Just Dance 2015

It would be easy to dismiss Just Dance 2015 as the “same-old-same-old,” but that would overlook this finely tuned party game’s special-effects-laden dance numbers, complete with chorus lines and elaborate sets and costumes, and the social integration that holds the world-wide Just Dance community together. Though its overeagerness to hand out points and make everyone feel like a winner robs it of some competitive value, Just Dance 2015 just works as a fun, get-up-and-move game, with a wink and smile along the way.

Just Dance 2015 is a polished and enjoyable product, and whilst it’s potentially still behind the Dance Central series in a few key areas, including the way it monitors player actions, it makes up for this with its trademark styling, a strong collection of songs and intuitive online features. Who knows, it might even teach you a few moves to use on a Saturday night.

I don’t know who I pissed off but I seem to be the go to guy for reviewing dance games. Whether it be Dance Central, The Hip Hop Experience (remember that one?) or even the Disney Just Dance Party game I have unquestionably paid my virtual dancing dues. I have done my time but you know what? I’m good with that. I enjoy them and so does my daughter. As she gets older she doesn’t get her groove on as much as she used to but anytime I get a new dance rhythm based game for the Kinect she joins me to check out the new tracks and will cut a rug to a tune or two. As I reflect and get a bit weepy here...

Another year brings another instalment into Ubisoft’s multiplatform dance juggernaut, predictably entitled Just Dance 2015 this time. The aim of the game is as simple as it gets: you have to replicate the dance moves that the on-screen silhouette dancers perform in time with the music and as accurately as you can. The ethos is simple, but can the game provide enough lasting entertainment with such a basic premise?

Just Dance 2015 is definitely fun to play, especially with family and friends, but the inconsistency of the scoring system brings into question whether it actually does track your moves accurately.

The game also supports downloadable content but I’m of two minds about how it’s been implemented in Just Dance 2015. There’s a few new routines available as of now, one of which is free, but there’s also several of the Just Dance 2014 routines available to download. I already own these routines in Just Dance 2014, so having to pay extra money just for the convenience of having them playable from the Just Dance 2015 disc seems a bit rough, especially considering that the game’s contemporaries have managed to migrate downloadable content from three previous games and even across generations.