Product Info

Platform

PlayStation 4

Publisher

Bandai Namco

Developer

Bandai Namco

Series

Taiko no Tatsujin

Genre

Dance/Rhythm

Players

1-2

File Size (Minimum)

3.98 GB

Release Date (NA)

Nov 2, 2018

Release Date (JP)

Oct 26, 2017

Purchase From

Amazon

GameStop

PSN Store

Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! for the PlayStation 4 is an entertaining rhythm game that took far too long to come west. The last Taiko no Tatsujin game that was released in North America was back in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, known as Taiko Drum Master. (The Nintendo Switch recently received a new game in the series titled Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun!, which was released the same time as Drum Session! However, both are different in terms of tracks and gameplay options.)

Taiko Drum Master was released as a physical edition that included a drum controller that could be played. With Drum Session!, the game was released in North America as a digital download only. It’s assumed that Bandai Namco felt that physical drum controllers wouldn’t sell enough to warrant the manufacturing, shipping, and retail shelf space costs. Still, they could have offered a limited supply on their online store at the very least. Therefore, if you want to play with the drum, you’ll have to shell out some cash to import one. Do you really need one to play? No. Is it more fun to have it? Absolutely.

Become a Drum Master!

Many rhythm games are mostly based on the idea of graphical notes scrolling across the screen and having the player tap the correct ones after they pass a specified area. Some games such as Guitar Hero require multiple notes to be hit simultaneously. In Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session!, you only have to hit one note at a time, but you have two different ways to tap it. If you are using the drum controller, you either hit the front of the drum or the rim. On a DualShock controller, it varies based on your controller settings. Easy enough? Not so fast.

Knowing the two types of hits is a small step forward. The game’s difficulty comes in four difficulties: easy, normal, hard, and extreme. Once you get a handle on how to play, it’s time to step up your game. The track list in Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! ranges widely, from slow to “holy crap, that’s too fast”. Regardless, it’s fun trying to perfect your drumming skills, even if there are only two ways to beat the drum. Simple controls can make a game more fun when compared to games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band and their set of four, colored drums.

What’s Your Song List?

In the Taiko Mode, the general gameplay mode, the 73-song tracklist offers a variety of genres to choose from. If you are looking for Japanese pop songs or popular anime tracks from Attack on Titan and Dragon Ball Super, Drum Session! has you covered. If you’ve ever wanted to play a Japanese language track from Frozen or Zootopia, it’s here and it’s fun. From classical music to Bandai Namco songs, there are tracks here for everyone to enjoy.

If that wasn’t enough, there are at least 81 DLC tracks that can be purchased, with more on the way. Just know that most of them are Japanese pop culture and Bandai Namco related songs. The downside is that each one costs $1.49 USD. There’s also no bundle option available to help ease the pain of downloading multiple tracks, which is a missed opportunity.

You vs Hello Kitty

One of the neatest features of Drum Session! is that it has special guest characters, so players can play along with Hello Kitty, Hatsune Miku, Heihachi Mishima, Pac-Man, and Doraemon. Unfortunately, they are only available on songs that are related to them.

When playing these songs, the characters will animate below the play area. Some of them are amusing, such as Pac-Man being chased by ghosts. Other times they can be a distraction. Thankfully, there are options available to tone down the animations. After completing the song, depending on your score and how you perform, you will be able to unlock some rewards.

Color Me Pretty

Players have a chance to win coins while playing. To do so, you must complete three spots in a row on a grid of cards to make a “BINGO”. Completing a spot requires you to hit goals such as a performing a certain number of combos, landing enough high marks, and more. Each time you make a BINGO, you earn coins.

Coins are spent in the game’s store to unlock items for your avatar, a little drum character. That’s all you can spend coins on, though. All the extra music tracks in the game cost real money.

Fortunately, Drum Session does allow you to customize your avatar in great detail. From using a wide range of colors to paint parts of your avatar’s body to adding various clothing items that were obtained while playing, you’ll spend some time here customizing.

You vs Everyone

Drum Session!’s other main gameplay option is playing one-on-one matches against people online. The game automatically chooses your opponent, music, and difficulty level. It also determines your opponent’s experience by looking at their online rank compared to yours. To raise your rank, you will need to play and win online matches. If you are uncomfortable with the opponent selected, the game gives you the option to back out before playing.

The matches are quite fun as long as both players are evenly matched. It’s also a great way to try songs that you never played.

Aside from the Taiko Mode and ranked online matches, there aren’t any other gameplay modes to play. Compared to Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! on the Nintendo Switch, it’s lacking in that department. However, the game does allow up to two players to compete, which still makes for a fun party game.

The Final Beat

Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! is a fun and addicting game with an enormous track list that guarantees players plenty of musical variety. While it may lack the extra gameplay modes found in similar titles on other consoles, being able to customize your avatar and play in online matches is a pure delight on its own. It’s great to have the Taiko series back on North American shores after such a long absence. May the beat go on!

A review code was provided by Bandai Namco for this review.