Rift of the NecroDancer

This is what I wrote about the "OST Volume 2" DLC:

This DLC includes way fewer tracks than the base game, so it feels questionable to market it as a "Volume 2". It certainly did not match my initial expectations.

That being said, out of the 6 tracks here, 4 of them are fantastic in both music and charting, and imo they make it well worth buying the complete pack. These new charts are tricky, they're catchy, they flow - they're just great fun. To me they're up there with the very best tracks from the base game (at least in hard difficulty, which is my go-to mode).

I regularly play charts from the workshop, and it feels like the studio has paid attention to the knowledge and improvements developed by the community over the past year. My personal issue with the workshop is that it features vocaloid/anime music to an almost alienating level for people like me who usually don't vibe with it, so I'm glad this DLC features other music genres from very skilled composers!

For those who would care to know which two tracks I didn't like: I've never been into the Webster/Nausbaum charts. I find their music bland despite the high BPM, and most charts are little more than three-minute pattern hammering. Unfortunately "Goo" is a complete continuation of this. Compared with that track, Danny B's attempt at vocals for "Inside" is much more surprising, though to me it also fails in the end. The SMB-esque intro is fun enough, but then the vocals are kinda lost in the mix and the production feels generally subpar. I don't really get it since his other track "Ultra Creepy" does feature incredible production crispiness. Anyway, I'm still really glad that the music team has taken some risks, because that's how zany tracks like Josie Brechner's "A Banj After Midnight" are made, and I know I'll return to this one for years to come! :)