Just Shapes & Beats
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Just Shapes & Beats Media
Critic Reviews for Just Shapes & Beats
This is about as pure as a game can be. You learn how to play it in a few minutes, but can sit with it for hours. Its stylistic visuals and awesome soundtrack draw you in and keep you hypnotised, while addictive and challenging gameplay teases you with frantic block-dodging mayhem, great multiplayer modes and weird, surprisingly emotive "characters." In a time of incredible looking, but often flabby titles, it's nice to be reminded that, sometimes, Just Shapes & Beats is all you need.
Just Shapes & Beats is the best EDM compilation album you can play, and assuming the music floats your ear-shaped boat, it's an absolute treat. Challenging, engrossing and exhibiting a purity we so often forget, this is a genre mash-up where everybody wins.
Just Shapes and Beats is a hidden gem in this year's long list of video game releases. Its appeal transcends fans of specific genres as it borrows inspiration from various iconic game franchises.
Overall, this is everything I’ve wanted in a new music game. When Sound Shapes hit the Vita a long time ago, it instantly became my favourite music game and I’m glad to add a new entry to my favourite music games of all time list with Berzerk Studio’s Just Shapes & Beats. It is frustrating in some areas with the skill required but every second I’ve put into it has been more than worth it.
Just Shapes and Beats is a simplistic, entertaining game to play alone or with friends, but is held back somewhat by performance issues and lack of level variety.
The sheer verve of Just Shapes and Beats is infectious. True to its name, the elements are simple, but Berzerk Studio explores and executes on its modest premise with an exceptional level of polish. It injects pure joy into the oppressive, pulsing panic of Super Hexagon and creates a celebratory explosion of the audio-visual in video games. Challenge mode and the hectic multiplayer will keep you occupied after you've conquered the refreshingly breezy story. Grab some decent headphones or, better still, some friends and hook your Switch up to the hi-fi. The neighbours will love you.
Just Shapes & Beats is an audio-visual masterpiece, and I give serious kudos to the talented artists and designers who blended their crafts in such a tight display. With a staggering variety of options for gameplay, fun party modes, and a thoroughly catchy tracklist, developer Berzerk has delivered a standout rhythm title.
Switch owners looking for an entertaining indie game should pick up Just Shapes & Beats. Not only is it a fantastic game on the console, it's one of the best indie games of the year.
