Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival (2022)

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival has potential, but with it's overwhelming animations and pricey day-one DLCs, it's hard to recommend to anyone looking to get into the series.

Taiko no Tatsujin has always been a fun rhythm game. The new Rhythm Festival series is the best entry point for beginners who want to learn more about Bandai Namco's music game, but there are still some concerns about the model chosen for paying for the many additional tracks not found in the basic edition.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is a very good game with a solid PC port. The base mechanics are classic, and they still work well, just like they did before. The song list is meaty enough, but the presence of both DLC and a Song Pass gives everyone the chance to expand their song library. While the drums give you the more authentic experience, the PC's natural ability to use a wider variety of control methods allows for the game to be more entertaining, if only to see what other odd peripherals people will use to play the game. Provided you're not averse to the lack of Western songs, you'll have a fun time with this game.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is a fantastic rhythm game that is now available on all platforms. It offers a nice selection of songs in different genres, feels great when played and is very colorful and weird. Using a virtual city as a menu isn’t great and not being able to just play and get all the experience points to level up feels bad. But it’s still a fantastic title that looks and sounds amazing.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival finally arrives on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S without losing any of its charm that made it a great title on the Nintendo Switch. With a splendid tracklist and consistently fun gameplay, Bandai Namco’s production also features a handful of well-structured additional modes to break up the usual progression. The online component keeps players engaged. However, the lack of compatibility with older Taiko controllers forces those seeking the most authentic experience to purchase a new, expensive dedicated piece of plastic.