Review Melatonin is the first rhythm game created by Half Asleep

Melatonin is more than just a sleep aid hormone, this is the first rhythm game that Half Asleep has made . 

Melatonin has a great soundtrack that has original lo-fi beats that connect with the gameplay inside. This game was released in December 2022 for PC, and is already available on Nintendo Switch.

Getting Ready for Bed: A Synopsis

Tells about the daily life of a man in a pink hoodie who struggles to sleep well for five nights. The Five Nights are five different chapters , of course, with different difficulties. Every Night there are five mini-games along with a combination of the four mini-game patterns in them .

Gameplay (9/10)

Melatonin has original music that changes according to the level of difficulty. Unlike Guitar Hero which plays the same song regardless of how the player looks. As the clues get more complicated and faster, the music and beats change too. There are also sections where time slows down dramatically and it seems gameplay seems easy, but the sudden change in rhythm becomes difficulty in itself.

Each level is opened with a tutorial in which there is a guide on what buttons to play. The guide is lost when entering in the next level. Players must rely on audio and visual cues to know when to press a button. Even though it is a relaxed casual game , it is not as simple as it seems.

Graphic (9/10)

The initial impression when seeing the appearance of this game is that the maker of this game has a minimalist yet classy design style. The animation is also very smooth. Although if you look closely they are all faded pastel pink. The cartoon style lends itself to dream themes, such as when the characters dream about food. He sits on a flying chair eating pizza, donuts and burgers. There's also a fun level where the player has to time it to jump from one phone to the next while daydreaming about ' followers '.

Control (8/10)

Melatonin on PC uses simple controls to play and operate its menus. All gameplay plays on the space bar or directional keys at the right time to the music. The author played it on PC, so I don't know if it's played on Nintendo.

Addictive (9/10)

This game is very short to play, consisting of approximately 20 levels. Once you play it, you will be addicted because you really want to hear songs on the next level. You will experience like making music. The beats are suppressed as if we are contributing to the beat in the rhythm.

Music (10/10)

The developer clearly wants people to know what a great song it is. The songs catchy mix of pop and electro, and feature repetitive beats to help players get to the beat. This is a great game for practicing rhythm and capturing momentum, as well as getting players used to distinguishing between upbeats and downbeats .

Besides being able to enjoy the music in the game, you can also listen to the original playlist on Spotify, Apple Music and Youtube .

Melatonin works smoothly and reliably, and the controls are responsive. The visuals are dreamlike and the color palette induces sleep. It's like enjoying an interactive album with all the music to explore.

Deficiencies

Once the player has completed 20 levels, there is nothing left to do but try to repeat the levels they have already passed. This means it's playable, but only for a short time. Although casual with a dreamlike theme, Melatonin requires a high level of focus to be ' perfect ' on every beat.

Conclusion

Practicing music beats is a great way to practice focus in a fun way. Especially if your days need high focus, you are always helped by music (especially lo-fi ). Melatonin is the perfect combination for someone like you.

Share :