Chime Sharp
- July 19, 2016
- Ste Curran
From its smooth tunes, to its hypnotic shape matching,Chime Sharp is a lean, mean music puzzling machine.
Get on Steam"Chime Sharp" is an arcade-style puzzle game where players place shapes on a grid to create music. This sequel to the 2009 game "Chime" features a modern aesthetic, updated rules, and a refreshed soundtrack with fifteen new levels. The game's unique gameplay allows players to create their own musical masterpiece through tessellating shapes and filling the grid.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Chime Sharp features wonderful music that enhances the gameplay experience.
- The game offers engaging mechanics and multiple game modes, providing a nice variety for players.
- It retains the addictive gameplay of the original Chime while introducing new elements that add depth and challenge.
- The music selection is often considered weak and not as memorable as the original, with some tracks being described as annoying.
- There are significant accessibility issues, including a lack of volume options and a visually overwhelming color scheme that can cause eyestrain.
- The game has frustrating mechanics, such as locking songs behind skill walls, which can hinder the enjoyment for less experienced players.
- music165 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in "Chime Sharp" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its integration into gameplay and the variety of tracks, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking compelling melodies. Many users expressed disappointment over the absence of a mute option and the inability to customize the soundtrack, leading some to prefer playing with their own music instead. Overall, while the game emphasizes music as a core element, opinions on its quality and appeal vary significantly among players.
“Chime Sharp is a wonderful Tetris-like game with music that builds as you build.”
“Each song provides a different experience, and the variety that the music provides is a big reason why Chime is so enjoyable.”
“From its smooth tunes to its hypnotic shape matching, Chime Sharp is a lean, mean music puzzling machine.”
“It's a game built around music and there are no options for volume levels, simple on/off, effects, etc. I want to listen to my own music while I play since the soundtrack is... ehh.”
“The biggest issue is the music selection.”
“The music is annoying and repetitive.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Chime Sharp" retains the core mechanics of its predecessor while introducing new scoring tweaks and additional game modes, enhancing its complexity and replayability. Players appreciate the innovative mechanics and engaging music, though some find the increased difficulty and lack of customization options can lead to stress rather than relaxation. Overall, the game offers a balance of simplicity and challenge, appealing to both new and returning players, despite some criticisms regarding the locking of content and absence of multiplayer features.
“The gameplay is very innovative and really works, and I’ve always appreciated it, even when I’ve been terrible at it.”
“The gameplay (in standard) is amazingly intricate and excellently balanced, allowing for multiple viable strategies to climb to the top of the leaderboard.”
“Despite the simplicity of the game mechanics, the skills required to succeed at this game are surprisingly unintuitive!”
“At the end of the first page of the manual, it says 'this is all you need to know to play Chime', but there are many questions left unanswered about essential gameplay mechanics.”
“The gameplay feels not as relaxing as I expected it to be; I'm too stressed because there are a lot more different shapes than before, and they're more difficult to fit in the perfect spot compared to the original Chime.”
“[Unlike the previous Chime game, there are no multiplayer modes, it doesn't do much to evolve the gameplay, and replay value relies solely on high scores.]”
- graphics11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics have been enhanced with a more three-dimensional aesthetic and support for 4K resolutions, but this has come at the cost of clarity, making some elements harder to see. While the background visuals are appreciated, many feel they do not justify the game's price tag, and the overall presentation appears rushed and lacking in polish. The understated aesthetic is liked by some, but the changes have arguably detracted from the game's original identity as a simple, clean puzzle experience.
“I liked the understated aesthetic.”
“It worked well with 4K resolutions (I don't even think the original Chime had many options for graphics).”
“The background visuals are nice but not enough to carry the game's price tag.”
“Visuals and UI look like a web game with no love or attention put into it; the whole thing feels very rushed and thrown together.”
“They fancied up the graphics a bit, at the expense of making some things harder to see on the screen. I guess you could argue that this increases the challenge, but it diminishes Chime's identity as a simple, clean puzzle game.”
“This is more of the same, essentially - which is not a bad thing - but with much prettier graphics and now a more three-dimensional feel to the musicscapes.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Replayability is largely influenced by personal preference for specific songs or gameboards, as the game lacks multiplayer modes and does not significantly evolve its gameplay. Consequently, players may find replay value primarily in striving for higher scores rather than varied experiences.
“The replayability is heavily influenced by your love for a particular song or gameboard.”
“The replayability was dependent on your love of a particular song or gameboard.”
“Unlike the previous Chime game, there are no multiplayer modes, and it doesn't do much to evolve the gameplay; the replay value relies solely on high scores.”
