MUSYNX (Nintendo Switch) Review

By Az Elias 09.07.2018

Review for MUSYNX on Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch really is the place to be for rhythm games at the moment. Minus a certain cute turquoise-haired android and friends, many well-known music titles have found a new home on the system - the portable nature of which has been a key component in their success. Chinese developer I-Inferno has followed in other studios' footsteps by bringing a previously handheld game to Switch, whereby it is hoped the growing rhythm fan base will discover another little gem in the form of MUSYNX.

Some dedicated rhythm game players will know this one by its original PS Vita name of MUSYNC from a few years back, but there may now be a chance for this to reach new heights on its fresh platform. As far as rhythm games go, MUSYNX is one of the friendliest ones out there, with a simple four-lane layout and fully customisable controls. The default setup works fine, with the left, up, X, and A buttons covering all the bases for overlapping hold notes. If desired, though, the shoulder buttons or even all d-pad/face buttons can be registered for use.

One of the most pleasing aspects is that difficulty can be greatly attuned for personal skill levels, whereby the four-key gameplay can be switched up to six keys, adding two extra buttons into the mix. Bizarrely, the game calls these two setups 4K and 6K modes, confusing things a little when first seeing the main menu. The presentation itself is where MUSYNX really slips up, as a boot-up of the game throws you straight into a gigantic list of songs, of which there are over 90! Excellent value, no doubt, but with no way to sort these into genre, difficulty level, alphabetical order, or anything of the sort, it can be a real pain to flick through them. A shop is wormed into the list, too, which is supposedly where future DLC will go, but it is void of content right now.

Screenshot for MUSYNX on Nintendo Switch

Adding to the visual blunders, the retro skin used for 8-bit style songs isn't the best, with the cutesy pixelated characters blocking the button icons at the bottom of the lanes, whilst the Chinese skins feature only Chinese text, so it is difficult to tell whether a note was "Exact" or "Great," and indeed what the continuous combo number is at the top of the screen. There is a bit of a mismatch in the number of songs that use each skin, as well, with some skins used way more than others, but there are some standouts that look the part and fit great depending on the music.

In keeping with its mobile release, MUSYNX can be played entirely using the touch screen - and it works wonders. There is usually a case for buttons being the preferred method for, well, just about any game, really, but especially for those of the rhythmic kind. Here, it feels especially natural to tap and hold the passing notes, and it wouldn't be any stretch to suggest some players may find this to be the way to go.

When it comes down to the music, though, MUSYNX excels, particularly if electronic, dubstep, and bass is your thing. With a refreshing list of Chinese vocals in many songs, there is pretty much something for every rhythm fan here. It should go mentioned that the game can be fluked when it comes to hitting notes by not punishing incorrect button presses in tandem with correct ones. That means a player could simply hit all four (or six) buttons when a note hits the bottom of the screen, and it will register perfectly with no penalty. Abuse this, and it's a pretty easy ride to a high score. Without any unlockable content (no extra songs or skins), though, there isn't really any point in kidding yourself this way, except when getting in a real pickle with some of the trickier sections (of which there are many, since things can get very unforgiving even on low difficulty).

Screenshot for MUSYNX on Nintendo Switch

Cubed3 Rating

7/10
Rated 7 out of 10

Very Good - Bronze Award

Rated 7 out of 10

MUSYNX is an excellent entry point for anyone looking to get into rhythm games, but the difficulty can ramp up early on, despite the fine-tuning and customisable controls that are available. With over 90 tracks here, it certainly isn't light on content, but there really needs to be improvements made to the presentation to make it a little bit more accessible.

Developer

I-Inferno

Publisher

PM Studios

Genre

Rhythm

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  7/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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