Video source: Full score (OMEGA) record for Dynamix Lv13 song

Player: Eugene Kua

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shh6rAa_YQM

 

Introduction

Dynamix, the hardcore mobile music game is the first publishing game made by C4Cat. Dynamix introduces a new style of the music game. Its triple-dropping track design provides a more rhythmic and varying play style. Players can feel like composing the song during the game play. The first release version of Dynamix includes more than 20 Hong Kong original songs.

–Dynamix Wiki,

https://dynamixc4cat.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page

Dynamix, a typical music game, like many other games of its kind, has been found especially “challenging” and “fun” for music game fans. This article will bring you to this “Dynamic” game Dynamix and show you why players are crazy about the game through game design lenses.

Screenshot of Dynamix—-of course, this is the only FULL SCORE I obtained–although only in level 1…

1 The Lens of Emotion & 94 The Lens of Atmosphere

As a music game, the designer wants its user to feel intense nervousness as well as excitement and looking at these video recordings from the players, who were holding their breath for 2 min until they got the full score, we know Dynamix has done it.

There is no doubt that for most of the music games, the rhythm and pace are important for creating this atmosphere with tension. The choice of songs in Dynamix facilitates its excitement. Although there are some moody slow songs, these songs are all presented in Electronic styles so that the periodical percussions and obvious artificial sound effect are attention-demanding thus exciting.

Most of the songs, like Rave-olution, use rapid speed to create an intense and exciting atmosphere. 

Even for slow songs with strings, they use multiple parts to emphasize the rhythms.

 31 The Lens of Actions

The basic actions in this game are quite simple, namely, click (for the blue strokes representing single short notes), sweep (for the red lines with an end dot representing arpeggios) and long press (for the yellow bars representing long notes).

Based on these simple actions, players can implement a few strategies for higher scores. For example, with two hands, it is simple for players to implement symmetric clicks on the two sides of the screens. Other strategies like the perfect time for the long press, the sweeping for red notes, etc..

Symmetrical notes are easier for double hand actions.

This game also balances the spread out of notes in the layout so that the fingers can stretch while playing. When players interact with the game controllers (usually bars or buttons that simulate the piano keys), they enjoy watching and feeling their fingers dancing on the keyboard (just as we programmers like a mechanical keyboard XD). Stretching out fingers provides a strong gameplay experience of beautiful actions.

34 The Lens of Skills & 38 The Lens of Challenges

Dynamix does a good job in balancing between the challenges and the skills. This is achieved by careful design of the level system. Apart from some minor setting of modes (bleed, narrow, accel, mirror and auto), the challenge is controlled by levels (from 1 to 15, and for each song, there are easy, normal and hard levels).

By providing all three difficulty levels for each song, the game has offered players an equal chance of enjoying the same song. And by exposing to the easy level of the songs, the player becomes comfortable with the tunes and notes, when they can take a challenge and advance to the next level.

One of the most unique designs for Dynamix, which differentiate this game with other musical games like Deemo and Osu! Is the interesting behaviour of the notes flow.

The two red arrows denote the moving direction of different tokens. The sudden change in note directions, apparently does not cater to the native flow in your brain. This brings huge challenges to players to concentrate and stay alert and observe their surroundings. On the other side, in order to encourage the players to improve their skills of observing without too much depression, the system has provided “Blinking” signals in the next coming directions a few seconds in advance.

This line will blink if there will be new notes coming down.

Balancing between the skills and challenges has made this game gain a lot of reputy from old music game players who are trying to seek for the hardest ad challenge their proficiency.

71 The Lens of Beauty

Lastly, Dynamix has also benefitted from its original, modern but yet cultural oriented artwork and music. The consistent design has made the game beautiful to play with or even treat as an artwork.

Modern and sci-fi pictures

Well designed Anime-style characters

The depiction of the old Hong Kong Street (as the producer C4CAT is based in Hong Kong)