Dance Eden Review (PC VR)

I often find that there are two types of dancers in the world: extroverts who frequent local invitationals and Zumba classes to keep it form, and those who think that they can look good cutting shapes to Lipps Inc.’s Funky Town whilst remaining seated and eating the pretzel from the day before. For me, I’m somewhere in the middle; I won’t turn a blind eye to exercise, but I’ll also gladly bite your hand off for a pretzel. Perhaps that makes me a poor candidate for Dance Eden, or perhaps the right candidate to represent the slightly less nimble enthusiasts. Either way, I can’t dance, yet here I am, donning the headset and performing to an audience that, frankly, probably hates everything about me. At least my wife gets a good laugh, though.

To be honest, the first thing that jolts to mind when I look at Dance Eden is, unsurprisingly, Dance Central. Licensing opportunities cast aside, it is, to some basic extent, the same game, but with more independent beats and fewer tributes to Funky Town. But the idea, however, more or less remains the same: imitate a humble dance coach, and do all in your power to jive and master the art of contortion. Do you feel like just as much of an idiot doing it? Absolutely — but at least it gives you the opportunity to shed a few calories. Though, to be fair, most of those calories often shed from the weight of your cascading tears, usually from not being able to “cut shapes” and bend your arms backwards. Maybe that’s just a me problem, though. I can’t bring myself to say that I’m the leanest, most limber person on the dance floor. Again, no fault of Dance Eden, just a thirty-something year old man who wishes he could do the splits or something as equally fitting in the eyes of the clique. Thanks for excluding me, Dance Eden — it’s like sophomore year all over again.

Twist & Shout

Full disclosure, Dance Eden isn’t all that physically demanding. Well, it’s certainly a notch or two above the likes of performing Los Del Rio’s Macarena at a wedding reception, but it isn’t, say, Diversity at the grand finale of Britain’s Got Talent, so to speak. But even so, it doesn’t really matter all that much, because frankly, Dance Eden is all about knuckling in on two things: helping you shed weight from the comfort of your own home, and teaching you some slick routines as you half-heartedly bop and jive to a synthetic beat for the smallest glimmer of on-screen approval from the masses. With that, what you see is what you get: a virtual-augmented reality experience that prioritizes energetic performances over sluggish ties. And you know what? It’s actually a lot of fun.

While Dance Eden doesn’t come with the weight of an officially licensed soundtrack and a trending score, it does feature a hearty variety of independent tracks and performances, with each song in its library having its own unique routine and cardio-based curveballs. With just shy of a hundred tracks to choose from, Dance Eden provides a solid foundation for both newcomers and seasoned breakers alike, with two difficulty modes—Normal, and Hard, naturally—and a course that teaches you the fundamentals of dance via a simple-to-execute system that introduces you to various rhythm elements and dance techniques. It almost sounds too easy, but, contrary to popular belief, it isn’t. Again, a personal skill issue, probably.

Given the relatively low price of admission, I will say that there’s a lot of great content to jive with here. Granted, it isn’t the sort of game that will appeal to everyone, but for fitness enthusiasts and the ne’er do wells of breakdancing (me, basically), it’s an ideal treat to slip into for whenever the need to flex and essentially pop a muscle spontaneously bolts out from beneath the woodwork. And, with a decently sized collection of tracks to “cut shapes” (or sluggishly shift imaginary dressing tables to), it does, in all fairness, provide a lot of bang for your buck. The addition of a character creation suite, really, is just the frosting on the cake.

A Decent Flex

Thanks to the prowess of augmented reality, Dance Eden allows for you to transform your living room into a full-fledged dance studio and/or stage. It also gives you the option to experiment with various styles—mirroring the coach, or taking the center field, for example. Sadly, it doesn’t feature a lot of game modes, meaning, you won’t be able to slip into a flamboyant career mode or compete in any global tournaments. That’s a small price to pay, mind you, as everything else that the game brings to the table is brilliant.

An indie game at heart, Dance Eden doesn’t come equipped with the complexity of a souped-up canvas, nor does it come clean with a ton of intricate details or audiovisual effects, for that matter. But, to give credit where credit is due, it does substitute its shortcomings with a plethora of theme-appropriate solutions, with a sturdy score forming a meaty backbone that will keep you bending over backwards for hours, perhaps even days.

Verdict

Dance Eden is an ideal alternative for those who just want to abandon the weekly Zumba class and jump into an energetic workout without having to devote all of their heart and soul into the performance aspect. Granted, it isn’t in receipt of all of the same benefits as a full-fledged dance-centric game à la Just Dance, what with it lacking a licensed soundtrack and the audiovisual quality of a superior game. That said, in spite of all its minor shortcomings, Dance Eden does make for a surprisingly enjoyable fitness excursion on VR.

If you, like me, frequently crave just a slither of fitness to help grease the hinges and appease the flaccid OAP within, then you ought to consider booting up Dance Eden the next time you’re itching for a quick workout. It’s energetic, motivating, and above all, sympathetic over your lack of finesse and understanding. Count me in, then.