Players Become A Sorcerer’s Apprentice in Fantasia: Music Evolved

There is finally a new Fantasia fix for Disney fans, but it’s not a movie.

Harmonix, the company behind other interactive music and movement-base games like Rock Band and the Dance Central series, has joined with Disney Interactive Studios for Fantasia: Music Evolved, a new motion-controlled rhythm and music game inspired by Disney’s 1940 masterpiece Fantasia, and its sequel, Fantasia 2000.

With Fantasia: Music Evolved, the player takes on the role of a sorcerer’s apprentice, working to perform tasks and objectives set by Yen Sid, The Sorcerer.

This game is not a traditional dance game, as the gesture-based motion format allows players to manipulate environments and find hidden interactive secrets, and act as mixer and conductor on the songs. It focuses heavily on creativity and musical control, and players gain points with their musical accuracy. A plus for younger players, is there is no actual way to fail at a level or “lose” the game. The better the player, however, the more rewards, unlocked goodies, and points gained.

The game also features a two-player mode, and unlocked gaming modes include a party mode, where players have access to all the game’s songs.

However, the shining star of this game is the music,  and the soundtrack to Fantasia: Music Evolved is quite extensive. It not only features some of the classical favorites by Vivaldi, Bach, Liszt and Mussorgsky, it includes new original music by award-wining game music composer Inon Zur. There are also more than 30 contemporary and classic rock hits from a diverse array of artists including Depeche Mode, Bruno Mars, Jimi Hendrix, Lorde, David Bowie, Avicii, The Who, The White Stripes, and several others. A bonus limited edition three-song bundle of additional music is also available with some purchases, and digital versions of the game offer remix expansion packs.

The game was released last month, and is currently available only on Xbox’s Kinect, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. There is also a soundtrack featuring the game’s original music and classical pieces performed by Zur. Renowned orchestras, such as London Symphony Orchestra, and other artists work have been collected together and are available on CD  or can be downloaded.

The game sells for around $59.99 for the Xbox One version, $49.99 for Kinect version, $49.99 for XBox 360, at retail venues including Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, and Gamestop. Cost is around $10 less on Amazon.

Those looking for a hefty story-line and heavily challenging skill levels might be disappointed. For those seeking a colorful, visually beautiful trip through mesmerizing worlds, accompanied by excellent music of several genres, this is a perfect afternoon gaming getaway for families.