If you like rhythm and dance games, this is just the right thing for you.
Dance Central is one of the first titles for Xbox360's Kinect. Those who enjoyed the Dance Dance Revolution series might want to take a look at this title... or be skeptical. The idea of actually moving your whole body in front of the TV rather than just randomly stepping on a carpet with four arrows may seem weird and, why not say, scary, but if you think about it, it actually makes more sense than just tap-dancing. In this game, you can choose one of the various characters to go around the city following a certain choreography for a certain song. At the end of each tier, you are able to play a challenge that consists on pieces of the songs you had previously performed, all put together into one single piece.
The principle of the game is pretty much the same as most of the dance and rhythm games: mime the movements that are shown in your screen. As you increase the game's difficulty, the movements also grow more and more complex and less repetitive.
Not being able to follow up with the song? No worries! You can always choose the "Break it Down" mode, that allows you to go by the song step-by-step. Very helpful for you to learn how to execute the trickier steps of the dance.
The good thing about this game? Most of the dance moves are the kind of thing that you could actually add to your two-steps-left, two-steps-right repertoire. There are no things such as somersaults and floor twists.
This is also a nice game to play with your friends. Although the game has no online support, there is a mode called "Dance Battle", where players can take turns do dance. The one that gets more right movements wins the match.
The characters and environment of the game are very colorful and detailed, but still discrete enough not to interfere with your performance. The elements of the screen won't get in your way nor attempt to distract you.
One thing that I didn't quite like in the game, and perhaps it's my own fault: if you don't have enough space on your room, Kinect will not validate some of your movements. You can notice that more easily with moves that require that you lift your arms or have to walk back and forth. This is bothersome for people who can't afford to play in wider spaces but... oh well, from the moment you buy a Kinect, it is assuming that you have enough space in your house to play it.
I also missed more background locations and perhaps a greater amount of songs and different challenged. The game itself can be finished in perhaps 7 hours if you're not thinking of getting all the achievements. You can always download more songs as well.
For my first Kinect game acquisition, I must say that I don't regret the slightest bit. The game is rather fun. I can't wait to play the next game of the installment... if any!