God of Rock was first revealed a few months ago, giving us but a taste of its fun and quirky genre mash-up concept, but today, with a new overview trailer, we now better understand how this rhythm-based fighting game is going to work.
The base gameplay functions about how you'd expect. You and an opposing player press the prompted buttons that come down a track, just like in any rhythm game. If you press a button and your opponent does not, they take damage. Side note: it appears that in God of Rock, you'll simply be using the four standard buttons of most gamepads, and you won't need any peripheral device.
It gets a bit more creative, however, with the fighting game flair this trailer reveals. There will be 12 character total once the game launches. Players will have a three-tiered special meter that gets filled up throughout the match, and each character will have their own unique special moves that give them some advantage in battle. For example, one character's level-2 special fills the opponent's track with additional notes for a limited amount of time.
Special moves aren't activated with a simple button press, however. They require a series of directional inputs, much like a standard fighting game, which will likely be very difficult to pull off while trying to play a rhythm game with the face buttons. Another special attack, from a different character, will result in splotches of paint temporarily blocking spots on the opponent's track, making it difficult for them to see which notes they have to hit.
God of Rock will also have so-called Ultra Attacks. These are supposedly the most powerful moves available to players, and they can be performed once a character's Ultra Meter fills up. Unlike the special meter, the Ultra Meter only fills up when you deal damage, and the Ultra Attack can only be performed after this meter is completely full. It appears as though the Ultra Attacks deal damage independent of the rhythm-game presses, but this is currently unclear.
The page's website touts a "limitless skill ceiling," as, unlike most rhythm games, the tracks don't just end. They continue indefinitely, progressively getting more and more difficult until one player loses. God of Rock is set to have over 40 original songs at launch, which supposedly have different button arrangements depending on the character combination that is chosen. Furthermore, the game will have a track editor, allowing you to adjust certain songs to your liking.
God of Rock will be priced at $29.99, and shall release on April 18, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.