Music played a pretty big role in games in 2020, and we wanted to honor that with a whole new category dedicated to the resurgence of music and rhythm games, where music played more than just a background role. The beat and the rhythm were literally part of the gameplay. Harmonix returned with music-mixing phenomenon FUSER. Kingdom Hearts got a brand new chapter in the form of a rhythm battler. And No Straight Roads took on the EDM empire. Here are the PlayStation LifeStyle nominations for Best Music/Rhythm Game in 2020.
- FUSER
- Patapon 2 Remastered
- Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- No Straight Roads
Best Rhythm/Music Game 2020 Winner
FUSER
If there’s a developer who has espoused this entire genre over the years, it’s Harmonix. Their latest return to the console rhythm game doesn’t require any chunky plastic instruments; just a controller and the ability to enjoy a good mix. Rather than make players hit note-by-note perfection, FUSER is a game that lets you create. The innovative music mixing software can make even the most rudimentary of mixes sound great, and with continued DLC song additions and a hefty social suite that allows players to share their mixes, it’s a new kind of rhythm game the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Guitar Hero and Rock Band days.
Reader’s Choice Winner
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
While it might not exactly be a rhythm game, Sackboy’s music was so ingrained into the gameplay that it effectively becomes a music game in its own right. Special levels in each world set the timing of the environment to the beat of a licensed song, a pleasant surprise each time you encounter one. Even aside from the music levels that get your head bobbing and body swaying, the entire game’s soundtrack blends into the experience in ways that few other games can achieve.
Don’t miss our full lineup of nominees for the PlayStation LifeStyle Game of the Year awards. We’ll be revealing more winners all throughout the week, leading up to the Game of the Year on Friday January 1.
