Reviewed on Xbox One
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October 21, 2014
Disney’s Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 are magical films that give classical music new life through beautiful imagery; Fantasia: Music Evolved is a Kinect game that does just that, and more. Developer Harmonix borrows both classical and contemporary music, inserts them into Disney lore, and combines it all with unique gameplay in some beautiful realms to create a great new experience that reminded me of the fun a novel music game can inspire.
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After playing a few easy but helpful introductory games, you’ll complete your apprenticeship under sorcerer Yen Sid and move on to beautifully designed and widely varied realms, such as a mystical forest and a space station, to play through songs and minigames to defeat a destructive force called The Noise. The story is enjoyable, though an unimportant side note as you unlock music for your song library, learn spells to customize songs, and uncover new realms.
Fantasia relies entirely on Kinect motion controls for navigation, gameplay, and everything in between, and in general it works really well. The movements feel similar to conducting, but the interactivity goes beyond simply keeping time with the music. Your sweeping, punching, holding, and path-following motions instead mimic rhythms and signal new musical phrases, which is a lot more fun than just counting a beat. Each motion is cued by an animation that bursts into a beautiful flurry of glitter if you hit them correctly; if you miss, the music will soften and you may lose your streak – but no matter how much you mess up, you can’t fail the song. The closest you get to “failure” is not hitting a goal, which is, in a way, the same thing, yet it’s friendlier to young kids and people who just want to create music without judgment. The only problem I had with the controls was trying to grab something off in the distance. That can be a pain, especially in certain minigames.
Two other major actions can completely transform a song, and make Fantasia’s gameplay feel unique and personal in a way I’ve never seen a music game try before. The first is a set of simple “Composition” spells, which allow you to create your own beat, rhythm, or phrase through gestures, then automatically integrate them into the song. Hearing something I created become a part of a song I love is a great feeling that borders on “magical.”
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The other type, Remix cues, aren’t as personal, but offer another good option for customization between the different verses of a song. When hit correctly, the remix cue will increase your score multiplier and allow you pull in an element from one of two available remixes of each song. For example, you could opt to exchange the string line in Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain for a synthesizer, or the guitar and piano of Fun’s Some Nights for a horn line.
While it’s great to create music on your own, working with a friend to create new elements for songs is even more enjoyable. Composition spells split recording time in half, so each player has a chance to add something to the song. The person in control of the Remix cue alternates, so it’s possible to have a wonky-sounding song if your partner chooses a radically different remix. This sounds like it could be a nuisance, but with the right partner it’s fun to collaborate to revamp the sound of the song.
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