Boy Beats World

They say that music is the universal language. What they don't tell you is that music is also the best way to defeat a robot uprising. That's the message I received loud and clear from Boy Beats World by developer Duckbridge, a charming new game with a mix of fast-paced action, shoot 'em up thrills and a lot of truly funky beats. It's a post-apocalyptic adventure where a boy and his talking radio set out to save the remaining humans and break free of the machine's powerful clutches. Grab your drum and warm-up that singing voice, because today we're going to see if this quirky throwback game has enough depth to keep it from being a one-hit wonder.

This is the story of what happens after a boy sudden breaks free of his protective tube. He's naked and afraid, confused about his strange mechanical surroundings. To make matters worse, the boy learns that he's one of only seven remaining humans, which immediately puts a target on his back. But don't worry, because the boy has a plan. He and a talking radio named Daisybell are going to hit the road and rescue the six captured humans. It's not a very original or thought-out plan, but it's just crazy enough to work.

The reason our hero even stands a chance is because he knows how to drum. I mean, he's no John Bonham or Neil Peart, but when there are only a half-dozen humans left on the planet, it's not hard to be the best at keeping rhythm. Equipped with only a drum and a single stick, the boy uses his beats to defeat the enemies found in six mildly-challenging stages. He'll do this by perfectly timing his drum with the beat Daisybell is laying down, a combination that is so obnoxious that it makes the robots explode into a bunch of tiny pieces.

Although not especially deep, the combat does expand a bit after this unlikely duo defeats each of the bosses. He'll learn about clapping out a long-range projectile, rolling away to safety, charging up his beats and even using his vocal chops to belt out powerful attacks. Just about every button on the controller is used for some technique or more, and you'll need to use all of the boy's abilities in order to defeat the machines and save all of the humans.

While the boy and his beats may be important, I would argue that the real star of this game is the world. This is a comical game with a lot of witty writing and observations. Every city we travel to has its own weird and goofy personality. L.A., for example, is full of egotistical robots who believe they are human, while just down the street is a whole civilization built around churning out mindless television shows. From disposable entertainment to the frustrations of making video games, Boy Beats World does a good job of balancing social commentary without becoming too preachy.

For as much a I liked the goofy world building, I kept wishing there was more of it. Unfortunately, that's a feeling I had about many aspects of the game. Take the combat as an example. While I liked the clapping, singing and rolling, I still couldn't shake the feeling that more could be done with the rhythm gimmick. This is one of those games where you could ditch most of the music-related elements without fundamentally changing the game. Sure, the combat would be a lot more boring and traditional, but most of the moves and abilities would remain the same.

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I was also disappointed by how straight-forward the level designs are. Every stage basically plays out exactly the same way. You walk to a city, figure out how to fight the boss in that city and then walk to the next city. The roads are all linear, so you're basically just walking from one fight to the next. The game tries to mix things up by having the enemies randomized, but there are only so many bad guys for them to choose from. It's a shame that there aren't multiple paths and wider stages to explore. The backgrounds and weather may change, but the level designs and objectives remain the same.

This is the kind of game where it's easy to be won over by its charm in the moment, only to later see its shortcomings the more you think about the five-hour journey. While playing, I was laughing at the silly writing, tapping my toe to the great beats and thoroughly enjoying the clever boss fights. Yes, it's true, the levels are too straight-forward and the rhythm elements aren't used to their fullest, but the linear stages are still fun and trying to perfectly time your hits adds something to the experience. Best of all, Boy Beats World has a surprisingly long and satisfying ending. All of this adds up to a delightful adventure game where we kick robot ass, one beat at a time.