Long-running franchises in the video game world are usually built on solid foundations, with iterations evolving over time, bringing both new and refined mechanics to keep players engaged.

For Just Dance 2023, Ubisoftis definitely not trying to rock the boat, delivering a familiar experience with a few new bells and whistles to keep things fresh, without breaking the mould.

At its core, Just Dance 2023 is a party game that challenges players to keep up with increasingly difficult dance choreography. Or, if you just want to listen to your favourite tunes and move to your own beat, that's a perfect way to spend your time as well.

At any time, up to six players can join in the fun using their smartphones and the Just Dance app to track their movements. The smartphone can also be used to navigate the menus, but a standard controller like the DualSense works as well.

Speaking of the menus, Just Dance 2023 has streamlined most of the things that players will want to dive into. Playlists, different game modes, songs, everything is much more conveniently accessed this time around compared to the past. If a sudden yearning for a particular type of song or playlist, there are also numerous filter options to whittle down the list in quick fashion. 

Just Dance 2023 comes packed with 40 new songs, which covers quite an extensive range of material that should cater to most players.

It is arguably one of the more inclusive releases for the franchises, incorporating the likes of K-Pop, rock, pop, disco, and more in a non-stop dance party that can get you up and moving about. Just cue up We Don't Talk About Bruno from Enchanto, and you will know exactly what we mean.

Naturally, once the music starts blaring, the dancing begins, and Just Dance 2023's various styles of presentation once again nailed it with colourful visual representations that make it easy to follow the steps and challenging to master.

Whether it be the iconic Just Dance coaches doing their thing or the other whacky variants like a 16-bit session, it wouldn't be a surprise if some players stopped what they were doing just to watch it all unfold; such is the cinematic quality that Ubisoft has brought to the table. 

All that hard work really comes through with the Enter the Danceverses mode, where players can dance to a playlist of songs while recognisable characters act out a narrative on-screen. Combine that with changing locations and exciting dance battles, and it becomes an interactive story in which you will play a role. 

Each song also allows for different difficulty settings to set the bar, ranging from easy all the way to extreme, and even for some of the more simple tunes in Just Dance 2023, extreme difficulty is going to push the everyday player to the limit.

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What hasn't really changed is how players will experience Just Dance 2023, namely with the smartphone in their hand.

Without proper camera support, the reliance on a mobile device is far from an ideal experience as the tracking can be erratic more often than not. 

You might be performing all of the moves correctly, but the smartphone detection can say otherwise, whereas a player that is just randomly shaking the same device can get a much higher score.

It feels weird to recommend players not care about the score in a game like Just Dance 2023, but as long as you are having fun learning those moves, perhaps competition is not where your head should be at.

And with every song danced to and judged, players will witness their progress with the returning Dancer Card.

Customisable avatars, backgrounds, borders, and more will allow you to show off your personality, and who doesn't like seeing increasing levels of XP earned and getting new unlocks? 

For those hoping to enjoy the game throughout the months, Just Dance 2023 is also covered under the subscription service that is Just Dance+.

For either three months or a full year, subscribers can get access to over 150 songs from previous games, a collection that is set to grow with both new and older songs being added to the mix.

While it seems like a good deal if you plan to play for a long while, it is not exactly Just Dance Unlimited, which came with all previous songs that were in the series thus far.

At the end of the day, Just Dance 2023 is exactly what fans can expect from the series, with the joy of dance and vibrant visuals leading the way.

While a better way of tracking is sorely needed and the subscription service needs buffing up, it is still a wonderful party experience to enjoy for those into dance. As long as the party is alive, perhaps nothing else really matters that much.

Just Dance 2023 is available on the PSN Store for $66.90.

Geek review score

Summary

The joy of dance returns with Just Dance 2023, but it's more of the same and improvements are in order if Ubisoft wants to keep fans engaged.

• Overall: 7.3/10
• Gameplay: 7/10
• Presentation: 8/10
• Geek Satisfaction: 7/10
• Value: 7/10

This article was first published in Geek Culture.