Unbeatable (video game)
| UNBEATABLE | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | D-CELL GAMES |
| Publisher(s) | Playstack |
| Director(s) | Andrew Tsai, RJ Lake |
| Producer(s) | Jeffrey Chiao, Rachel Lake, Darryl Kay |
| Designer(s) | Richard Gung |
| Programmer(s) | Rea Koehler |
| Artist(s) | Andrew Tsai |
| Writer(s) | RJ Lake |
| Composer(s) | RJ Lake, Clara Maddux, Vasily Nikolaev, Rachel Lake |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Rhythm game, Adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Unbeatable (stylised as either UNBEATABLE or unbeatable)[a] is an upcoming rhythm adventure game developed by D-CELL GAMES and published by Playstack.[1] The game received support in 2021 when its Kickstarter was funded in 15 hours, along with a demo/proof of concept unbeatable: [White Label] which released new stages weekly during the duration of the Kickstarter.[2]
Synopsis
[edit]The game takes place in a fictional setting where music has been outlawed and a fascist agency known as H.A.R.M. (Harmonious Audio Reduction Maintenance) seemingly enforces laws prohibiting music as a result of some unspecified disaster. The player controls Beat, a mysterious vocalist who not much is known about, she spends her time thinking up new songs for the band to play and fighting the occasional cop.[3] She plays in a band with Quaver the guitarist, Treble the keyboardist, and Clef the percussionist.
Gameplay
[edit]unbeatable has two different methods of gameplay, an exploration mode in which Beat can explore the areas that she finds herself in, play baseball, serve drinks, and write new songs. The player can play minigames for each of these activities, while talking with locals and completing side quests. The other major gameplay type is whenever you are performing, unbeatable uses 2 buttons to control the upper and lower tracks, which are used when Beat plays music or gets into brawls with local law enforcement.[4][3] The demo currently supports four difficulty levels, Beginner, Normal, Hard, and Unbeatable.[1]
Songs
[edit]The unbeatable demo arcade mode has 16 songs currently playable:
| Title | Origin | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| FAMILIAR | UNBEATABLE | RJ Lake, peak divide ft. Rachel Lake |
| WAITING | UNBEATABLE | peak divide ft. Rachel Lake |
| PROPER RHYTHM | UNBEATABLE | peak divide |
| MIRROR | UNBEATABLE | peak divide ft. Rachel Lake |
| FOREVER NOW | UNBEATABLE | peak divide ft. Rachel Lake |
| EMPTY DIARY | UNBEATABLE | peak divide ft. Rachel Lake |
| WAITING (Lumena-tan [VRC6] Remix) | UNBEATABLE | |
| FOREVER NOW (DOG NOISE Remix) | UNBEATABLE | |
| PROPER RHYTHM (MUST DIE! Remix) | UNBEATABLE | |
| EMPTY DIARY (SoundCirclet Remix) | UNBEATABLE | |
| Done in Love | NOISZ STΔRLIVHT | Iris (feat. STΔRLIVHT) |
| True | NOISZ STΔRLIVHT | Synthion (feat. STΔRLIVHT) |
| Low | No Straight Roads | One Eye Closed |
| Forever When | UNBEATABLE | RJ Lake, Rachel Lake |
| SLEEPING IN | UNBEATABLE | peak divide ft. Rachel Lake |
| FUTURE PEOPLE | UNBEATABLE | peak divide ft. Rachel Lake |
Development
[edit]unbeatable uses an anime-inspired art style, with 2D sprites placed into 3D environments in order to create a contrast between the characters and surrounding environment. In an interview with Creative Bloq, art director Andrew Tsai said "these really lavishly animated characters and these very overtly 3D plainly shaded models that kind of stick out a little bit" he would then go on to say that the game is "not hiding the fact that it has 3D environments and not at all trying to blend the characters within them."[5]
Originally funded in a Kickstarter back in April 2021, unbeatable has released a proof of concept called unbeatable: [White Label],[6] a demo for the full release, and 12 Songs on Bandcamp.[7]
Reception
[edit]unbeatable's demo received positive reception from both players and journalists. Anthony Franklin II, from Vice said that the game was a "a pretty good time," and wrote comedically about the game's unbeatable difficulty.[1] Stacey Henley from TheGamer praises the 'vibe' of the game and comments that unbeatable is "A game that, where so many others just didn't have enough, seems to have more."[6] Oisin Kuhnke from Rock Paper Shotgun wrote that unbeatable "has the best hook of any game ever" and is currently positioning the game as their future game of the year of 2025.[4]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Franklin II, Anthony (21 April 2025). "'Unbeatable' Is a Rhythm-Adventure Game That Lives up to Its Name at Its Highest Difficulty (Demo Impressions)". VICE. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ Bacon, Kristina (7 April 2021). "Upcoming Rhythm-Adventure Game, Unbeatable, Surpassed Kickstarter Goal In Under A Day". mxdwn Games. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ a b Romano, Sal (17 April 2025). "UNBEATABLE demo for PS5, PC now available". Gematsu. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ a b Kuhnke, Oisin (17 April 2025). "Unbeatable, the rhythm game where music is illegal and you do crimes, has a sick as hell new demo". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ Wen, Alan (17 April 2025). "How indie rhythm game Unbeatable takes inspiration from Dreamcast and early 90s anime with its stylish hand-drawn animation". Creative Bloq. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ a b Henley, Stacey (1 February 2025). "Nothing Is Better Than When That Indie Game You Love Blows Up". TheGamer. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ "peak divide". Bandcamp. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "UNBEATABLE on Steam". Steam. Retrieved 29 April 2025.