HarmoKnight - Review

An harmonius distraction.

Console: Nintendo 3DS

While Game Freak will always be known as the studio behind Pokémon, many forget that they are not a 1st party Nintendo developer. They, together with Nintendo and the Pokémon Company, are intertwined in owning and running the Poké-juggernaut and will never not be a part of Pokémon's future. However, they do have the freedom to work on other projects. They even set up an initiative for it within the company: The Gear Project. Any employee in the company can pitch a game and potentially see it become a reality as part of this initiative to diversify the company´s and employees' portfolios. 

This is how HarmoKnight came to be. The game's creator and director is James Turner, the first Westerner to become a Pokémon designer, who wanted a simpler platformer that morphed into the rhythm game we have here. His work here shows some clear similarities with its upcoming indie title ‘The Plucky Squire’ which has been on my most wanted games list two years in a row now. 

Because of all the above, I bought this game when the 3DS EShop firesale came around. To experience a non-Pokémon game developed by Game Freak, get a taste of what the Plucky Squire could be, and try my hand at a rhythm game.

What did I learn? That HarmoKnight is a solid title but not one I liked or would easily recommend. Well, let's dive in.

On the musical planet of Melodia knight in training Tempo quiet life is shaken up when a meteorite hits the planet. From this meteorite, the evil Gargan and his army of Noizoid minions emerge, who kidnap Princess Ariana in their bid to conquer the planet. Armed with his mystical note staff and joined by new friends, Tempo sets out to save the princess and Melodia.

Tempo and the friends he makes along the way.

As you read, the story of HarmoKnight is the most basic narrative video games have: save the princess. Nothing interesting there but what is at least somewhat noteworthy is the presentation. The comic book style the title goes for is simple but neat. It gives the proceedings a bit of personality beyond the basic cutscenes and the slightly cheeky dialogue.  It could've been better than the 'just fine' it ended up as here, but since this game is clearly a budget release, it's all well and good.

Let's grab that bull by the horns now that it's here, shall we? HarmoKnight is a clear example of a budget release. From the simple but again effective presentation to the many times the game reuses assets, only making minor tweaks to models to differentiate enemies. The 3D chibi models and backgrounds are basic but nice-looking but the lack of variety doesn´t do the game any favours. 

Different level styles are also repeated more than I would like. The game has more different types of levels than I thought it would, from purely combat-focused affairs to even mine cart sections, but there's quite a bit of repetition amongst these 'special' levels. From the boss fights with a shifted camera perspective to those arena challenges. They are all the same deal with just a different coat of paint and are present in almost every world. Not unusual, but I felt it stood out here more and I do think that is because of the other repeated elements and the shorter length. 

Look at me. Already talking about levels before I even made clear what the gameplay actually is! HarmoKnight is a side-scrolling rhythm game in which you have to do your basic platforming and hitting enemies on the beat of the music. Each level has musical notes, enemies, and interactable scenery matched to the beat. You earn points by running through notes, hitting enemies and performing other actions on the beat. 

Earn enough points, and you pass the level and are awarded a Royal Note, the big collectable you need a certain number of to progress. If you mistime a little bit, you'll still get the note, but you won't hear the extra beat. Miss it entirely, and you don't get a note at all. With enemies and other obstacles, you lose one of your lives if you fail. Run out of lives, and it's game over for you.

It's a fine gameplay loop, though one I discovered just isn´t for me. The platforming is nothing extraordinary but with multiple pathways and a good understanding of the basics. Multiple lives, bottomless pits, spikes, and enemies coming at you. All that stuff is here and working as it should. 

A screenshot of a very standard moment in the game, collecting the music notes. 

Doing all of this on the beat, however, is a whole other story. I quickly learned that I don't have the timing nor the reflexes required to handle everything that comes my way. I'm happy that you don't have to be perfect to get all the music notes and finish the level, but even then I had more trouble finishing a level I felt was worth it. 

That's very much a me thing, but even beyond my own personal troubles, there's stuff here that makes the experience unnecessarily hard and unfair. The amount of musical notes you need to gather to clear a level or get a better ranking isn't visible. I wish it was so it was clearer how much I needed to improve. 

The worst offenders, though, are the instant death obstacles. They are the bane of my existence in this game. So many times I fell into a pit that meant all my hard work was for naught. With everything you need to juggle, I feel that such instant death scenarios are too hard of a punishment for one mistake. The same goes for the boss fights. You can perfectly time everything, but if you miss that final swing, it´s game over.

Another failing is in the music. It could've, and should´ve, been stronger. For a rhythm game, the tunes here are just too unremarkable. They're pleasant but they're all cut from the same cloth and thus none stand out. The only noticeable tunes are the Pokémon tracks that play in one of the game's 5 special levels.

Speaking of those 5 special levels, HarmoKnight has a solid amount of extra content. Those 5 special levels, a whole bonus world, some alternate paths you can take, and every level has a sped-up version that tests a master player's skills. All in all, some good replayability value for those who want to keep playing after the credits roll.

Conclusion

While experiencing a non-Pokémon game made by Game Freak, I can safely say that HarmoKnight isn't a game for me. It's a well-made budget release, simple in both gameplay and presentation with charm and a good amount of replay value. Yet I can't get into the rhythm of it all. My reflexes and reaction time aren't fast enough to keep up with what is asked of me. Couple that with some clear design flaws such as a lack of variation, and unremarkable music, and you get a game that, even if the 3DS EShop wasn't closed down, I wouldn't recommend.