Summary
- The rhythm genre has evolved to include various gameplay elements beyond hitting arrows or buttons in time with the beat, offering action-adventure, RPG, and shooter experiences.
- The PS5 is an excellent platform to play a wide range of modern and classic rhythm games, thanks to backward compatibility, offering familiar titles and more obscure ones worth exploring.
- Each highlighted game in the article, such as BPM: Bullets Per Minute, Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight, and PaRappa The Rapper Remastered, brings unique features and challenges to the rhythm genre, making them worthwhile experiences for rhythm game enthusiasts.
The rhythm genre exploded onto the scene via arcades with such hits as Dance Dance Revolution. It then made its way into homes with innovative titles like Parappa the Rapper on PlayStation. The genre has evolved to include more gameplay elements than just hitting an arrow or normal button in time with the beat.
There are action-adventure games, RPGs, shooters, and more. Thanks to the power of backward compatibility, the PS5 is one of the best places to play a plethora of modern and classic rhythm games across all sub-genres. Some of them will be familiar while a few others are a bit more obscure but still worth the time.
8 BPM: Bullets Per Minute
BPM: Bullets Per Minute combines the concepts of shooters, roguelikes, and rhythm games. Players must shoot enemies to the beat of the music which is displayed in a pulsing meter. Shooting, reloading, and even movement should sync up with the music. It’s a slick package with a few caveats.
Dungeons are randomized and not much carries over between runs. It’s an innovative idea to blend these genres but the challenge level is exceedingly high. It might be too much for some but that's the case for many rhythm games.
BPM: Bullets Per Minute
Fight as a mighty Valkyrie to repel the forces of the underworld from invading the world of Asgard.
In BPM, all of your actions and the actions of your enemies are tied to the beat of the music. Your enemies perform a dance-like sequence of attacks to an epic rock opera. BPM is inspired by retro shooters of the 90’s. It is fast, frenetic and rhythmical. You can double jump, dash, rocket jump and bunny hop to evade your opponents.
Your goal is to reach the end of randomly generated dungeons, collecting different weapons, abilities and items each time you play. These weapons and abilities can radically alter the way you play, making each playthrough unique.
You must defeat 7 bosses to reach the final boss. Each boss moves and attacks in a unique way that you must learn to exploit if you want to succeed. Some attacks require you to jump over fields of lava, some to dodge fast projectiles, some to hold fast for a beat.
- Released
- September 15, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Playtonic Games, Just Add Water
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Switch
7 Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight
Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight and Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight both launched at the same time. It was like Sega’s attempt at creating a Pokemon effect but for rhythm games. Even the boxes are themed around similar colors of red and blue. Both games follow the same story more or less.
The differences are with the characters and music. There’s also a spinoff about Persona 4 which came out way before these two games. It would have been a little cooler if these were motion-based rhythm games like Just Dance, but they’re still good as they are.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 72 /100 Critics Rec: 44%
- Released
- May 24, 2018
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- P Studio
- Publisher(s)
- P Studio
- Franchise
- Persona
WHERE TO PLAY
Face-to-face with enigmatic Velvet Room residents, the Phantom Thieves are forced to perform at a mysterious dance party. Test your rhythm based gameplay skills and steal some hearts on the dance floor!
- Soundtrack with songs & remixes from Persona 5
- Customizable gameplay
- English & Japanese Dual Audio VO
- Connect with your teammates on a deeper level
6 PaRappa The Rapper Remastered
PaRappa the Rapper Remastered is an all-time classic that can be thanked for popularizing the genre on consoles. The remastered edition makes the colorful art style pop even more than on the PS1. The second game also got remastered although it is not as good as the original.
The tracks in the original are still bangers decades later. The only thing that is holding it back is its run time. It’s only about a half-hour long. It’s so good though that any amount of cash is worth the price of admission. It is still one of the better remasters from the PS4 and even better now on PS5.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 60 /100 Critics Rec: 14%
WHERE TO PLAY
Relive the original music game and join PaRappa on his quest to win the heart of Sunny Funny and learn from favorite rap masters like - Chop Chop Master Onion, Instructor Mooselini, and Cheap Cheap The Cooking Chicken. Complete with all the music and gameplay that made PaRappa the Rapper an instant classic.
5 Patapon Remastered
The PS4 was home to many remasters including games from the underrated PSP. That’s where Patapon originated. The first two games were remastered but the third remains an exclusive on PSP to this day.
This trilogy can best be described as a rhythm-based strategy RPG. Players will tap to the beat of the drum thus controlling their party of adorable soldiers. Inputting different combos will create alternative attack patterns. It’s a bit hard to master at first, but with practice, it’ll be hard to get “Patta Patta Pon Pon” out of the brain.
