MC Lars: The Video Game – REVIEW

MC Lars and his nerdcore, lit-hop, post punk rapping style has been enjoyed across most entertainment venues, and as of September 18, 2016 gaming can be added to that list. MC Lars: The Video Game, developed by Synersteel Studios, brings interactivity to the beats of MC Lars by way of an endless-runner style musical platformer, now available on iOS and Android as well as being Greenlit on Steam.

Here is a description of the game from MCLars.com:

In this beat-driven platformer, the record industry kidnaps MC Lars and tries to turn his indie music against him. To triumph, MC Lars must battle through 12 levels inspired by his music, navigating obstacles and fighting record industry goons all without losing the beat.

The game used for my review was played on PC, but MC Lars: The Video Game lends itself very well to mobile devices. Like Jetpack Joyride or Temple Runner, the game is a sidescrolling endless-runner (the player does not have control over the speed of forward progression) with plenty of musical platforming a la Sound Shapes. Visually, the game has an 8-bit retro style with a lot of colorful, moving environments, obstacles, and enemies. Pay particular attention to the background of each level as I felt the shadows and silhouettes really added to the telling of the story. Each level features a different song by MC Lars; most or all of which fans will recognize. The music and the gameplay go hand-in-hand and I felt that the synchronicity between the two was solid most of the time (there were only a few times I felt that they didn’t line up). Even when you die, you don’t mind so much because MC Lars’ beats are top notch. I suggest playing the game with a good set of headphones so you can truly appreciate the music and the gameplay equally (I personally used my set of HyperX Cloud II’s).The control scheme is very simple with only two buttons required to play; jump and attack. The game starts out fairly easy, allowing the player to familiarize themselves with the mechanics, but each progressing level increases the difficulty through multiple successive jumps or attacks. You will come to realize that your timing is crucial and paying attention to the beat can really save your life. The goal of each level is to get the highest score through the collection of NES cartridges (orĀ  at least that is what they resemble) floating around as well as attacking enemy agents with your microphone.

Ah, crap.

Ah, crap.

You can get up to a 3-star ranking on each level, which basically requires platforming perfection to achieve. The game is a bit unforgiving because making one mistake will reduce your score to zero. The number of times I scored 1500-2000 points only to lose it all in the final 5% of the level was very high. If you make a mistake when your score is zero, you essentially die and have to start the level over again. You are awarded for getting a high number of stars as there are three unlockable costumes that you can use after you achieve 12, 24, and 36 stars (this requires 3 stars in every level). This feature adds to the replayability of the game because you bill be required to go back and play levels in which you did not receive three stars and play it until it has been done perfectly.

The traditional MC Lars and three unlockable costumes.

The traditional MC Lars and three unlockable costumes.

If you haven’t been introduced to the musical genius of MC Lars, MC Lars: The Video Game is a great way to become familiar with some of his best work and have fun while doing so. If you are already a fan of MC: Lars, get ready to be engaged with his songs on a completely different level. The challenging yet fun gameplay, the mostly seamless integration of music into the each level’s mechanics, the fantastic soundtrack, and the replay factor make this little mobile gem a MUST PLAY for just about anyone with a phone and some free time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *