Beat Fever review: More than just a Guitar Hero knockoff
By John Pond
With the trendy disappointment of Guitar Hero Live, I’ve been jonesing for a worthy replacement. Did I find it with mobile game Beat Fever?
Developer: WRKSHP
Publisher: WRKSHP
Platforms: iOS (Version reviewed), Android devices
Release Date: August 3, 2017
When I first bought a PlayStation 2 as an affordable refurbished console, Guitar Hero 2 was one of the games in that first stack I bought. It was unique, subtle, and it allowed me to live out my fantasy as a rocker.
There were plenty of clones that followed such as Rock Band, DJ Hero, and Band Hero that just couldn’t cut the mustard in a lot of people’s eyes. On August 3, a mobile version of this genre released on iOS and Android called Beat Fever: Music Tap Rhythm Game.
Long name, I know, but Beat Fever is a pretty ingenious concept that combines an okay story, RPG elements, great controls, and a questionable soundtrack. With over 1,000,000 downloads, it’s obvious that people have been aching for a new “be a star” game they can sink their fingers into.
Yes, Beat Fever does, in fact, have a story. Though it is rather immature and trite, it has a story nonetheless. It begins with your created character, which you design with a plethora of costume options straight out of a rave managed by Johnny Depp.
You play a young party animal that lives for dancing and listening to club music. Like most mobile games, the first several levels are focused on teaching you about all the games features with the help of a guardian angel type-figure; though she is a little sleazy.
In lieu of guitar chords, your notes are little monsters (probably a Lady Gaga reference) that provide you scores. The monsters themselves receive experience points upon completion of each level and will eventually level up as will your characters.
As your character levels up, more features will unlock such as the ability to swap out monsters or unlock a player versus player arena mode. The arena in Beat Fever is based solely on who scores higher and could end if the other gets booed into embarrassment.
Beat Fever is targeted towards a younger audience, and that is painfully obvious when you look at the sights represented in this game. The characters are garbed with hair gel, ripped jeans and camouflage tank-tops.
Though the world map is set up like most mobile games in which you beat a level and then a line connects you to the next, the decor is filled with neon. While the backgrounds look like a unicorn’s vomit, the detail of the worlds such as “The Temple” is very well done.
Once you tap “play song,” you are transported to the real game. The four chord buttons are party colors such as turquoise, lavender, hot pink, and aqua. These shades are a bit trendy, but they also serve a purpose by not straining your eyes during these songs; I never had dry or watery eyes.
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The controls are painfully similar to that of Guitar Hero or Rockband (minus one note) but with a twist. You still must tap and hold notes, but they’ve added a slide feature where you hold a note and then swipe to the next column and sometimes back again while hitting other notes at the same time.
The game is set up like a guitar game, but because of the layout, it becomes more conducive to play it like a piano while your thumb is used to hit the “boost” button. “Boost” is simply just their version of “star power” and multiplies your points.
For some of the more fast-paced songs such as Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby,” you might get a slight anxiety attack when the notes just start flying at you. I personally had flashbacks of “Through the Fire and the Flames” by DragonForce.
One of the first pointers of Beat Fever in the beginning tutorial is to “wear headphones, ” and they’re not kidding. The sound is just like listening to Spotify; in fact, if you like a song you’re listening to the first time then they offer to connect you to said song using the Spotify app.
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Like always, hitting the correct notes rewards you with points based on your accuracy while missing a note results in a loud buzz letting you know that you messed up. Unlike your favorite guitar-controlled games, you don’t get the whole song but rather only a minute or two, but these pop songs are so repetitive that you’re really not missing much.
In another letdown, the variety of songs is so geared towards the younger players that this 34-year-old gamer has him scratching his head. Though I have heard of Pitbull and Zayn Malik, Galantis and Fitz & The Tantrums has me questioning whether these are fictional musicians.
Like all mobile games, Beat Fever has the option to buy more stuff that ranges from 99 cents all the way up to 99 bucks. That is extremely high for an in-app purchase, but if you love everything about this game and have money to blow, then it might work for you.
There is also a message center where you can connect and message with your Facebook friends, chat, and even get the latest news on Beat Fever. You can also send and receive gifts, but be sure to collect them before they hit their limit of 20.
Beat Fever: Music Tap Rhythm Game. 7.5. It looked and felt great until my veteran, rock-loving ears were subjected to the top 40 track lists being shoved down my throat. My only hope is if they release a rock version or, at the very least, a classic pop game with the likes of Michael Jackson and Rick Astley. This game has the potential for excellence, but the series isn’t quite inclusive enough… yet.. WRKSHP.
A copy of this game was provided to App Trigger for the purpose of this review. All scores are ranked out of 10, with .5 increments. Click here to learn more about our Review Policy.