Alpha Nomos is the kind of rhythm game that starts with a few awkward missteps and ends with you instinctively tapping your foot to the soundtrack. It combines musical combat, colourful characters and a mysterious world, then asks you to stay on the beat when everything around you is trying to throw you off.
A strange world and a missing group of friends
Cello wakes somewhere unfamiliar, with her friends nowhere to be found. Exploring the surrounding area introduces an odd little village, interesting inhabitants and more questions about what happened. I haven’t finished the story, but what I played gave me enough to want to discover where it leads.
The character designs are bright and endearing, particularly against the darker and sometimes unsettling environments. That contrast gives the game a distinctive look.
Combat is all about the beat
Attacks and movement have to land with the rhythm. Ratings such as Good and Perfect reward accurate timing, and pulling off a string of successful actions feels fantastic once you get into the flow.
That becomes more challenging when several enemies approach with different attack timings. Sometimes there is barely time to react before the next hit is due. Thankfully, the controls are straightforward; the difficulty comes from mastering the music and recognising the patterns rather than remembering complicated inputs.
I found myself nodding along with the soundtrack to keep time. Occasionally, though, changes in the music during low-health moments or major encounters made the beat harder to follow, exactly when I needed it most.
Another run, another approach
Different upgrades can alter the way a run unfolds, giving you room to experiment with combinations. The catch is that collected Junk resets when you die. Losing a good haul is frustrating, but the urge to try a different build and improve your timing made it surprisingly easy to start again.
Final verdict
83/100. Alpha Nomos mixes satisfying rhythmic combat with an appealing presentation and a world worth exploring. Multiple enemies can make timing difficult, and changes to the soundtrack occasionally disrupt the flow. But each successful sequence makes the learning curve worthwhile. This verdict reflects the portion of the game played rather than a completed story.
Original hands-on review supplied by Vanessa Arnott to Coloured Static Press. Score: 83/100. Developer and publisher: RibCage Games.