Introduction to Shield the Beat [Community Highlight]

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Article by: AdjacentKitten

In the very near future, civilization will end. The cause of this is uncertain, as it could be any number of things: economic collapse, nuclear war, zombie holocaust, religious fanaticism, planetary destruction… who really knows what the future will bring?

Well, there’s a humble Xbox 360 Indie Game called Shield the Beat that tells a story of humanity’s last attempt at survival, facing an enemy far more terrifying than anything listed above. Relentless in their crusade against the human race, this enemy has decorated their violent warpath with various musical stylings. That’s right, there’s a race of aliens out there that are hell-bent on destroying humanity while listening to their favorite tunes; but therein lies the objective of Shield the Beat.

Just like you would hum along to your favorite song, these aliens will mimic portions of their music by shooting two different colors of pellets at the player’s ship. Given shields that rotate in a full circle around the ship, the player then uses his thumbsticks to control the shields and absorb the hostile pellets with a shield of the same color. This is a simple task in the beginning, but it scales up in difficulty according to the intensity of the music. The bullet patterns will become erratic and confusing, but never will the player feel like a situation is impossible. Discovering the correct technique during these moments will ultimately lead to a sense of satisfaction – something hardly experienced in modern mainstream gaming.

In the vein of a true indie game, Shield the Beat offers various pre-game options to customize the difficulty. The most notable, however, are the three special modes in which to play the game: one color mode, two color mode and mirror mode. Each of these gamemodes offers a different experience, ranging from casual to the obtusely difficult.

Luckily, Shield the Beat doesn’t leave the player hanging. If the odds are stacked against you and there’s simply no escape, you can pawn half of the difficulty onto a friend in local two-player co-op. All of these options provide a quality experience relatively unseen amongst the Xbox LIVE Indie Game market.

While gameplay is an important part of Shield the Beat, the real hook for this game is the soundtrack. Featuring non-mainstream artists, Shield the Beat's licensed soundtrack employs a variety of hidden gems from the musical underground. Ranging from indie rock to beat-centric electronica, the choice in music was definitely influenced by the French developer's roots. The result of all this is a short yet extraordinary track list that allows players to challenge their rhythm just as much as their thumbstick skills.

Shield the Beat has done something amazing; it has successfully merged indie games and indie music together. This spectacular blend of fast, rhythm-based gameplay and astounding music leaves nothing to be desired but a lust for more. Broaden your musical horizons today, and maybe you, too, will be able to shield the beat (and this pun actually works).