作者彙整: Suriel Vazquez

As you might guess from its name, Cadence of Hyrule – Crypt of the Necrodancer Featuring the Legend of Zelda is a strange mix. It takes elements from the Zelda series (most notably its revered suite of music) and combines them with the dungeon-crawling roguelike action of Crypt of the Necrodancer. The two series don’t always mesh harmoniously, but as a whole, they get along well enough to make for a gratifying musical adventure.

Cadence of Hyrule is ostensibly a Zelda game, but the twists from Necrodancer put it squarely in spinoff territory. The most drastic change is the need to move along a grid to the rhythm of remixes from the Zelda series; failing to do so prevents you from moving for a beat, leaving you vulnerable. It also has more combat encounters than your average Zelda game, leaning into Necrodancer’s dungeon-crawling ethos.

Combat is fairly simple. It takes time to internalize the variety of enemy patterns and how different weapon types work best against armored or ranged opponents, but once you have the hang of it, hearing your attacks line up with the beat of the music as you mow down enemies is a fun little thrill. You can also play as Link, Zelda, and Cadence (the heroine of Crypt of the Necrodancer), and each of these characters have different abilities that give combat a little more nuance.

The rhythm-based gameplay puts a heavy emphasis on the music itself, and the new renditions of Zelda songs are a highlight. Each area features two remixes – one for combat encounters, and one for when all the enemies are gone (plus a short 8-bit loop when you pause). Most of these songs are great on their own, but the way the music swaps between tracks (especially in dungeons and boss fights) makes exploring and taking on dungeons the best way to experience the music.

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The other major twist Cadence of Hyrule introduces is the addition of roguelike elements, but mixing them with the Zelda formula doesn’t always work smoothly. Your adventure will likely start out littered with deaths; a couple of hits from enemies is all it takes to kill you – which empties out all of your rupees, keys, and consumable items. This can feel punishing early on as you’re learning the mechanics and how to move along with the rhythm.

The scales eventually tip too far the other way as you build up more hearts, weapons, and items. After a few hours, I was brute-forcing most encounters without paying much attention to enemy patterns, since the odds were so heavily in my favor.  Some temporary power-ups, like glass flails and iron boots, lose their appeal as you become a killing machine. Other items, like shovels, become a nuisance to re-acquire after they break. This uneven difficulty curve leads to only a short window in which combat is truly satisfying.

Dungeons aren’t centered on using a particular item or trick, and have no real puzzle-solving. Instead, you work your way through a couple of tougher-than-normal enemy encounters until you find the boss key. Bosses introduce some interesting twists to combat, but the uneven progression hampers these as well, and I didn’t have much issue plowing right through them. Considering dungeons and bosses are often the centerpiece of many Zelda games, that’s disappointing.

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Still, the Zelda-fueled side of progression, like finding heart pieces, new tools to play around with (like the Deku Leaf and Power Glove), and getting permanent weapon upgrades is enticing. I scoured the map for every collectible, even after I was breezing through the encounters. The randomized nature of each run means some items aren’t put to great use while others (like the hover boots) trivialize certain puzzles, but I like how most of the major rewards require some critical thinking to nab.

The mashup of rhythm and adventure works in Cadence of Hyrule, even if not all of the elements from Zelda and Necrodancer intermingle well. The spirit of the Zelda series, including its wonderful sense of exploration, iconic music, and fun combat are alive and well here, enhanced by a killer set of songs that both celebrate and elevate one of gaming’s most enduring soundtracks.

Score: 7.75

Summary: Cadence of Hyrule is a great ode to the Legend of Zelda and its soundtrack, even as some roguelike elements weigh it down.

Concept: Combine Crypt of the Necrodancer’s rhythm/action formula with The Legend of Zelda’s exploration, progression, and dungeons

Graphics: With new takes on Link and Zelda and updated renditions of places like Gerudo Valley and Death Mountain, the pixelated graphics look great

Sound: The multiple remixes of Zelda classics like “The Lost Woods” and “Bolero of Fire” are great, and so are the ways they’re interwoven well into gameplay

Playability: Timing your movements takes some getting used to, but the simple combat keeps you focused on maintaining your rhythm

Entertainment: Cadence of Hyrule is a great ode to the Legend of Zelda and its soundtrack, even as some roguelike elements weigh it down

Replay: Moderate

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Kids doesn’t tell a story so much as it explores the concept of groupthink. As you manage larger and larger crowds of hand-drawn, faceless young people, you probably won’t piece together a coherent plot. However, its theme isn’t subtle; going along with others can be inviting, dangerous, and sometimes your only option. The way Kids uses interactivity to get across its themes is amusing while it lasts, even if it doesn’t hit any particular high points along the way.

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During its extremely short runtime (15-30 minutes), you click your way through a series of scenes with groups of children, such as one in which a single child is pointing in a certain direction, and your goal is to get everyone else to follow suit. Another has you dragging your cursor through a massive crowd to get them into a clapping posture, then clicking to create an enormous clap-wave.

I wouldn’t exactly call these segments “puzzles,” since they aren’t very involved, but they’re satisfying to work through. Some of them, such as one in which you’re guiding kids through an esophagus-like tunnel by stroking it with your cursor (it’s as strange as it sounds) have a fun physicality to them.

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More importantly, they effectively communicate the ideas Kids wants to convey. The concepts aren’t too complex; click among a group of kids to create a chorus, and the joys of working with others to create something larger than yourself comes across. Control a single kid the rest of the crowd is repelled by, and you feel ostracized. The narrative thread that binds these segments is pretty loose, however, and there isn’t a single moment that elevates the experience above its premise. I related to the feelings and ideas Kids deals with, but it focuses merely on presenting them; it doesn’t explore them with any revelatory twists or insights.

Kids is a fascinating example of conveying ideas through game mechanics. You won’t get much out of it if you’re trying to put together its disparate pieces beyond vague notions. But it’s undeniably clever in places, which makes it a curious look into how people can both uplift and hurt each other just by grouping up.

Score: 6.75

Summary: Kids is a brief-but-effective example of using game mechanics to impart concepts and ideas, even if those ideas are simple.

Concept: Control groups of children in various ways while getting a crash course in crowd dynamics and peer pressure

Graphics: Simple, black-and-white backgrounds and characters are plain but well-animated, with some effective use of contrast to build dynamic scenes

Sound: The soundscape is mostly silent, but the patter of feet and splashing of water stand out all the more for it

Playability: Manipulating people is simple, and most of the scenes feature intuitive mechanics that quickly become second-nature

Entertainment: Kids is a brief-but-effective example of using game mechanics to impart concepts and ideas, even if those ideas are simple

Replay: Moderately Low

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