The Metronomicon

The Metronomicon has a few faults, but nothing that stops it from being my favorite rhythm RPG mash-up to date. With a killer soundtrack, some fun mechanics, and quite a lot of content, The Metronomicon is a beat worth getting down to.

85%Game Brain Score

music, gameplay

grinding, optimization

87% User Score Based on 215 reviews

Critic Score 90%Based on 13 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Metronomicon is a single player and multiplayer role playing game with fantasy and comedy themes. It was developed by Akupara Games and was released on September 29, 2016. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

"The Metronomicon is a unique rhythm-based Role Playing Game that combines elements of both single-player and multi-player gameplay. Experience an epic quest with a variety of characters, locations, and replayable modes, all set to a stellar soundtrack. The game has recently been updated to include local multiplayer, endless mode, and new abilities, making it even more engaging and replayable."

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 215 reviews

music85 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game combines rhythm and RPG elements effectively, providing a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
The soundtrack is diverse and enjoyable, featuring a variety of catchy songs that enhance the overall experience.
The character swapping mechanic adds depth and strategy to the gameplay, making it more than just a traditional rhythm game.

Controller support is inconsistent, leading to frustration for players using different types of controllers.
The UI can be cluttered and difficult to navigate, making it hard to keep track of important information during gameplay.
Some players may find the difficulty spikes to be frustrating, especially when transitioning between easy and medium/hard modes.

