PAX East Preview 2017: The Metronomicon

The second game in our PAX East 2017 Preview coverage mashes two very different genres of games into one. In this instance, we have a mashup of a Dance Dance Revolution style game with the tactical elements of a fantasy RPG. The Metronomicon by Kasedo Games sticks to the roots and controls of a traditional DDR game but adds the strategic complexity and tactics of an old school RPG. Although the game was released back in September of 2016, it had flown under my radar, so I took some time at PAX East to try out this unusual game.

At its core, The Metronomicon controls like your standard dance pad rhythm game. Patterns roll down a track and you must match the button commands to the beat of the music. The twist here is that you have multiple lanes to keep an eye on, one for each member of your fantasy adventurer party. Successfully inputting the patterns on a party member’s lane will cause that party member to use an ability as you fight against the sets of monsters for that song. This can lead to some complex maneuvering as you switch lanes and input the dance pad commands to unleash specific attacks and spells from your party.

As with your traditional RPG you have different rolls for each party member. One might be a warrior, another a spell caster, and one a healer. Your party also has a health meter that you need to keep an eye on during the dance/fight. When I demoed the game, I had to remember to cast healing spells every once and a while, to keep my party alive through to the end of the song. There’s a lot of information to keep track of in the game, so I was glad that I had an easy song that allowed me to focus my attention on the battle strategy.

You can get specific with which spells and abilities you use as well. Once a segment of the a lane is correctly performed you can either switch lanes to activate that character’s first ability or you can wait and play another portion on the same lane to activate the character’s next ability. This becomes particularly important when rotating through elemental spells to exploit specific weaknesses of the enemies.

The Metronomicon boasts tracks from several artists including Dj CUTMAN, Perturbator, and Mindless Self Indulgence. As to be expected for a DDR style game, there’s a wide range music available, and like other dance games has a difficulty range to select from. The game allows use of a dance pad, keyboard, or gamepad, so even if you don’t own a dance pad you can experience and enjoy the game.

Despite the complexity of the game, it was fairly easy to pick up the basics and rack up a high score by the end of the fights. I didn’t have the chance to fiddle with equipment and gear for the party, which allows you to customize your party for specific encounters. While I felt like I didn’t get to see everything that this game had to offer, this demo alone was enough for me to seek out the fully released game.

The Metronomicon is currently available on Steam and GOG and will be coming out for consoles this summer. If a rhythm RPG sounds like something you would be into, definitely give The Metronomicon a try.