Just Dance 2022 review

Our Verdict

But Dance 2022 isn't filled with flashy new mechanics or game-changing improvements. But with a host of catchy new songs, Simply Dance 2022 is an exciting continuation of the successful rhythm serial.

For

Fun with friends
Great workout
Accessible design

Against

Lack of diversity in characters
Some dances are repetitive

Tom's Guide Verdict

Only Trip the light fantastic 2022 isn't filled with flashy new mechanics or game-changing improvements. Just with a host of tricky new songs, Merely Dance 2022 is an exciting continuation of the successful rhythm series.

Pros

+
Fun with friends
+
Nifty conditioning
+
Accessible design

Cons

-
Lack of diverseness in characters
-
Some dances are repetitive

But Trip the light fantastic 2022: Specs

Developer: Ubisoft
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation v, Xbox One, Xbox Series 10/S
Toll: $30–75
Release Date: November 4, 2021
Genre: Rhythm

Just Dance 2022 is the same old rhythm game you've been playing for years. But this year'due south version comes with 40 new songs, a host of new universes and some truly transformative choreography. Our Just Dance 2022 review covers the game'south new hits, best tracks, coolest universes and nearly intense dances.

Just Dance 2022 review: Gameplay

Just Dance 2022's gameplay doesn't provide a ton of surprises if yous've played other games in the serial before. The dancer silhouettes seem a chip clearer than in previous years, making it easier to follow certain moves where limbs or bodies overlap. Other than that, the gameplay is ultimately the same as it was in But Dance 2020 and 2021.

Just Dance 2022 screen shot — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Yet, the Only Dance gameplay blueprint is still wonderful. It's easy to selection a vocal and go started, and the dancing starts almost immediately. The thoughtful choreographies get in easy for non-dancers to pick upwards the game, just information technology'southward easy to level up once you've started improving.

1 of the standout new songs is "Mr. Blueish Heaven" by Electrical Low-cal Orchestra, which features an incredible visual journeying through the trees in a stop-movement animation mode. The "Mr. Blue Sky" choreography is simple only fun. Equally the photographic camera moves to follow your character, you feel like you're soaring around your living room.

Another favorite at my sis's bachelorette party — where I debuted the game for her and her friends — was the iconic dance to "Happier Than Always" past Billie Eilish. I watched as my sister and her friend thrashed about to the emotional choreography, which provides a good stretch for the shoulders and back. "Happier Than Ever" incorporates everything that'southward corking about Just Dance. Of form, information technology's fun to watch your friends dance badly, simply it'due south also fun to trip the light fantastic toe badly yourself. "Chacarron" by El Chombo was also a striking, which ended up stuck in our heads all weekend. It was a perfect warm-upwards or cooldown song for when I was working out solitary.

I played a good amount of Merely Trip the light fantastic 2022 past myself, telling my boyfriend he was strictly prohibited from coming downstairs while I danced. (Still, information technology wasn't long until we were fumbling through partner dances together.) The first time I played, I was so excited about the new songs that I put on a playlist and sweated information technology out for nigh an hr directly. With plenty of piece of cake songs to mix in between harder tracks, I got a solid conditioning while nonetheless getting decent scores, and feeling good virtually my dancing overall.

Only Dance 2022 review: Accessibility

Information technology'south no secret that Simply Dance's scoring engineering science is somewhat flawed. It'southward easy to shake the controller to the beat and get swell scores despite the fact that you haven't danced — but that flaw revealed another user-friendly aspect of the game. Only Trip the light fantastic 2022 is widely accessible for people who use wheelchairs, or have other physical disabilities. Other trip the light fantastic games by and large aren't as accommodating. At that place are even choreographies where dancers remain seated throughout, focusing only on arm movements.

Although I appreciated the accessibility features, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of body diversity in the game. There are tracks with larger bodies as the master dancer on Merely Dance Unlimited, which comes with some versions of Just Trip the light fantastic toe 2022, and requires a subscription. Even so, all of the new songs characteristic tall, sparse dancer silhouettes. It's time to see some dissimilar body types, since existent-life dancers (and Only Dance players) come up in all shapes and sizes.

Just Dance 2022 review: Sweat mode and Kids style

Merely Dance introduced Sweat way last year, and the feature has remained the same in But Trip the light fantastic toe 2022. Instead of giving you a score after you complete a song, the game calculates approximately how many calories you've burned. This mode is not bad if yous like to runway calories while working out, but yous get the same workout in normal mode. Personally, I found Sweat mode unnecessary and a bit frustrating, since dancing burns calories a lot slower than you might recall.

The Just Dance workout itself is full-body, and tin can be a suitable replacement for running or other cardio. I skipped a run in identify of Just Dance 2022 on one of the outset cold days of the year, and felt most equally satisfied afterwards. Using the game equally a workout is also great for your mental health and conviction, since information technology forces you out of your comfort zone a bit. Dancing to the beat can likewise flood you with endorphins.

Fifty-fifty if you're an experienced dancer, y'all know that you don't learn dances by simply mirroring someone as they perform. As such, the speed of the choreo should keep your center rate upward, no matter your feel level. I found myself reconnecting with my high school dancer self in songs such as "Chandelier" by SIA and "BOOMBAYAH" by Blackpink. This is partially because I was sweating my butt off, and partially because they made me like the fashion I felt while dancing.

Kids way is filled with fun songs that dancers of any age tin can enjoy. The environments are vivid and colorful, and will definitely keep fiddling ones intrigued. The dances are also accessible for small kids, which the But Dance series has ever done well. But without a Just Dance Unlimited subscription, there are only a few options.

If your kids are a chip older, they'll exist happy with the normal style songs, enough of which are viral TikTok tracks or famous pop tunes. The likes of "Mood" by 24kGoldn and "good iv u" past Olivia Rodrigo are spring to get the kids off the couch.

Only Dance 2022 review: Simply Dance Unlimited

A Just Dance Unlimited subscription is an absolute must-have if you programme on playing Merely Dance 2022 for more than a few hours. A thirteen-calendar month subscription comes with the Unlimited Edition of the game, which retails for $75. Every copy of Just Dance 2022 comes with at least one month of Unlimited, but you lot accept to sign up for a Ubisoft Connect account to access information technology.

Once you lot've ready Unlimited, the world of Just Dance is your oyster. You'll accept admission to the entire Just Trip the light fantastic toe library of songs, some of which are nevertheless the soundtracks to viral TikTok videos. I'm not sure if I would buy Merely Trip the light fantastic toe 2022 without an Unlimited subscription, but I would admittedly still play information technology.

Only Dance 2022 review: Verdict

While playing Just Trip the light fantastic 2022, I sweated a lot and laughed so much — even when I was dancing in an empty firm, alone. If that isn't an endorsement of this joyful game, I'm not certain what is. This year's model doesn't have many new features, simply that's OK. The concept of Merely Trip the light fantastic toe is wonderful already. Although I hope for more than diverse character models in the adjacent version, I'm happy to have a new set of songs to facilitate home workouts, bachelorette parties and hangouts with friends.