Rift of the NecroDancer Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-02-20
  • Excellent soundtrack and highly praised rhythm game.
  • Great gameplay, design, and polished visuals.
  • Engaging story with enjoyable mini-games and humor.
  • High difficulty and steep learning curve.
  • Story mode criticized and gameplay mechanics issues.
  • DLC pricing and quality concerns.
Rift of the NecroDancer header

Emotions

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

Excellent soundtrack and music: The game features a superb soundtrack with a variety of songs that cater to different tastes. The music is highly praised for its quality and selection.

Highly praised rhythm game: The game is frequently described as one of the best and most creative rhythm games. Players enjoy its unique mechanics and find it very fun and engaging.

Great gameplay and design: The game is noted for its fantastic and addicting gameplay. It is well-designed with great animations and sound effects, providing a very enjoyable experience.

Polished art and visuals: The game features a polished art style with beautiful and appealing visuals. The design choices are well-thought-out and visually pleasing.

Enjoyable mini-games: The mini-games in the game are described as fun, enjoyable, and well-designed. They add a lot of variety and replayability to the game.

Common complaints

High difficulty and steep learning curve: The game is noted for its high difficulty, especially on harder modes. The learning curve is steep, and the difficulty spikes can be overwhelming for some players.

Story mode criticized: The story mode in the game has been widely criticized for being lackluster, boring, and not engaging. Many players find it mediocre and lacking depth.

Gameplay and mechanics issues: Gameplay is described as stressful, confusing, and repetitive. The mechanics are difficult to master, and there are issues with calibration and latency between audio and video.

DLC pricing and quality: Players find the DLC packs to be expensive and overpriced. Additionally, the quality and choice of DLC songs are criticized, with some feeling the DLCs are disappointing and a money grab.

Music and song selection criticized: The music in the game is criticized for not being catchy and lacking popular songs. Some songs are too long and feel monotonous or like filler.

Gameplay and performance

Rhythm-based gameplay with unique mechanics: The game features rhythm-based gameplay with a variety of unique mechanics, including pattern recognition, enemy-based note patterns, and strategic elements. It combines traditional rhythm game elements with innovative twists, such as using monsters instead of notes and incorporating puzzle elements.

Level editor and user-generated content: The game includes a level editor feature, allowing players to create and share their own content. This supports user-generated levels and custom songs, enhancing the game's replayability and community engagement.

Enemy patterns and mechanics: Enemies in the game have various movement and attack patterns, requiring players to learn and adapt to different behaviors. Each enemy type has unique mechanics, adding depth and complexity to the gameplay.

Mini-games and story mode: The game includes a variety of enjoyable mini-games and a story mode with cutscenes and boss battles. These elements provide a break from the core rhythm gameplay and add narrative depth.

Multiple difficulty levels: The game offers a range of difficulty levels, from easy to impossible, catering to both casual and hardcore players. This variety ensures that players of all skill levels can enjoy the game.

Calibration feature problems: There are several reports of issues with the calibration feature, including general calibration problems and the need for audio and visual lag calibration.

Latency issues reported: Multiple players have reported latency issues, particularly with modern displays. This includes general latency problems and specific instances where recalibration was needed due to these issues.

Audio and video delay: Several players have reported a strong delay between audio and video, including specific mentions of audio latency and sound delay.

Lag during intense sections: Players have experienced lag during intense sections of the game, including boss battles. This affects the overall gaming experience.

PC performance issues: Some players have reported that their PCs are not able to comfortably run the game, indicating potential performance issues.

Recommendations

Highly recommended for rhythm game fans: The game is strongly recommended for those who enjoy rhythm games, especially fans of traditional rhythm games like Guitar Hero or Rock Band. It offers a unique and challenging experience that is favored by experienced players.

Not for everyone: The game may not be suitable for newcomers to the rhythm genre or those who do not have patience for rhythm games. It is also not recommended for fans of Friday Night Funkin'.

Worth the purchase: Many players find the game to be worth the money, especially when bought on sale. It is considered a high-quality purchase for its price.

Positive overall experience: Players report having a great time with the game and describe it as an awesome experience. It is suggested that you won't regret getting the game.

Try the demo first: Several reviews suggest trying the demo before purchasing to get a feel for the game. This helps determine if the gameplay suits your preferences.

Platform notes

Steam Deck: The game has received generally positive feedback for its gameplay mechanics and soundtrack, particularly on the Steam Deck. However, there are notable issues with offline mode functionality and controller support that need to be addressed. Users have also expressed a preference for keyboard input, indicating a need for better input optimization on the Steam Deck.

Extra review signals

Monetization: The game has received mixed feedback regarding its DLC pricing and practices. While the base game is considered to offer good value, the DLCs are frequently described as overpriced. Additionally, there are concerns about deceptive practices used to promote DLC purchases. Despite these issues, some players still find the DLCs worth buying, especially during sales.

Other review notes

Request for more character customization: There is a desire among players for more options to customize their characters.

Desire for more difficult songs: Some players have expressed a personal wish for more challenging songs to be included in the game.

Hope for Cadence of Hyrule songs: Players have expressed hope for the inclusion of songs from Cadence of Hyrule.

Positive mention of Necrodancer: Players have mentioned that Necrodancer is fine, indicating a general satisfaction with this aspect of the game.

Mention of DLC criticism: There have been mentions of criticism regarding the game's DLC, though specific details are not provided.