Songbird Symphony - PS4

Songbird Symphony might just be the most adorable game in a genre that is, let's face it, chock-full of adorable games. The game is a vibrant pixel art sidescrolling platformer. Fortunately, given just how crowded the retro platformer space is, it has a twist - it incorporates musical rhythm-based challenges to up the ante.

While the framework of Songbird Symphony is platforming, the core challenges it serves up have you imitating the rhythm of an in-game character, much like the Rhythm Heaven series. As you progress you'll unlock new notes which change up the game and create a satisfyingly challenging difficulty curve. New notes might change the button you have to hit, lenghten how long you have to hold it for or change the appearence of beats on the screen.

Outside the rhythm sections you'll spend your time doing a spot of pacifistic platforming. Instead of encountering enemies or conventional obstacles, you'll meet new characters populating the game world and, more often than not, find that they need some help. Usually, that will mean either a bit of exploration or singing a song that will help them in some way. It starts off simple enough, but as you help more characters they often start to play an instrument, adding to the music and changing the environment as they do. The upshot is some relaxing, easygoing platforming that aims to charm the pants off you. more