What’s Different With Dance Central 3?
The Harmonix development team behind each of the Dance Central’s knows what it’s doing. The two previous titles have been nothing short of superb critical successes. With the third instalment of the game, Harmonix has added some new content which creates an entirely new experience for single player users. One of the first, and foremost, changes Dance Central veterans can expect to see is the single player story mode. The story is set against an extremely innovative backdrop. You play as a member of the, “Dance Central Intelligence,” whose primary goal is to eradicate horrible dancing. You must travel through different decades and learn the hottest moves of each, making your mark on the world during that specific time. While it can come off as childish, corny, and clichéd, it provides a decent diversion for players who aren’t hosting a dance party. The other new addition I was immensely impressed with was the, “Crew Throwdown,” mode. In this segment, multiple players are split up into groups. Once split up, they take part in a dance version of a battle royale. Not only does this addition get the heart pumping, it’s the exact type of party fun Dance Central fans have come to know. Battle your friends and let the loving trash talk begin.
How Fun Can A Dance Game Be After Hours Of Playing?
Dance Central 3 was the first dance game I had played on the Kinect. I was worried when I first started playing, because I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it very much. I come from an era when the arcade dance queens and kings could move their feet faster than the on screen arrows in Dance Dance Revolution. Being a newcomer to both the Kinect and Dance Central just increased those nerves. After playing for about half an hour, however, those aforementioned nerves disappeared and instead, I had one of the best game playing experiences of my life.
What’s great about Dance Central 3 is it works for both rookies and veterans. Newcomers to the new age dancing scene can put themselves through step-by-step tutorials of the dance moves they need to learn to secure a high enough score to move on. Not only are these tutorials in-depth, they’re also narrated by Usher, which is pretty fun within itself. If you’re a long time fan of the series, don’t worry. After playing for a couple of days, I thought I had the hang of it and pushed myself to the hardest dancing level. Needless to say, both my body and spirit were pulverized. The most difficult level is rapidly paced and combines almost all of the dance moves you’ll need to know in order to pass the level. It’s incredibly challenging, and when you finally complete it, it’s incredibly rewarding.
Final verdict?
Dance Central 3 has wormed its way into my heart and has become one of the best games I’ve played all year. It’s instructional, it’s fun, and it provides a work out I can’t get with many of the other games I’m playing. With a track list spanning over five decades, anybody in the family can jump in and enjoy the best songs of each generation. I can finally say I’ve given up on disliking the modern day rhythm based dancing games, hanging onto nostalgic memories of times spent playing DDR because of Dance Central 3. For $49.99 this game should have a permanent spot on your game shelf.
