Cadence of Hyrule Review

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the Necrodancer Featuring the Legend of Zelda sounds like a crazy experiment. It’s one-part Zelda and one-part rhythm game. At first glance, these sound like two great tastes that don’t necessarily taste great together.

So, is this Nintendo Switch game greater than the sum of its parts? Does it succeed in creating a new genre? Or does it just make you want to give up and play Breath of the Wild again?

We’ve got the answers to all of this and more down below.

Unlikely Inspiration

Obviously, we’ve had rhythm games for a long time now. This includes crowd favorites like Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution as well as cult classics such as PaRappa the Rapper and Um Jammer Lammy.

What makes this game unique is that it is a blend of action and rhythm. And you don’t have to look very far to see where the inspiration for this came from.

In 2015, Brace Yourself Games released Crypt of the Necrodancer. It mixed the kinds of generated worlds you’d find in roguelike games with a rhythmic twist.

This Link and Zelda game isn’t just inspired by that original adventure. It even features some of the same characters!