Sync with the beat, battle robots, try again | First Impressions - City of Beats

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City of Beats places a strong emphasis on music as a fundamental component of the gameplay, rather than simply serving as background sound. The game utilizes synchronized beats to enhance the player's experience, with even explosions, hazards, and projectiles matching the rhythm to create a harmonious connection between the player's reactions, reflexes, and the music.

City of Beats puts players in control of a contractor tasked with eliminating a rogue AI that has taken over several cities. Using a futuristic flying car, players travel from rooftop to rooftop, engaging in countless battles against waves of robots. The ultimate goal is to confront and defeat the rogue AI in a climactic showdown.

Players assume control of the contractor in a twin-stick shooter style, allowing them to maneuver while seamlessly aiming and shooting at the same time. The game's bullet-hell nature can be challenging, but players can use a dash move that offers brief invincibility frames to evade incoming fire. As players defeat enemies, they can collect orbs that offer a variety of benefits, such as replenishing health or shields, or providing resources that can be used later on.

As players make their way through different rooftops, they are presented with branching paths to choose from, each offering different potential rewards that are previewed beforehand. These rewards can range from weapon mods and upgrades to opportunities to visit shops for trading or engaging in battles against tougher robots for even greater rewards.

At the end of each level, players are given a choice between different rewards, such as two weapon mods offering either an increased range, or perhaps a doubled projectile amount, for example.

Unlike many rogue-lite games, City of Beats is not exceedingly hard, and I was able to beat it in a few runs and in a single sitting. However, the fun does not stop there, as the game can be endlessly played for long periods of time, especially with the various weapons, attribute increases, and upgrades you haven’t tried yet. Ultimately, it is a short game overall, and you might be done with the game in just a few hours of play.