The Most Promising New Game on Steam Is Hi-Fi Rush Meets Batman: Arkham

Many modern action games are essentially rhythm games in disguise. While you might not be striking foes to a metronome in titles like Elden Ring, you are fundamentally engaging in a highly choreographed duel, mirroring a tempo dictated by the boss’s attack patterns. Dead as Disco, a bold new musical brawler that just debuted in Steam Early Access, takes this concept and amplifies it to exhilarating new heights.

Crafted by Brain Jar Games, Dead as Disco masterfully blends the visceral intensity of a beat-’em-up with the precise mechanics of a rhythm title. Playing as Charlie Disco—a protagonist on a crusade to dismantle corrupt idols—you’ll pulverize waves of enemies and formidable bosses in perfect sync with the soundtrack. It shares DNA with 2023’s celebrated Hi-Fi Rush, but focuses heavily on arcade-style high-score chasing for the competitive crowd. While the early access build serves primarily as a tantalizing glimpse of the full experience, the high-octane kung fu combat already feels like a phenomenal celebration of style and sound.

Your primary objective is to topple each idol by conquering their thematic stages. Interestingly, the game incorporates a dash of Mega Man progression; defeating bosses grants you specialized abilities to expand your arsenal. Between rhythmic brawls, you’ll dodge hazards, navigate through vibrant, psychedelic environments, and prepare for intense boss showdowns. While there is an underlying narrative concerning Charlie fighting for survival in a dystopian, musical cyberpunk world, it remains largely skeletal for now—the premise exists mostly to provide a neon-drenched stage where the music calls all the shots.

The standout feature is undoubtedly the combat, which translates the fluid, free-flowing brawls popularized by the Batman: Arkham series into a rhythmic framework. Your objective is to time your strikes, counters, and takedowns to the pulse of the soundtrack. It’s more nuanced than a simple one-button-per-beat setup; the action is dynamic, mapping your inputs into complex, rhythmic sequences that turn you into a veritable percussionist. The barrier to entry is low, thanks to generous timing windows and clear visual indicators, allowing you to quickly transform your controller inputs into elegant musical kung fu.

Boss battles represent the true test of your mettle. These are elaborate, visually arresting encounters that demand unwavering focus as you weave, deflect, and counter attacks. While the intensity of observation echoes a Dark Souls confrontation, the core mechanic remains rooted in clearing a song. Maintain your rhythm, hit your marks, and exploit openings to inflict damage, and you’ll secure your place on the global leaderboards.

The combat depth continues to grow through an unlockable skill tree tied to each boss you defeat. You’ll acquire versatile tools, such as the ability to lob a drumstick and teleport to the target, execute devastating windmill kicks, or discharge an electrical blast to crowd-control foes. This progression system provides a compelling incentive to revisit stages, encouraging experimentation with new mechanics to maximize your score.

The experience feels polished and responsive thus far, though I am curious to see how it matures leading up to its 1.0 release in 2027. At present, Dead as Disco excels with its mechanical combat loop, but it lacks a cohesive narrative backbone. We currently know very little about Charlie or the opposition, and the broader setting lacks clear definition. The roadmap does promise additional story content, which will hopefully bridge these narrative gaps.

The soundtrack is another area with room for improvement. While a stage featuring a cover of Michael Sembello’s “Maniac” is a clear highlight, the default playlist consists largely of generic electronic tracks with scattered K-pop and brass-heavy hip-hop elements. These tracks function perfectly well as ambient noise to fight to, but they rarely leave a lasting impression. Fortunately, the game allows for custom music imports, which is perhaps its most significant long-term feature. If Brain Jar Games can foster a dedicated community—much like the one that elevated Rift of the NecroDancer via the Steam Workshop—it could have immense staying power. And that’s certainly something worth kicking about.

Source: Polygon