Image: Isekai Studio
Isekai Studio announced an ambitious blockchain-based rhythm game called Star Symphony, but is there even a market for games like these?
Malaysia-based game developer Isekai Studio revealed its upcoming rhythm game this week, entitled Star Symphony. This seems to be a highly ambitious project for the studio, combining the fast-paced gameplay of competitive rhythm games like Guitar Hero with integrated blockchain technology; two things that we don’t often see together in the same package.
We attended a reveal event for Star Symphony in Pavilion KL, Malaysia this week, and met an enthusiastic team of developers keen to show off what they call ‘the new frontier of rhythm games’. This new frontier looks a whole lot like a regular rhythm game bursting with irregular features, extending beyond gameplay and into its peer-to-peer NFT trading. According to the developers, the rhythm game will rope in even the most skeptical of anti-Web3 gamers with an addictive gameplay loop. Before they know it, they’ll be earning tokens and trading assets like every other Web3 enthusiast out there.
What is Star Symphony exactly?
Isekai Studio has a very hopeful view of gamers today, but its new game could end up being a hit if it lives up to its promises. Star Symphony’s rhythm-based gameplay is bolstered by a HP and Mana system that allows players to battle each other using spells, such as by deafening and muting their screen so they miss multiple beats in a row. Otherwise, its gameplay is very familiar to fans of the genre - four rows of beats come flying down towards the player, and they have to hit all of them in sync with the music.
It’s everything outside of the rhythm gameplay that makes this game stand out. Star Symphony has a Genshin Impact-like cast of playable characters whom players can collect in the exact same gacha-like manner, and these character designs are actually pretty appealing. Their backgrounds are incredibly generic, best exemplified by one who was struck by a truck and woke up in another world. Gee, where have I seen that one before? Still, the developers promise story modes involving ‘Chapters’ and ‘Sub-chapters’ that will flesh these characters out further, also similar to Genshin Impact.
Star Symphony is a Web3 game, meaning that it has integrated blockchain tech that allows players to control and trade their in-game assets. Though we didn’t get a definite confirmation on what assets players will be able to trade exactly, in-game characters could be one of them. Digital tokens are another. Isekai Studio claims the game has a, “diverse range of campaigns, music and modes,” with the idea being that players will enjoy playing the game enough to look past its Web3 elements.
CEO and co-founder of Star Symphony Shas Fung said:
Our team is thrilled to introduce Star Symphony to the world. With its innovative game design, powerful mechanics, captivating in-game story and blockchain-friendly features, we believe it will revolutionize the rhythm game genre. The game opens up new possibilities for players to experience an elevated level of immersion and interactivity, and we are excited to see the public’s response to the game upon launch.
The game’s COO and co-founder Stephanie Wong also said:
Star Symphony as a blockchain integrated rhythm game sprouts potential for greater transparency and fairness to our gamers. Our decentralized marketplaces empowers gamers to take control of their virtual assets and even monetize them. This can create a new economy around gaming, one that's more accessible and inclusive than ever before.
In addition to these many features and mechanics, Star Symphony also plans to support a Spotify-like content creator economy that rewards indie musicians for submitting their songs to the game. Once the game launches, new story tracks and a Winter festival theme for the holiday season are planned to be added to the game, meaning that Star Symphony will also be a live-service title.
The hands-on session
Web3 and gaming are two things that rarely go together well, mostly because gaming doesn’t need Web3 nearly as much as Web3 needs gaming. Isekai Studio is clearly extremely passionate about the game it’s making, though I have my doubts on whether they can carry their many promises to the finish line. From multiple campaigns and Spotify-like profit-sharing for musicians, to complex rhythm-based gameplay and NFT tokens, the studio seems to have many more balls in the air than can be feasibly juggled for the rest of the year.
This is all to say that I was a tad skeptical following all the speeches and presentations at the reveal event, but a hands-on session with the game left me with some optimism. Going against others in a rhythm game is fun, and the live-service nature of the game ensures that players will never run out of content to play through. The game also has several modes, depending on whether you want to try group battles or massive PvE raids. The focus seems to be on competitive 1v1 matches, which is what I actually got to try out during the event.
I’ve put an embarrassing amount of hours into mobile rhythm games like Superstar BTS (don’t ask), but I am by no means an expert. What I played was a pre-alpha build subject to change, but it was clear that its core gameplay still needed some work. Casting spells and hitting keys to the rhythm at the same time feels clunky and overwhelming, and it’s hard to keep track of your Mana and HP levels on top of that. The songs were fun to play and listen to, and some of the spells are creative. Watching the player next to me cry out in confusion as I muted their screen, or watching my screen light up with fire as I hit a score multiplier was satisfying enough to keep me rolling into the next match.
Star Symphony’s strength isn’t in its gameplay however, but the art design. These character designs are appealing enough to draw in a crowd of anime enthusiasts for the long run, and cater to them with fanservice-y quests and lore excerpts that develop the characters further. Even the main menu draws attention to the character you’re playing as, while they cosily strum an instrument on a couch in a warmly lit room. All of the items on the home screen, couch and all, are swappable and give the player buffs such as reduced cooldowns, which is another neat idea.
This could be a really interesting game if it actually keeps all of its promises and polishes up the rhythm gameplay a tad. Star Symphony launches in the second half of 2023.
