Rhythm games are all the rage again, and while Unbeatable is the latest to come along down the independent pipeline after years spent in meticulous development, our review has found the game to still be undercooked.
Unbeatable aims to marry a stylistic aesthetic and relatively simple rhythm gameplay pattern to a winding story about authoritarianism and being true to one’s creative self. It’s an appreciably big swing from developer D-Cell Games, but while the game looks and sounds nice at times, issues in performance and narrative delivery make it a difficult recommendation.
The Good:
- Rhythm gameplay is easy to pick up on, with some bopping music tracks
- The game’s anime-inspired aesthetic can be beautiful
The Bad:
- Gameplay is ultimately shallow
- Story mode suffers from poor pacing and overwrought writing
- Music is very limited in scope
Review Details:
- Reviewed on: PC
- Platforms available: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
- Official release date: December 9, 2025
Two buttons and a dream
The basic rhythm gameplay in Unbeatable is very simple. Prompts approach from the left and right, with each requiring hitting one of two keys to match. The closer the timing, the better the score. It’s a very familiar setup to anyone comfortable with rhythm games, and a very simple one.
That simplicity isn’t necessarily an issue, though you definitely feel it in Unbeatable. A longer play session can grow monotonous when you’re just executing the same very basic loop of play over and over again.
Thankfully, the music brings with it enough energy to liven play up much of the time. Unbeatable’s in-house rock band has a great vibe, and a few songs in particular are standouts that I found myself seeking out separately from the game.
Unfortunately, those who aren’t into the high-energy pop-rock on offer aren’t going to find much else to enjoy in the game. The track list is lacking in variety, and its length is padded out by generic remixes and forgettable electronic jaunts.
If that was the whole of the game, there wouldn’t be much else to say about it. But the main attraction here, the bulk of the actual game, is Unbeatable’s story mode. And that’s also where things really go off the rails.
Walking and talking simulator
The biggest issue our review of Unbeatable found with the game was undoubtedly with its story mode and its pacing. An ambiguous setup and a slowly-unfolding story aren’t necessarily problematic on their own, but Unbeatable makes them feel like a major problem with the game’s glacial pace.
Players will need to push through multiple hours of walking, talking, and walking some more before they encounter anything in the way of meaty gameplay here. And that’s only after they work their way through some boring and vague minigames. Why not just feature the title’s actual core gameplay in those spots? It’s a question without a good answer.
Some stretches of the game almost seem purposeful in their tiresome nature. How do you feel about a sewer maze in which the characters openly discuss how boring and monotonous its navigation is? Is it really a witty bit of banter when the in-game commentary on the game’s lacking quality is true and valid?
The story itself does eventually pique some amount of interest as its climax represents a reasonable payoff, but the route to get there is truly perilous.
So much of the dialogue in Unbeatable is badly overwritten. Characters seem to be trying to one-up each other with dry snark, and that’s consistently prioritized over giving the characters real emotional heft. The game’s writing team seems desperate to prove out its wit, much to the player’s detriment. And the story’s overarching themes are delivered with all the subtlety of a baseball bat.
So while it’s true that players who stick with it will find some emotional payoff as the story comes into its resolution, getting there requires trudging through some real muck, much of which doesn’t make sufficient use of the core rhythm gameplay. For most, it won’t be a worthwhile journey.
Unbeatable does generally look and sound good. Its anime-inspired visuals are lovingly rendered, and its musical tracks come through loud and clear. It’s just a shame that so much time and attention was seemingly paid to a story mode that can’t deliver on its promise.
That time might have been better spent supporting the game with more music tracks, expanding on its core gameplay, or better refining the game’s technical issues. There are times when dialogue either plays over itself or doesn’t play at all, and there are story and sequence jumps that are so dramatic and inexplicable, it’s actually hard to tell if they are in error or just a result of more pacing problems.
The Bottom Line: Unbeatable has potential with its bright visuals and lively music, but it lacks for depth and variety, and its story mode is deeply flawed.
Score: 5.5/10
