be well worth your cash. At the moment, it feels a little more like a tech demo than a fully fledged game. Some online leaderboards, maybe even a story mode, would spice things up a little, but for short bursts of fun this could be a great choice. It will be interesting to see how the game develops moving forward; Steam Workshop integration has been promised by the developer, so there’s even the possibility of some heavily customisable content in the future. Alongside Kickbeat, Melody’s Escape is leading the charge for the indie-bred revival of rhythm gaming. It’s a good time to be a game playing music fan; which, really, is just about everyone.