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Just Dance 2015 is fun, even for dancing novices
Tue, 4th Nov 2014
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Just Dance 2015 is the newest iteration of Ubisoft’s very addictive dancing simulator. If you love dancing, no doubt you will like the dance routines. Even if you are not good at dancing, you will still get a good workout.

The oddest thing I found out about Just Dance 2015 is that there is no tutorial to teach you how to play or dance. If you are a beginner (like me), you will have a tough time keeping in rhythm with the songs for the first few tries.

The game just starts as you have to copy the dance instructor on the screen. There is no difficulty setting so you better be ready to start dancing the moment the song starts.

I would have liked it if they had a tutorial or at least a way to slow down the game for beginners. It’s quite a difficult game to play if you’ve never danced in your life before.

Once you get the hang of things, Just Dance 2015 becomes a great experience. Sure some of the dances are harder and faster than others, but dancing out of rhythm is enjoyable too as the camera records your every performance. You can watch how good/bad your dance is and can even save and share it to your friends online.

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One advantage Just Dance 2015 has over a game like SingStar: Ultimate Party is the fact you can dance even if you don't know the song. All you need to do is copy the motions of the dance instructor on the screen. You don't need to know a song beforehand to dance, unlike if you were trying to sing it.

Although Just Dance 2015 does offer extra points if you are able to sing and dance at the same time. I admit I have a new-found respect for pop singers as singing and dancing simultaneously is tougher than it looks. Dancing itself is hard, but singing at the same time as well can be brutal.

Just Dance 2015 boasts an impressive tracklist of 45 songs which cover modern hits as well as tunes from other countries. Younger players will love the number of Ariana Grande songs featured here that include “Break Free", and "Right There". There is also Miley Cyrus featured here too if you want to twerk...

I would say the song list in Just Dance 2015 is catered more towards younger players as there aren't many songs that older people will know. Not to mention a few bigger songs such as Psy's "Gangnam Style" and Katy Perry's "Roar" are only available as paid DLC.

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One thing that is difficult about Just Dance 2015 is getting the right setup for the PS4's PlayStation Camera to pick up your movements. You need to position the camera above five feet, and also have good lighting too.

Another thing worth mentioning is that you need to play the game in a room with a lot of space. Make sure there aren't any couches in the way and also wear clothing that is bright. The camera fails to pick up your movements if you are wearing dark colours.

My best advice if you're playing the PS4 version of Just Dance 2015 is using a PlayStation Move controller. The PlayStation Move for PS3 works for the PS4 version and is more accurate than your own body. I managed to score better points using a PlayStation Move.

Overall, Just Dance 2015 is a fun addition to the series even though it doesn't change much things in terms of its features. The song list is good, although it won't appeal to everyone. Still, this game is a lot of fun even if you are bad at dancing. It's also a great game that gives you a good amount of exercise.

Verdict: 8.0/10