However, the quality of each of the levels definitely makes up for this, and the story mode as a whole is paced just fine, and is a joy to play from start to finish. The whole experience is also notably short, with the story mode lasting around three hours. This is especially frustrating when attempting to do a no damage run of a stage to get an S rank, and while it's not something that happens constantly, it's still irritating enough to be worth bringing up. This is done to keep everything synced correctly, but it means that instead of some slight slowdown, players have to deal with the action completely stopping for a moment, which can - and will - lead to instances where you get hit by a projectile while the game is frozen. Whenever there's even the smallest instance of lag, things freeze and then unfreeze when the next beat of the song plays. The fact that synchronisation between the level and the music is such a big aspect does come with a noticeable problem, however, and it's due to how lag works. Some stages are almost mesmerising with how everything lines up, and it makes it clear that the levels were hand-crafted with tons of thought put into them. This aspect is done incredibly well, and while it may not be essential enough to require you to play with the music on to beat the game, it's a spectacle to watch and listen to. The interesting level concepts and the wonderful music intertwine together, meaning that the obstacles in each level synchronise with the music. This is the type of game that once finished gamers will go and listen to the music from it online because it's just that impressive. Nearly every song is memorable, or at the very least extremely catchy.

The soundtrack is amazing, with the music selection being top notch in every respect. It's not just the level design alone that makes these levels memorable, though, it's also the music. The large number of different scenarios players have to overcome makes every level feel unique, and they will be looking forward to seeing what crazy mess will be stumbled upon next. There's a gigantic variety of objects to avoid, such as lasers, sawblades, spikes, shockwaves, and many more. These are the only actions for the entire game, and something as simplistic as this may seem limiting, but the game goes out of its way to prove that sentiment wrong.Įach level in Just Shapes & Beats tends to rely on a central obstacle for each level, while mixing it in with other various obstacles at the same time. You play as a small shape trying to dodge various obstacles, and have the ability to dash for a quick burst of invincibility. As chaotic as the trailers may make it appear to be, Just Shapes & Beats is actually quite simple to get a grasp on.

Just shapes and beats gameplay