Patapon Remastered
Patapon™ is a rhythm-based 2D platform/action game marching to PlayStation®4 with revitalized graphics output in 1080p and 4K resolution on compatible displays. For years the Patapon tribe has lived in the desolate frontier, driven from their home by the evil Zigoton army. Behind the Patapons' cute exterior, lies a fierce warrior spirit that can only be commanded by the beat of their God’s war drum. They wait for the day that the 'Almighty' will return, to lead them against their enemies and bring them back to their homeland. Finally, their wait has come to an end as the drums of war are heard once again.
4 Rock Band 4
Rock Band 4 may not technically be the best game in the series. Rock Band 2 was like the peak point of this instrumental sub-genre of rhythm games. However, there’s not a story to follow in these games so each new entry is like a revision of a hub.
Starting with the original up until this game, nearly every piece of music carried over. That was the whole gimmick of the series and it did not disappoint. While Rock Band may be dead as a brand, this band simulator is still fun to break out for parties. Whether someone wants to rock out on guitars or show off their hot vocal prowess, Rock Band 4 will still let the good times roll.
Rock Band 4
- Released
- October 6, 2015
- Developer(s)
- Harmonix
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, PlayStation 4
3 Crypt Of The NecroDancer
Crypt Of The NecroDancer managed to blend rhythm games and roguelikes into an addictive night in the underground clubs. There is a heart that symbolized the beat players have to sync up to as bars fly across the screen. If players get on a roll, the music will change and bonuses will even be added to the character.
The game was so successful that the developer got approached to do a sequel based on The Legend of Zelda. Unfortunately, that sequel cannot, and will not, leave the Switch anytime soon. It’s still worth mentioning for those PS5 players that also have a Switch lying around.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 96%
- Released
- April 23, 2015
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Blood
- Developer(s)
- Brace Yourself Games
- Publisher(s)
- Brace Yourself Games
- Engine
- proprietary engine
WHERE TO PLAY
Crypt of the NecroDancer is an award winning hardcore roguelike rhythm game. Move on the beat to navigate an ever changing dungeon while battling dancing skeletons, zombies, dragons, and more. Groove to the epic Danny Baranowsky soundtrack, or select songs from your own MP3 collection!
Gather diamonds to unlock permanent upgrades and better equipment to traverse deeper into the NecroDancer’s lair. The deeper you go, the more treacherous enemies you’ll face. Reach great heights as you disco down through the depths of the crypt. Whether you aim to get the highest scores or complete runs in the fastest times, you can compete against a robust community of players in a range of permanent and daily challenges across all characters.
Descend into the crypt as 15 playable characters with unique play styles and challenges! Jam out to over 40 original songs in Danny Baranowsky’s award winning soundtrack, or set your own beats with songs from your own MP3 collection. Play with keyboard, controller, or even a USB dance pad!
2 Rez Infinite
Rez Infinite is a remake or reimagining of the original. This rhythm game should cater to shooter fans out there that also wish to jam out to music while they blast away baddies. Rez is a game that transcends time.
It keeps popping up with ports, remasters, remakes, and other experimental side projects. For those with a VR headset, Rez Infinite also supports that. VR will kick things up to the next level which may be a bit too intense for some.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 70%
- Released
- February 22, 2023
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Enhance
- Publisher(s)
- Enhance
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience 360 degrees of mind-blowing synesthesia as you blast your way through waves of enemies and massive transforming bosses, with your every move triggering colors and sounds that sync and blend to the beat of the legendary techno soundtrack of Rez.
Whether you choose to play in standard desktop mode or opt for the full immersion of playing in VR, Rez Infinite must be seen—and heard—to be believed.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Shooter, Indie, Rhythm, Virtual Reality
1 Tetris Effect
Tetris Effect is another game that supports VR. This began as a PlayStation exclusive but it has since been ported to other consoles via the name Tetris Effect: Connected. That update added multiplayer to the mix, making an already great game even better.
It may not exactly be a rhythm game but it is still in the realm of music. The music has always been catchy in this series, but Tetris Effect raises the bar significantly. This is true alone on a TV, with a VR headset, or with friends.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- November 9, 2018
- ESRB
- E
- Developer(s)
- Monstars Inc, Resonair
- Publisher(s)
- Enhance
- Engine
- unreal engine 4, unreal engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Tetris
WHERE TO PLAY
Tetris® Effect: Connected is Tetris like you've never seen it, or heard it, or felt it before—an incredibly addictive, unique, and breathtakingly gorgeous reinvention of one of the most popular puzzle games of all time, from the people who brought you the award-winning Rez Infinite and legendary puzzle game Lumines.
Music, backgrounds, sounds, special effects—everything, down to the Tetriminos themselves—pulse, dance, shimmer, and explode in perfect sync with how you're playing, making any of the game's 30+ stages and 10+ modes something you'll want to experience over and over again.
Plus cross-platform multiplayer modes for competitive and cooperative play! FULL SINGLE-PLAYER GAME INCLUDED with over 30 different stages, each with its own music, sound effects, graphical style and background that all evolve and change as you play through them.
Players can also explore four other game modes: Connected mode, Score Attack mode, Classic Score Attack Mode, and Zone Battle Mode.
- Platform(s)
- PS4
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle