Just Dance 2025: A Solid Groove, But No Game-Changer!
Just Dance 2025: More of the Same (and That's Okay!)
Just Dance 2025 is here, and it's... well, it's Just Dance. This 16th mainline entry from Ubisoft doesn't reinvent the wheel; instead focusing on delivering exactly what fans already love, providing that excellent mix of awesome choreography and a fresh batch of 40 new tunes! It's been around since 2009, undergoing some huge changes (new tech, crazy amounts of additional content!) But after all that crazy evolution and expansion across so many versions, things feel a little less revolutionary; emphasizing those more gradual upgrades instead.
That's not necessarily a bad thing! Many view Just Dance as this chill party game – perfect for multiplayer fun or a quick workout – this makes big changes and major improvements far less essential than might've been anticipated. It doesn’t change this much; instead highlighting this core game-experience for that intended and loyal player base; these additions aren’t game breaking in this scenario and remain appropriate; this is even further supported by the game-design choice emphasized throughout.
This year feels very similar to Just Dance 2024 – this makes the game somewhat lacking in unique qualities and the minor distinctions do become really insignificant, yet we get those awesome new features alongside this great collaboration with Ariana Grande and several improvements in accessibility, including offering more seated versions of various popular tunes! Let’s dive in and get moving!
Groove to the Beat: Songs and Dance Moves in Just Dance 2025
Just Dance 2025’s soundtrack is pretty cool, it's very retro! Along with newer hits (“LUNCH” by Billie Eilish, “yes, and?” by Ariana Grande), it features several awesome classics: “Basket Case” by Green Day and “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga, emphasizing this unexpected direction towards revisiting the classics. We even get a few original tracks from the in-game Just Dance Band (“Halloween’s Here”) alongside other child-friendly songs ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight”). The additional inclusion of these kinds of songs adds enormous diversity for those interested and creates multiple entry points.
But the best parts here include these diverse song arrangements! Many songs have seated options and multiple routines (“Espresso”, “Basket Case”, “Poker Face”). There's even alternate versions of some songs and also difficult variations with super hard choreography for certain selections ("One Last Time" by Ariana Grande, “Pink Venom” by BLACKPINK, and “Paint the Town Red” by Doja Cat). The dances tend to remain rather simple in the base mode. A lot of songs fall under level one or two in difficulty – remember, Just Dance’s vibe is usually “fun”, not “intense.” Those dance moves worked perfectly well though; some simpler compared to prior entries, yet perfectly suitable for casual gamers.
Extra Features and Improvements: Customization and Playlists!
The Locker Room? Same as previous releases; giving customization options through that cosmetic system that includes avatars, backgrounds, borders, names, badges, emotes, effects, and victory animations, adding those additional touches many might prefer!
Custom playlists are here! (A much-requested feature introduced back in 2024). You can finally create your ideal setlist – using up to 30 songs! And though unclear at this review's creation date, a new Just Dance story playlist with new lore could happen (like in 2024’s post-launch Dance with the Swan)! It certainly keeps the creative juices flowing.
Camera controls improved even more, too! Use your phone's camera to track your moves (instead of controllers) on all songs–it worked exceptionally well for those situations requiring larger room to dance, and for one player this mode does function without difficulties. This allows even better and increased amounts of additional gameplay flexibility for those individuals without an additional controller.
Just Dance 2025: Final Thoughts (and a Score!)
This game has issues, some concerning. Online access is required unless the player chooses that download only mode. It supports only 40 songs being able to be stored locally without needing an internet connection. There's a delay due to this limitation in processing between loading different game sections; thus this specific choice had a major effect that hurt those other gameplay aspects! Those issues and others remain for players lacking a fast, strong internet connection. A hefty $50 price tag also prompts the acquisition of a paid subscription service (Just Dance+ – providing more songs; this service has a trial included). Even that additional paid feature seems low-effort.
Is this great? It could be for someone. The key factors often considered are the overall tracklists offered that year. This game has some minor hits and some serious misses, offering additional songs from single artists, some with remixes– this may not be that desirable, especially at its $50 price. While there aren’t many surprises here and there’s only limited amounts of overall improvements, Just Dance 2025 retains its signature easy-going fun which has helped build this massive franchise and thus would be recommended for those loyal gamers.
Final Score: 7/10