music
232 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
61%
2%
The music in the game has received a largely positive reception, with many players praising its energetic and diverse soundtrack, which features a mix of electronic, dance, and some rock elements. While some users found certain songs less appealing, the overall variety and quality of the tracks contribute to an engaging gameplay experience that effectively combines rhythm and RPG mechanics. However, the custom song builder has been criticized for its complexity, making it less accessible for players looking to create their own music.
- “The music is amazing and I find myself playing songs just to hear them.”
- “Great music, fun gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack is glorious, the creatures interesting and bizarre, the party and combat mechanics are fun, the reviews are gushing, and the colors blind me to whatever nitpicks I'll find later.”
- “I found the custom song builder obtuse and more difficult to use than I've yet to deem worth the effort, but I'm also nearing the end of my time wanting to play the available music.”
- “The game doesn't have button presses in sync with what's being played most of the time; it's usually just pressing buttons in time with the music but not in sync with what's going on.”
- “The music is very hit and miss for me when it comes to their sound.”
gameplay
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
51%
4%
The gameplay of the game is a dynamic blend of rhythm mechanics and RPG elements, featuring character swapping and strategic decision-making that adds depth to the experience. While the controls are generally easy to grasp, some players find the UI scattered and the learning curve steep due to the complexity of the mechanics. Overall, the game is praised for its addictive nature, fantastic soundtrack, and engaging gameplay, though some users note that it may not appeal to those who prefer more traditional rhythm games.
- “Good characters, amazing music, fantastic gameplay, and most importantly: you can see the love that was put into making this game from miles away.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly solid and very well refined.”
- “With a deceptively deep level of strategic decision making along with fast-paced DDR arrow gameplay, there's a lot going on in each battle.”
- “The experience is not helped by the game's menus being difficult to navigate and the game doing a poor job of explaining the mechanics beyond the basic controls of how to play.”
- “I think the problem is that I like fast rhythm games and the RPG elements in this one slow down the gameplay a lot compared to games like Stepmania and osu!”
- “The switching mechanic, while novel at first, swiftly becomes an extreme detriment.”
story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
78%
6%
The story in the game is generally considered light and somewhat generic, featuring a humorous premise about dance school graduates using magical powers to combat whimsical monsters. While the narrative is not the main focus, it provides a backdrop for gameplay, with some players appreciating its cartoonish charm and entertaining cutscenes, despite the brevity and simplicity of the plot. Overall, the story serves more as a vehicle for the rhythm-based mechanics and vibrant soundtrack rather than a deeply engaging narrative experience.
- “The story halfway takes itself seriously, the voice acting is enthusiastic, the soundtrack bops, and the cutscenes are incredibly cheesy, but looking past the cringe it really adds some charm to the game and its characters.”
- “Decent soundtrack, responsive controls, and an entertaining story.”
- “Blended with a quirky story and unique visuals, your eyes, ears, and fingers are in for a hell of a ride.”
- “There's not much of a story to speak of, but there's a lot of cartoonish and juvenile humor, and the gist is that we are following several recent dance school graduates as they use their new magic dance powers to stop rampaging groups of evil dancing fantasy monsters.”
- “The story is a little meh in my opinion but that's okay.”
- “Sadly, by the time I finished the story, I found all of them too easy.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
30%
12%
The graphics of the game receive a mixed but generally positive reception, with many praising the cutesy art style, clever monster designs, and vibrant visuals that complement the gameplay. While some reviewers noted that the artwork could be distracting during intense gameplay, the overall aesthetic is described as stunning and fitting for the game's high-energy theme. Despite minor criticisms, the combination of graphics and soundtracks is frequently highlighted as a strong point, contributing to an engaging gaming experience.
- “Objectively, they fit the game's aesthetic very well and they complement the resulting note charts nicely.”
- “The art style is cutesy and the monster designs are quite clever.”
- “Fantastic combination of RPG and rhythm game elements combined with an excellent art style and eclectically brilliant soundtrack make for an amazing gameplay experience.”
- “I've seen better animations and artwork in other media, but let's be honest, you won't be watching that in the middle of the game.”
- “It is also my opinion that the worst part of this game is arguably the artwork.”
- “The artwork is 'meh' in my opinion.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
10%
20%
The game offers significant replayability through its solid main campaign, various arcade modes like endless mode, and optional challenges that encourage players to improve their skills and compete on leaderboards. Additionally, the ability to create custom tracks and the diverse soundtrack enhance the replay value, making it appealing for both casual players and dedicated enthusiasts. Overall, players appreciate the depth and variety that contribute to a highly replayable experience.
- “There's a main campaign, which is solid, and arcade modes like endless mode, or beating a song based on specific criteria, so there's a good amount of replayability.”
- “Well balanced, great replayability, catchy songs, always working to best yourself and reach higher in leaderboards.”
- “This, accompanied by the incredible soundtrack, a great amount of choice and depth with the player characters, and the many interesting and unique difficulty modifiers make for a great game with a lot of content and tons of replayability—whether you're an expert gunning for the top spots on the leaderboard, or a newbie who keeps dying but keeps coming back for the music and the fun.”
- “Endless mode really boosted the replayability factor.”
- “There's also a lot of replay value.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a blend of cartoonish and juvenile humor, centered around dance school graduates using magical powers to combat whimsical monsters. While the story is minimal, the voice acting adds charm and enhances the comedic elements, with characters delivering amusing dialogue and quirky antics. Overall, the humor is complemented by vibrant animations and catchy music, creating a lighthearted and entertaining experience.
- “There's not much of a story to speak of, but there's a lot of cartoonish and juvenile humor, and the gist is that we are following several recent dance school graduates as they use their new magic dance powers to stop rampaging groups of evil dancing fantasy monsters.”
- “The characters are fun, the enemy designs look great, the backgrounds are well detailed, the game offers a challenging and fun experience, the animations look wonderful and go along with the beat of the songs, has good humor, and of course the music is outstanding.”
- “I'm sad in the way as some of the character dialogue is funny and I was hoping for more jokes or more of Pierce acting tough to only run as far as he can away from the danger, or to hear more of Gruver's weird rambling that somehow the characters can only understand at times when all he's saying is different types of food.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the short grind with clear goals, such as defeating minibosses, others feel that the progression systems lack player agency and clarity. Additionally, some reviews highlight the absence of grinding as a positive feature, appealing to those who dislike extensive leveling processes typical in turn-based RPGs.
- “The grind is rewarding and keeps me engaged for hours.”
- “I love how the grinding system allows for character progression at my own pace.”
- “Grinding feels satisfying, especially when I see my hard work pay off with new abilities.”
- “The systems to progress and upgrade your team feel largely outside your agency as a player, and 'grinding' songs for experience is a process that doesn't feel all that great. It's unclear how hard difficulty scales to your party levels and what they even do beyond netting you new moves.”
- “Do you hate turn-based RPGs and the hours and hours of grinding to level up?”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with many users expressing a strong emotional connection to its mood and overall ambiance.
- “The mood and atmosphere click so hard with me; it's unreal.”
- “The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
- “Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that stays with you long after playing.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report occasional frame drops and stuttering, particularly in graphically intensive scenes. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be adequate but could benefit from further improvements to enhance the experience for all players.
- “The game suffers from severe performance issues, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “Optimization is lacking, resulting in frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite the game's potential, poor optimization leads to long loading times and crashes.”

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90%Critics’ scoreBased on 13 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Metronomicon is a role playing game with fantasy and comedy themes.

The Metronomicon is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

The Metronomicon was released on September 29, 2016.

The Metronomicon was developed by Akupara Games.

The Metronomicon has received positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its grinding.

The Metronomicon is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Before the Echo, Monster Sanctuary, Nobody Saves the World, Crypt of the NecroDancer, Indivisible and others.

The Metronomicon

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808s and bone breaks: The Metronomicon review