Generally speaking, we don't see many games fall into the rhythm-fighter category. In fact, in the past, some of the most notable examples of these types of games came in the form of Rock Band and {Guitar Hero,} specifically the modes where players would be pitted against one another in a battle of rhythm and skill. While God of Rock has a lot of familiarity when it comes to those experiences, Modus Studios' title is a unique premise through and through, and that has both its benefits and weaknesses.
As God of Rock is a 2D fighter rhythm game, the idea is to take control of one of a cast of varied musical characters, and then use them to beat the life out of an opponent in a one-on-one match. Unlike Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken, and all the other 2D fighters out there, God of Rock isn't defined by combos and move lists however, rather you have to tap buttons at the right time to a beat to be able to inflict damage upon your opponent, block attacks, and generate energy necessary for using special moves. It is, as I have said, a very unique premise.
The problem is that unlike regular 2D fighters, where it's more about memorising combos and then actively out-playing your opponent in real-time, God of Rock is more about you beating the generated rhythmic track being put in front of you. It's such a fast-paced and demanding game that it loses that competitive charm as you never really get the chance to take a moment and plan ahead, or to study the situation you and your opponent find yourselves in. From the second the match starts, you have to be completely focussed on the notes coming up on your track, as if you look away to check a health bar or to appreciate the backgrounds and the melee action the characters are locked into, you will miss notes, take damage, lose combos, and generally find yourself in a tough situation.
And this is the precise issue that God of Rock faces. Everything on-screen beyond the small portion dedicated to your track may as well not exist, as you simply do not get a chance to appreciate it. Sure, there are often brief (and when I say brief, I mean a couple of seconds) moments where you can direct your attention elsewhere, but realistically, this will be to perform one of the special combo attacks that you have to have committed to memory. For a game with such a simple concept, it really is demanding to play.
On the other hand however, God of Rock is a game that is very easy to get into. Yes, as you increase the difficulty, play against better real players, and generally spend more time in one match (as the rate of the beats in a track picks up the longer a match continues) things become much harder. But for those first looking to play God of Rock, all you really need to know is where the four main buttons on a controller are located. Be it Xbox's A, B, X, Y, or PlayStation's {Cross, Circle, Square, Triangle}, these are pretty much the only inputs you will ever need to play. Combos require a few flicks of an analog stick or taps of a D-pad, but for the most part, it's those four buttons and those four buttons alone. That level of simplicity is very impressive.
The cast of characters are also a highlight. Having 12 individuals that each reflect a certain culture and genre of music, and have unique combo attacks, is a lot of fun. My personal favourite was without a doubt King, because who wouldn't want to play as what is clearly meant to be a caricature of Elvis Presley. The catch however, as I mentioned earlier, is that when you get into a match, it doesn't matter who you choose to play as, because aside from those slightly different combos, there's very little way to tell who you are playing as, without looking away from the rhythm track and sacrificing the chance to win.
The list of available game modes is a bit flat as well, as there is supposedly a Story Mode, but this seems to be more of a way to be thrown into back-to-back matches in an arcade fashion. And beyond this, you're looking at local matches, online multiplayer, and then the level editor, which is really set to be the saving grace here, as you can undertake new variants of tracks that have been designed by the community. Essentially, it really does feel like God of Rock is missing a few beats itself, and for solo players, or those who don't intend to play many local matches, it probably won't take long before you start to find things a bit repetitive here.
That being said, I love the concept of this game and I think it has potential for the future, there are just simply too many areas that all work against each other for God of Rock to be able to stand tall on its own right now.
