DJMax Respect V is making its debut today with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. It will include over 180 tracks, an online multiplayer mode, and an exciting mix of genres, with keyboard and controller support.
If you’re unfamiliar with the rhythm genre, there’s a whole host of different mechanics explored within. You’ve got games like Just Dance, where you’re meant to physically dance along with characters onscreen. Then there are games like Rock Band or Beatmania, which feature notes flying down a set path that you must press the corresponding onscreen button to match. That’s how the DJMax series operates.
You choose a song, and then you’re presented with a utilitarian interface that requires you to follow along with the notes that appear onscreen. Visuals that accompany your chosen song will play in the background, and it’s your job to complete as many notes on the beat as possible. It’s all a very rudimentary setup, but it’s done quite well. Pressing buttons along to the beat feels natural and accurate, and you feel like you’ve truly accomplished something when it’s all said and done.
DJMax Respect V already has its success on Steam and it’s not hard to understand why DJMax Respect V made such a triumph if you’re just looking at static screens with moving bars on them. The main menu makes me smile every time I see its little icon doodads and hear the title theme. Some of its songs, several of which span its entire history, are good. Respect is a whirlwind of artistry, so much so that it can’t really contain itself in any given song.
Any time of the day, you can just spend 5 to 10 minutes playing specific missions, play whatever you want in freestyle mode, or play with any other friends in Online Mode. The best part is that you can level up as you play and get rewards, such as unlocking new songs, gear, and notes.
DJMax Respect V has a huge catalog of songs, though many may not be familiar with western audiences. At the end of a song, if you completed it, you are presented with a score, stating how well you did, if you hit all your marks, how many you missed, and if you had the timing correct. High combo, on tempo scores, is the most valuable, which can grant you more experience and aid you in leveling up faster.
DJMax Respect V has a cult following and for good reason. While it might not be the ideal rhythm game for all gamers, due to its catalog of songs that aren’t quite popular, and the learning curve could put off people new to the genre, there is still a lot of fun to be had here. Congratulations to DJMax Respect V for its launch today with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.