Overview – developed by SKOOTA GAMES and published by SCOOTER FILMS, MOMO Crash is an anime style rhythm action games about the adventures of the Thigh Warriors. Take on rhythm action challenges as one of three Thigh Warriors, who possess the power to save souls with their thighs, while also battling a mysterious virus. This title is available exclusively on Steam, with a link to the game and the new Expansion DLC at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank SCOOTER FILMS for providing the copy of MOMO Crash used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. I will be omitting the main details of the story, as I don’t wish to ruin the surprises of the experience, so I will be going directly into the gameplay with some details sprinkled in.
Gameplay – MOMO Crash is a rhythm action game with a unique theme, as players don’t control musicians, but instead the focus is on three girls dubbed the Thigh Warriors. This trio is made up of the fashionable Daia, the optimistic traveller Hikaru and the shy sister Seika. These girls will battle against a mysterious virus that causes an obsession with thighs, while also saving the souls of the inflicted with the power of their thighs.
The game is split into two distinct modes, with the story mode being the main focus of the experience. In this mode, players will play through a story arc that begins with a cinematic, establishing the Virus and the role of the Thigh Warriors. After this, the player can dive into the Arc itself, which is split into stages to challenge. The game is separated into three segments, one for each girl, with their own set of stages, culminating in a finale.
To clear the stages, players must fight the virus and save souls to the beat of various songs. For the rhythm gameplay, there is a lane in the center of the screen, with the thighs of the chosen girl at the bottom. During each song, the embodiment of the virus, as well as the souls of the affected, will move down the lane towards the selected girl. When they reach a designated marker, the player must act by using their thighs at the right time.
During play, there is a dedicated button to attack and to perform a squishing movement. The red viruses must be struck to defeat them, knocking them off the lane when hit, with the blue lost souls being squished to offer salvation. There will also be feline visitors that will appear on the land, wanting attention from the Thigh Warriors. When the cat reaches the girl, the player must hold the squish button as a heart fills up with the cat jumping off when full.
As the player performs these actions, depending on the timing a rating will be given, going from bad, to good and the best being perfect. Each success will fill a meter under the score, while also building up a combo that can be seen on the lane. If the player uses the wrong action, or fails to act at all, a miss will occur causing the combo to end and bar progress lost. At the end of the song, if the player fills the meter past the clear marker, the song will be cleared.
On the results screen for the stage/song, the player will be given a performance rating, with D being the lowest going up to A and maybe even higher. If the player is able to hit all of the beats without missing a single one, they will also get a full combo mark on the song as a bonus. The player will also gain affinity with the girls by clearing songs, increasing based on the rating. When the affinity meter reaches milestone, pieces of a puzzle are earned for a gallery.
Between stages for each of the girls, there will be cutscenes that will push the narrative forward, presented in a more traditional anime style. There is currently only one story arc available, with the potential for more to be released in the future. Outside of the main story mode, there is the free play mode, offering players the ability to freely play any of the songs. It is also possible to select costumes from purchased DLC, which will change the look of the girls.
In free play Rhythm mode, the songs that appear in the main story mode will be playable here, unlocked as the player makes their way through. There is also a selection of bonus songs for players to challenge, included with the base version of the game. Additionally, players can also purchase a special song expansion pack, offering 10 more songs to add to the game. The bonuses and DLC add more play value to the game, extending it after the main story.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – MOMO Crash uses a very simple control scheme, making it accessible for all players to jump into it. There are only two buttons that are need to engage with this title, the strike and squish buttons. This allows players using a keyboard or any standardised controller, the ability to jump in and play. It may even be possible through steam input to allow for more unorthodox controls to be used, such as dance pads and music game controllers.
Difficulty – there are three difficulty settings available for this game, offering an Easy, Normal and Hard setting for all the songs. The difficulty affects the number of beats and their pattern, with a level tied to the challenge of each song. As this is a skill based game, the reflexes and timing will determine how well the players do, but the Easy setting can be beaten by everyone. Players can change lane speed, which can affect the difficulty of songs.
Presentation – visually this release has a very cutesy aesthetic, that is bolstered by the anime style that permeates the whole experience. This works with the comedy elements of the game, making the time watching the animations and gameplay fun, but it can be a slight distraction. The animations themselves are done very well, with a quality similar to broadcast anime. The scenes are also subtitled, with easy to read text and good timing.
The music selection is very good, with electronic versions of classic music tracks, like Holst’s Jupiter, Pachelbel’s Canon and Ode to Joy. There is also a variety of sound effects that can be used, adding to the fun of play. Throughout the story and in the menus, there is a lot of dialogue that is entirely in Japanese, which is performed very well by the voice actors. There is a lot of energy to the voice work, which adds a level of excitement and fun to the narrative.
Final Thoughts – I very much enjoy rhythm action games, having played games like Rock Band, Osu!, Beat Mania and Pop ‘n’ Music over the years. So I am often on the lookout for unique and interesting music/rhythm games, with MOMO Crash really scratching that itch. The gameplay may be simple, with only three different types of action to perform, there is plenty of challenge on offer. This simplicity also makes it accessible to all, which is often a hindrance for rhythm games.
Then there is the entertaining narrative, which is relatively short, but the amount of content on offer overall does make up for this. There is a good amount of variety and value to basic soundtrack, with the additional DLC song packs boosting this further, and hopefully there will be more in the future. This is an easy recommendation for those who like games with unusual themes, as well as those looking for a unique and interesting rhythm action experience.
In the end, I give MOMO Crash a final score of 4/5. This is a solid and unique rhythm action game, with an easy to access game loop, a goofy yet fun story, a gorgeous art style and a soundtrack selection that starts of great, made even better with the addition of DLC song packs. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to the game and the DLC will be below.
Link to Steam version (HERE)
Link to Song DLC page (HERE)
W.Kohaku Media 