But then I think back to its atomiser bursts of transitions, one idea gusting into another, and I wonder if it's all more ephemeral that that. It can reference Panzer Dragoon, Jet Set Radio, Dyad and Thumper while remaining entirely coherent, entirely itself.Īnd as for the shape, I would say it's more of a playlist than the standard video game movie pastiche. And so dense! Its exuberance is precision, its chaos is sheer choreography. Sayonara Wild Hearts is such a simple thing but also such a complex thing, such a heartfelt thing. Stream it on Spotify if you don’t believe me.All of this is the work of Simogo, a studio whose games I love, and whose forthcoming projects I always worry about slightly, worrying because the team seems to have such confidence and such taste that I am forever waiting for things to be over-worked, over-considered, to become too stylish, sharp-edged and chilly. Your only choice is to retry and improve, and the game makes these re-treads worthwhile by accompanying the action with a pop soundtrack that’s an absolute pleasure. It’s just so moreish miss those coveted gold ranks on each stage and it’s impossible to settle for just silver – or even worse, the lowly bronze. The game is always playing with new visual variety, without overcomplicating the actual way you play. It reminds me most of Tetris Effect, last year’s incredible musical take on the block-smashing classic. Then you’re atop the back of a deer, hurtling through a block-colour forest. Then you’re racing through neon streets on the back of a motorcycle in a high-speed chase. In one stage you’re skating, in another you’re engaging in fisticuffs. Instead, Simogo manages to surprise and delight with each new stage.

You’re not restrained to a single structure or formula this is not a K-pop Guitar Hero, nor merely a hand-held dance mat.

But Sayonara Wild Hearts eschews a lot of the rigid familiarity of that genre at the same time. If you had to label it, this would be a rhythm action game – boil it down and it’s essentially a chase for high scores set against beautiful backdrops, punching stylised enemies and swerving to catch neon hearts in high-speed chases.

Sayonara wild hearts gold rank