4/5 ★ – cha0sknightmare's review of Sound Shapes.

I mean it wholeheartedly when I say that Sound Shapes might just be one of the most underestimated and overlooked platformers ever. Fluid controls, creative gimmicks, a unique minimalist art style, and music-driven gameplay, Sound Shapes constantly finds new ways to surprise you during its brief 4-hour duration. The game’s 20 stages are divided into chapters, or in this case, "Vinyls"- each featuring a specific musician or band (such as Deadmau5 or Beck) and a visual artist responsible for their art style, backgrounds, and color palette. As you progress through the side-scrolling gameplay, you’ll collect optional circular collectibles. Each collectible adds a small element to the background music, whether it’s an additional hi-hat, a bass guitar note(s), or a kick drum. The more you collect, the fuller and more dynamic the music becomes, driving the energy and vibe of the levels. Hazards and mechanics sync perfectly with the beat, vocal rhythms, and lead instruments, driving the player with a rhythmic flow state. Occasionally, lyrics even appear on screen, doubling as platforms to help you navigate past hazards. While Sound Shapes isn’t the most challenging platformer, it’s forgiving in the right ways (regular checkpoints and unlimited lives) so death never breaks your flow, you can brush yourself off and retry the section until you succeed. Each challenge feels fair and immaculately designed. Once you’ve completed the campaign, you’ll unlock two additional modes:' Death Mode and Beat School. These modes cater to the two core aspects of Sound Shapes; platforming and music. Both are fun additions that extend the game’s longevity, though neither quite match the cohesiveness of the main campaign. Speaking of longevity, Sound Shapes also includes an impressive "Editor Mode," which is expansive in scope and allows you to create your own platforming levels. You can unlock more parts for the editor by playing through the other modes. Unfortunately, since the game’s network features have been retired, you can no longer share your creations with others online.