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Just Dance 2022 doesn't break new ground but remains as fun as ever

By Tim Augustin - 3 Dec 2021

Just Dance 2022 doesn't break new ground but remains as fun as ever

Image: Ubisoft

Break out those dancing shoes. 

Just Dance is a franchise I haven’t touched since I was a young kid flailing around like a tube man at family Christmas parties. Dancing games are something I usually avoid outside of arcades, but this review felt like an opportunity to check in on a franchise I’d long lost touch with. As it turns out, Just Dance 2022 is a pretty fun time for those looking to keep active at home. It’s also an opportunity to get laughed at by your family members for your general lack of dancing skills, but like all reviews, we take the good with the bad here. 

 

Choose your track

Image: Ubisoft

Just Dance is a franchise that takes after Electronic Arts’ FIFA, in that it only takes one trip to YouTube to see that this year’s entry hasn’t evolved much beyond last year’s. To be fair, you don’t pick up a new Just Dance game for massive innovation - but it would be nice. You do it for the new songs, new choreography and new stages. This being my first Just Dance game in years, I thankfully went into it with zero franchise fatigue and could approach it as if it were all-new from the ground up. Returning players from Just Dance 2021 will not be able to say the same. 

Just Dance 2022 is a dancing game, populated with a selection of modern mainstream hits designed to get you moving even if you’re not a fan of the artists behind them. I’m awful at keeping up with the Top 40s, but even I recognised some of these tunes, like K/DA’s POP/STARS and Doja Cat’s Boss Bitch, though the latter has been creatively censored to ‘Boss Witch’. I say creatively, because the song now comes with spooky Halloween witchy visuals, and I honestly consider that a slight upgrade from the original. 

All this is to say that you will have zero issue finding a recognisable tune to dance along to, and the remaining few that I didn’t recognise were still a lot of fun to discover. Even without the introduction of new game modes, there were plenty of ways for me to throw down with variety. The game’s co-op mode is a lot of fun with friends (and incredibly reluctant family members), especially since competition is thrown out of the window and you’re just working together for a high score. Quickplay introduces a randomised playlist in case you don’t feel like picking a song, and World Dance Floor pits you against other online players with similar skill levels. 

I’ll admit I used World Dance Floor the least, if only because I prefer dancing with as little antagonism involved as possible, but I’m sure Just Dance veterans will appreciate the opportunity to show off their skills to other players. There’s also a Sweat Mode which seems perfect for those of us still working from home and looking to get some exercise in without going outside. This mode tracks the time you spend dancing and the calories burnt while doing so. It’s certainly a good motivator to keep you coming back for more. 

 

Let's talk gameplay

Image: Ubisoft

The songs themselves aren’t as important as their in-game choreography, and thankfully most of these moves are super fun to play through. There’s a wide range of dance styles covered here, so it rarely feels repetitive bouncing from one song to another. Different difficulties are covered as well, so you could be having a nice easy-breezy time hopping about to Imagine Dragons and then pitying the fools carving away at the Korean music industry within two minutes of a K-pop song. The skill. The talent. I am traumatised. Still, it’s a lot of fun learning new dances, and immensely satisfying when you manage to nail down a tricky move. 

Just Dance 2022 isn’t too difficult to master however, as I noticed that I could flop about terribly in a song and still be awarded a decent score for my effort. The equivalent of a participation trophy, I suppose. The stages are often just as creative as the choreography, which feels like a really nice touch. As I mentioned before, ‘Boss Witch’ dressed up the dancer in witchy garb and takes you through spooky corridors filled with bats and ghouls, and it’s fun to watch how the game visually interprets different songs in such a way. It’s all part of a calculated effort to keep you glued to the screen and not the floor, and I have to say, it really works. 

Image: Ubisoft

And now we’ve arrived at my biggest bone to pick with Just Dance 2022 - its subscription service. This year’s entry has 40 new songs, which already feels like a small amount to dance to until Ubisoft starts advertising Just Dance Unlimited, a subscription service that unlocks access to over 700 songs. 700! You could find hundreds of songs you like within that range, instead of having to pick through the meager pool of tracks this game comes with. What’s even worse is that without Just Dance Unlimited (though you do get a month free with the game), you end up having to stare at menus filled with songs locked behind the subscription. 

Everywhere you go, you’re constantly reminded that this service exists, and you’re missing out on a massive amount of content by not forking over extra money to subscribe. The pool of songs you have access to is so limited compared to the ocean of tracks in Just Dance Unlimited, and it’s even worse with friends, when you have to admit that they can’t play certain songs because you haven’t paid for a subscription. I’m sure expensive licensing issues are to blame here, but it feels like half the game is locked behind a paywall and that just feels icky. 

 

Verdict

Image: Ubisoft

Just Dance 2022 is a lot of fun to play through, with well-choreographed dances of all difficulties to master set against the backdrop of surprisingly detailed stages. There are a bunch of reasons to keep playing, from the cosmetic unlocks to Sweat Mode, so I can see a lot of players keeping active until the inevitable sequel arrives next year. The game’s biggest downside is its subscription service, which feels shamelessly positioned as a final transaction needed to unlock the full Just Dance 2022 experience. That, coupled with its lack of innovation could irk you if you plan to keep dancing for the long-term. If you view this as the occasionally fun party game for having friends over however, it’ll do just fine.

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7.0
  • Playability 8
  • Graphics 8
  • Sound 7
  • Addictiveness 8
  • Value 6
The Good
Great visuals
Accessible gameplay with a wide range of difficulties
Fun to dance to
The Bad
Song selection feels very limited
Subscription pass is pushed hard
Doesn’t add much new to the franchise
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