Fantasia: Music Evolved from Harmonix

Harmonix, creators of Rock Band and the only really good Kinect game Dance Central, have just announced their newest game. It’s called Fantasia: Music Evolved and it’s coming to Xbox One and Kinect for Xbox 360.

Players will take on the role of sorcerer Yen Sid’s apprentice, controlling the flow of music and mixing their favourite songs in real-time. In an interview with Polygon, creative director Matt Boch described how they designed the Kinect gameplay.

“Through our experience with Dance Central, we thought it was really awesome to have people moving along with the music, and that rhythmic connection was really strong,” Boch said. “So we decided it has to be about the player’s body, it has to be a game where they’re actually moving around space and exploring music through their body.”

Boch said the game is an avenue for people to express themselves through music and movement. When arrows appear on the screen to tell players which direction to swipe, the Kinect can pick up subtle hand flicks and the biggest arm movements. It’s up to the player how much energy and enthusiasm they want to bring to the game and, judging by how the player moves, the art and animation on screen will change accordingly.
– Tracey Lien, Harmonix makes players musical magicians in Fantasia: Music Evolved, Polygon.

Songs announced so far:

• AVICII – Levels
• Bruno Mars – Locked Out Of Heaven
• Fun. – Some Nights
• Kimbra – Settle Down
• Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody

Seems a little odd that there are no classical or orchestral pieces in here, given that the original Fantasia was a wonderful way to introduce people to that side of music. Perhaps they’ll be coming later? There’s clearly a crossover, if the Classic FM video game music results are anything to go by.

I shall definitely be checking this out at E3 next week. Will report back, probably with an embarrassing video of me lurching about in a cacophony of noise. On the other hand, I can’t possibly look any worse than these smiling, glassy-eyed dancers, right?

Also, hang on. How do we get from trippy light show to the crab that looks like Sebastian’s cousin from The Little Mermaid? What is this game?

Update: Harmonix Director of Communications John Drake has confirmed that classical music will be included in the game.

@aarontweets the vision of fantasia was contemporary music reinterpreted. We’re taking walt’s vision. And there’ll be classical stuff too

— johntdrake (@johntdrake) June 4, 2013