Britney's Dance Beat (PlayStation 2)

Reviewed by

Ryan Davis

on 05/14/2002

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Page 2

The first thing you'll probably notice while watching Britney's Dance Beat is the fluidity with which the dancers move. The House of Moves, a studio that specializes in video game motion-capture, handled all of the dancers' movements in the game, and the results look incredibly natural. Not only do the dancers move well, but they also look good, and the digital version of Britney Spears that appears in the game looks uncannily like the real thing. The stages you'll perform your dance routines on capably reflect the feel of each individual song, and they wouldn't look out of place in Britney's stage show or one of her videos. During each stage, the song's music video will play in the background, but oddly, the video is never in sync with the music itself. You initially might not notice this while you're playing the game, but it's rather obvious to spectators, and it definitely detracts from the experience soon enough. Another distraction is the game's overuse of lighting and particle effects, which can sometimes make it hard to keep track of your place on the rhythm wheel.

Ms. Spears gets digital.

Sadly, the biggest shortcoming in Britney's Dance Beat comes in the area of sound. The game consists of five of Britney's higher-profile singles: "...Baby One More Time," "Oops!...I Did It Again," "Stronger," "Overprotected," and "I'm a Slave 4 U." They're some of the best songs in Britney's catalog, and they're all catchy, well-crafted pop songs in their own right, but five songs simply aren't enough to carry an entire game, and unless you have an undying love for Ms. Spears, they can quickly become repetitive. To date, Britney has produced more than 10 music videos, so there's really no reason why other singles like "(You Drive Me) Crazy" and "Lucky" aren't included here.

The shortage of music and the relative simplicity of the gameplay in Britney's Dance Beat will keep it from truly appealing to rhythm game enthusiasts, or anyone who isn't thoroughly enraptured by the young pop star. However, if you are a fan, then you're in for a treat, as there is no shortage of Britney in this game--despite the fact that you don't play as her. Aside from getting to interact with the music, there is an abundance of unlockable goodies, including "immersive video" of Britney in concert, which uses proprietary technology that lets you pan the camera 360 degrees in real time, as well as a ton of behind-the-scenes video. These extras will be of little consolation for someone looking for a rhythm game with some legs, but Britney fanatics will undoubtedly walk away with a smile.