Rift of the Necrodancer (PC) Review – A Fun Comedic Groove

Sometimes a game and a genre find that perfect match together and you wonder “what took them so long?” The game in question is Rift of the Necrodancer and the genre is the traditional track-based rhythm game similar to Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Amazingly developer Brace Yourself Games has been working on something in the Crypt of the Necrodancer series for over a decade and more so than their other spinoff Cadence of Hyrule, Rift of the Necrodancer feels like the ideal unison of the series brand of silly comedy, banging music tracks, and challenging fun. Although it’s much different from its roguelike origins, it still manages to heighten everything else that makes the Crypt games so enjoyable.

Game Name: Rift of the Necrodancer
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), Coming later in 2025 to Nintendo Switch
Publisher(s): Klei Entertainment
Developer(s): Brace Yourself Games, Tic Toc Games
Release Date: February 5, 2025

Cadence Goes to Another World

The game’s story mode begins with Cadence falling through a literal rift and landing in another world. In a hilarious twist, she ironically needs assistance from a certain nemesis to find her other friends, who have also been transported to this peculiar domain.

The story is divided into sections based on which of Cadence’s pals needs help, making that portion of the tracklist feel curated by the specific character themselves, adding even more personality to the proceedings. Alongside this is the narrative, which features various story vignettes wrapped around the actual songs. In essence, they serve as a sort of break from the action, but I genuinely enjoyed how the characters around Cadence never take things too seriously and are always ready with pun-filled jokes, usually at her expense.

The villains are all variations of Team Rocket-esque goofballs, but the writing and art style make it work, giving the game the feel of an extended cartoon or anime split into a few episodes. Ultimately, each segment is quite short, and many times, I welcomed the levity after finally getting through a tough track.

Get Ready to Rock With Rift of the Necrodancer

Rift of the NecroDancer takes the basic concepts of Guitar Hero and adds its own spin. It follows the familiar formula of being “easy to pick up but difficult to master,” especially on the harder difficulties. I played the game on Medium using the keyboard on my laptop, but you can also use a controller if you prefer—though right now, I wouldn’t recommend it, as controller optimization is still in progress. When I played the demo with an Xbox controller, the D-pad caused me to miss a lot of inputs. I also bumped up the difficulty to Hard and Impossible just to see how things escalated, and it definitely gets much tougher. Don’t be fooled by the three-arrow setup—the Crypt series’ signature “match gameplay to the beat” mechanic is present in all its challenging glory.

Using the cutesy enemies from throughout the series as a way to progress through the track is not only humorous but also interesting to see how they all blend together within the song. It starts with simple green and blue slimes, then gradually introduces bats, skeletons, dragons, armadillos, and more. The track uses the left, up, and right arrows to hit the beats, making it possible to play entirely with one hand. However, be prepared for some serious finger acrobatics, as the combination of different enemy types demands various forms of arrow presses, double presses, and even the occasional use of the down arrow, making things increasingly complex.

Furthermore, certain tracks—or higher difficulty levels—introduce environmental hazards that add even more challenges to the mix. These include enemies shifting to different sides of the track, catching on fire, or even offbeat enemies that throw a major wrench into the rhythm. Thankfully, the game features its own version of Overdrive to help when things get particularly tough.

All of this combined makes each track feel distinct and unique. As I failed and retried certain sections, I gradually picked up on my mistakes and turned them into triumphs. At the end of each track, the results screen provides a clear visual breakdown of your progress, including a letter grade, diamonds (which determine your overall score and unlock new tracks), and stats such as the number of “perfects,” “misses,” and more.

Each song alone could keep you playing for hours, trying to master its intricacies. But if that’s not enough, the story mode further diversifies the experience with additional gameplay elements.

Minigames and Boss Battles

Each of Cadence’s friends has their own mini-game, tailored to the main hobby introduced in their section of the adventure. For example, pictured above is the photo-taking mini-game, where you use the arrow keys to help Heph capture fantastic close-ups and model-worthy photo-ops. There’s another mini-game where you practice yoga with Dove. Surprisingly, these served as welcome variations to the standard tracks. Aside from featuring their own catchy tunes, they also introduce unique challenges.

At the end of each story section, there’s also a boss battle. Although these felt a bit easier than even the mini-games—since they all use the same beat-matching mechanic with a circle that progressively shrinks—I welcomed this design choice. After all, in a music game, you’re here for the rhythm-based gameplay and the soundtrack. The last thing you’d want is to get stuck on a boss battle and be unable to progress. Fortunately, each boss fight still delivers a comical conclusion to its respective story arc.

Perhaps what these gameplay elements truly showcase is the impressive animation work put into the game. None of the characters are fully voiced—aside from a few quips here and there—but their shocked expressions, sly grins, and intense stares are captured extremely well, adding to the overall experience.

On the regular tracks, your focus is on defeating enemies, but in the mini-games and boss battles, the vibrant colors and animations really pop and stand out. At times, I found myself so captivated by the visuals that I forgot to press the arrows. It made me wish we could see a traditional Crypt of the NecroDancer game rendered with these graphics.

Move to the Music

One of the main reasons a spin-off like this can exist is because the Crypt series has always been known for its incredible soundtracks, and Rift of the NecroDancer is no exception. The game features everything from classic chiptune-style tracks to high-energy rock anthems and zany, unpredictable beats. This not only provides a tremendous variety of tracks but also ensures a diverse range of musical styles that keep the gameplay fresh.

The involvement of multiple talented artists further enhances the soundtrack. Series veterans like Danny Baranowsky and Jules Conroy return, joined by the fantastic rocking chords of Alex Moukala, Josie Brechner, Sam Webster, and many others. In my opinion, there isn’t a single bad track in the bunch. Hopefully, the full soundtrack will be available soon because this OST is definitely making its way into my work and gym playlists. For now, at least a small selection is available on Spotify and YouTube.

Other Modes

Although the story mode is necessary to unlock all of the tracks, once unlocked, they can be played individually in Free Play mode, along with the mini-games and boss battles. There’s also a Daily Challenge, which offers a handpicked, more difficult track where players can compete for high scores on the global leaderboards.

Additionally, the game includes a Create-a-Track mode, allowing players to use the same tools as the developers to craft their own tracks and share them with others. Players can also download custom tracks made by the community and play them in Free Play mode, adding even more replayability and variety to the experience.

Creating Another Franchise

Rift of the NecroDancer succeeds in its goal of taking the core values of the beloved Crypt series and seamlessly transitioning them into the rhythm game genre. While it certainly helps that the series has always featured outstanding music, there’s an incredible amount of love poured into other aspects of the game as well—from the expressive character animations to the vibrant artwork and the delightfully silly writing.

However, what truly makes this a memorable experience for me is its groovy, addictive gameplay. Brace Yourself Games has absolutely nailed it, and I could easily see them supporting Rift for years to come with DLC. Who knows—maybe Rift of the NecroDancer will grow into a franchise of its own. As a rhythm game fan, I’d love to see that happen.

Review Disclosure Statement: Rift of the Necrodancer was provided to us for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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