Play to the Beat and restore the world.
Melobot – A Last Song was developed by Anomalie Studio. Anomalie Studio is a French video game studio that’s based in Paris. The game was published by Microïds, a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris and founded in 1985. They are known for games like Naheulbeuk’s Dungeon Master and The ABC Murders, which are video games based on the classic Agatha Christie novel.
The rhythm genre is a subgenre of action video games that are less about swinging a sword and more about staying on the beat, although not as violent, just as stressful. It first popped in the 1970s with the creation of the handheld game called Simon in 1978. However, the genre didn’t gain popularity until 1996 with the release of PaRappa the Rapper. More modern examples would be Beat Saber and games like AUDICA and Metal: Hellsinger, which hybridize the rhythm genre with first-person shooters.
In Melobot – A Last Song, players wake up in a rich, mysterious world that beckons them to uncover its secrets. The adventure begins with a brief tutorial where a scientist who created the Melobot explains the game’s core mechanics and your purpose as the Melobot. From there, the landscape opens up, offering the freedom to explore at your own pace. However, certain areas remain inaccessible until you reach specific milestones, subtly guiding you toward progression without pushing for it.
As you journey through the vibrant world, you’ll encounter a range of Meloplants and instruments, each posing its own melodic challenge for you to play. These musical encounters serve as the core mechanics of the gameplay, requiring timing to hit the right notes, although you can still heal the Meloplants even if you’re off by a bit.
Success is measured by a three-star rating system in Melobot – A Last Song, motivating players, especially those who like achievement hunting, to aim for a virtuoso score for that 3-star rating. For those who want a little bit more difficulty, you can turn on hard mode, which removes the button icons that show you which note to play, meaning you’d have to work on sound or trial and error.
At the heart of Melobot – A Last Song lies the mission to restore harmony to a world corrupted by dark matter. Your main quest is to liberate the Meloplants from the toxic force of the dark matter and defeat the powerful and ever-evolving Guardian Robots, relics of a forgotten age when humans once lived. Along the way, you collect data fragments that gradually unveil more about the enigmatic scientist and the humans who once thrived in this now deserted world.
This narrative depth brings the lore of the world to life, providing context and a sense of purpose beyond the musical and combat challenges. In addition to the story-driven elements, the game features a leveling system that allows you to improve core abilities, including your shockwave attack, stamina, and shield durability, enhancing your effectiveness in both exploration and combat.
Yet, Melobot – A Last Song is more than just an adventure in botanical restoration. Your Melobot boasts an array of abilities that deepen the gameplay experience. With the power to heal, create shockwaves, and dash, you have access to a diverse set of tools to navigate the world and face its challenges.
The heal and shockwave abilities are crucial in combat, offering both offensive and defensive options, while the dash mechanic introduces swift movement, making traversing the expansive biomes faster and more engaging. These distinct abilities ensure that the gameplay stays varied and strategic, especially as you explore different environments, each with its unique atmosphere, puzzles, and hazards.
However, despite the vastness of the world, one limitation comes in the form of the Melobot’s walking speed. While the game emphasizes a relaxed and cozy gameplay experience, allowing players to explore at their leisure, some may find the slow movement pace to be a drawback.
The large, open biomes can occasionally feel even more expansive due to the plodding pace, which might frustrate players who prefer quicker, more action-packed gameplay. The game’s design intentionally balances tranquillity with exploration, but this slower pace may test the patience of those seeking faster movement through the world.
To counteract this, Melobot – A Last Song introduces a sprinting mechanic that offers temporary speed boosts. However, this sprinting ability is tempered by the risk of overheating—a clever design choice that prevents players from overusing the dash. Overheating forces you to manage the Melobot’s temperature, adding a strategic layer to exploration and combat.
Careful timing and restraint become key, as sprinting too much in or out of battle can leave you vulnerable at inopportune moments. This mechanic encourages thoughtful, calculated exploration rather than reckless movement, ensuring players are mindful of when and how they use their speed boost.
The balance of exploration, combat, and musical puzzles gives Melobot – A Last Song its unique charm. As you traverse the game’s many biomes, you’ll be immersed in melodic challenges intertwined with the world’s natural beauty.
Central to the experience is the healing of Meloplants, a task that demands both musical skill and strategic use of the Melobot’s abilities. Successfully healing these plants doesn’t just restore the environment; it also serves as preparation for the game’s more intense and thrilling moments: the Guardian Robot encounters.
These Guardian battles represent a dramatic shift in the game’s rhythm and mechanics. The malfunctioning robots, originally designed to extract dark matter, now pose a significant threat, providing high-stakes combat that contrasts with the otherwise peaceful exploration.
During these confrontations, the Melobot’s healing and shockwave abilities come into play, with shockwave becoming a critical tool for damaging Guardians and healing serving as a way to recover shields in the heat of battle. This dynamic adds depth to the combat system, requiring players to balance offense and defense, manage resources, and adapt their strategy in the face of different Guardian types.
What sets these encounters apart is the semi-puzzle nature of the combat. Players must find opportunities to deal with damage while navigating obstacles and avoiding powerful attacks.
The healing mechanic adds a layer of challenge, as it restores shields but not health, forcing careful consideration of resource management in each fight. The result is a combat system that requires not just reflexes but also tactical decision-making, giving players a satisfying sense of accomplishment when they succeed.
Beyond its combat and exploration elements, Melobot – A Last Song truly shines in its musical integration. Each biome features its own distinct instrument, contributing to a richly immersive soundscape that evolves as you move through the game. These musical variations aren’t just for atmosphere; they play a key role in gameplay, connecting the instruments to the environments through your interactions with the Meloplants.
This thoughtful marriage of music and mechanics underscores the game’s commitment to creating a cohesive, engaging world where every note resonates with meaning, deepening both the story and the experience.
The graphics of Melobot – A Last Song are a work of art in themselves. The stunning look, with its vibrant color choices and detailed environment, evokes a vibe similar to that of Studio Ghibli and Pixar.
Although your little Melobot doesn’t have many expressions, don’t underestimate the power of body language. The little robot expresses himself with his movements and actions as he responds to the environment and what goes on around him.
The sound design of Melobot – A Last Song is where the game is highly focused on as a rhythm game. The soundtrack is well thought out and fits the theme of the different regions well. The sound effects added to this, whether it was your backpack beeping as you overheated the jetpack or just walking around listening to the world around you. This was truly a highlight of the game, on top of the stunning Art.
Overall, Melobot – A Last Song has a lot going for it. The music and art mesh together beautifully in a quirky little game about restoring a once beautiful world to its former glory. The game is great for those looking for something cozy to round off their rhythm game collection. With Elements about taking care of the environment, it’ll be great for kids as well.
