FromPulse

So... many... colors...

From Pulse is a rhythm game made by Pixel Molotov and released on October 23^rd 2012. The description for the game state that it is heavily narrative driven retro inspired rhythmic plat former. I haven’t seen a whole lot of rhythm games lately that doesn’t try to follow Rock Band/Guitar Heroe’s track formula since Fret Nice, and had been interested in trying this out ever since it was released. Is From Pulse the melodic experience that it promises to be?

After his drunk bender, Vegah missed the X button and
threw up all over the barriers.

The graphics of From Pulse are very stylistic and colorful. I was really impressed with the opening cut scenes, and they really set the tempo for the game. The locations the game takes place in are really fun. There’s a lot of con variazioni in each level, but it’s kind of hard to appreciate since you’ll be focusing on what you’re doing. The art in the cut scenes really is beautiful, always containing bright, colorful dreamy images.

Rhythm games are supposed to have great music that keeps you tapping in time to the beats, and From Pulse is no exception. The music in game is retro inspired and electronic, reminding me of techno or trance. I highly recommend you turn up the volume and relish in the awesome music as you play the game.

After Vegah got of out the cave, he ignored TLC's advice
and went chasing after waterfalls. Then TLC offered him
his own show, which features his exploits as he tries
to cope with his trashy, abusive grandfather.

So how does From Pulse actually play? You’re character, Vegah, is moving along the screen from left to right, and colored circles dot the ground that correspond to the colored buttons on the Xbox controller. When you character reaches the circle, you push the button. The game only uses the A, B, X, and Y buttons and each button corresponds to a certain action. You’ll be pressing these buttons in time to the beat of the music as you’re going along. Pushing the wrong button seemed to hold more weight than other rhythm games, because if you’re coming up on quick succession of actions, pushing the wrong button will cause your character to get locked in that animation until it’s over. This never screws you over that bad, but it does put emphasis on making sure you’re actually hitting right buttons.

Vegah! I... I'm really drunk. There is a whole bunch of dudes
out side, and you gotta run away before grandma finds out
grandpa had an illegitimate son!

The game currently only comes with four songs, so there are only four stages. Once you beat the main game, there’s a Story+, where you’re able to see the game’s true ending after playing through the game on a harder difficulty. As you play and gain hearts by doing well, it'll advance you through the story. Don't play well enough, and you won't be able to see the next cut scene or progress to the next level. Their website states that a lot of the scenes are inspired by different video games, books, and movies, so I’m sure many people will recognize some of the images. Two that I really liked were the one where Vegah’s grandfather handed him the ring, and the scene featuring the captain of a boat. These were pretty clear references to Lord of the Rings and the Monkey Island series. The game also features some QC codes that will get you access to the game’s music, if you access to that.

We're a band of rythmic Ollopas
and we're sailing out to sea
If you see us in the waters
button pressin' we will be

 Overall, if you’re a fan of rhythm games, I highly recommend checking out From Pulse. It’s a lot of fun, and though the story can be non-sensical at times, it’s still very engaging. This game really is beautiful and fun and is only 80MSP. I’m excited to see more from Pixel Molotov, and hope that we can get another From Pulse, hopefully with more content, as this offering is a bit on the short side. Still, the price can’t be beat, and you’ll find yourself sucked into the rhythm of the game once you try it.