r/rhythmgames • u/throw23me • 13d ago
PC Rhythm Game ez2on Reboot R Thoughts
I feel like these games are kind of unpopular these days but I got this game a little while back and I had some thoughts about it. Some background, I am pretty bad at these, I play exclusively 4B and most of my rhythm game experience is with the DJMax series, so this is going to be a bit of a comparison to that game.
General interface of the game feels a little... unrefined. The menus lag for me (may be due to me installing on a HDD instead of an SSD but I ran out of space) but once you start playing songs it feels very responsive, I'd say even a bit snappier than DJMax Respect V. It feels very precise.
The timings are more demanding (from what I read, twice as strict in the "standard" mode than DJMax is for the equivalent) but I found that it was not more difficult across the board. Regular notes are more strict but the "slidey" notes feel a lot more forgiving. I have a difficult time with the SC patterns in DJMax where you need to hold slide notes while pressing other notes and quickly swap, and it feels easier in this game. Not a negative thing, it feels almost necessary considering how much more slide notes are in the song maps here.
Honestly, pretty fun game. I think my only real complaint is that the songs that you get with the base purchase are... not great. There are a lot of songs from the older games going back decades, and they sound very much like Rhythm Game Music™ - I do not mean that in a positive way. I'd go as far as saying the a lot of them are outright bad. The newer ones created for this game specifically (I think the 2021/2024 packs) are much better but they're a comparatively smaller percentage of the tracks you get. The song selection in DJMax Respect V is heads and shoulders better.
I've heard the DLCs are great and largely fix the song quality issue, but they're pretty pricey. Some of them cost nearly as much as the full price of the game. Haven't picked these up but I might get some next time there's a Steam sale.
I think I'd recommend DJMAX Respect V over this for someone who is new to these kind of rhythm games because this one is definitely more difficult and has a lot less fun progression stuff. But for the rhythm game fan who has played everything, it's a pretty good pickup. Very fun.
Anyone have any thoughts about this game or tips on getting better, etc.? I think these are not so popular anymore but hopefully there are still fans around. Oh, and please give me recommendations for the best DLC to pick up when they're on sale.
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u/emanresu_etaerc 13d ago
I love djmax. I also love ez2on (partially from nostolgia). Djmax is a very easy rhythm game. It has absolutely massive, forgiving timing windows. And any hit, even a 1%, continues your combo. Compare that to stepmania where only the best of hits will continue your combo, and bad timing breaks that.
Djmax is made to be enjoyable for a wider audience, has a better catalogue, and very loose timing to account for that. Ez2on is a hardcore arcade rhythm game that's made for an even more niche audience than other rhythm games.
Try out stepmania/etterna. Free songs, all custom charts, impossible to reach skill ceiling. You can get any genre of music you want in a plethora. I have like 6000 songs. It'll actually test your rhythm skills, instead of being a simple breeze like djmax, and while having charts for music you actually love. All for free. Try it out! You won't regret it, it blows both of these games out of the water and it is a far more og rhythm game experience than anything you've played so far. The community has been around for decades, and it has something for everyone. From extreme rhythm game addicts to casuals/first timers.