Faceless avatars burst on to the screen imitating your feckless moves. You look a hopeless sight but these on-screen hipsters turn your real-life hysterics into some kind of virtual cool. Yes, that’s right, Just Dance has returned to claim more victims.
This Ubisoft franchise has ruled dance games for ages, probably on account of its simplicity. Sign in, create an in-game persona, then choose from a list of 45 songs and jump into the fray. The song list is eclectic. Recent pop hits include Pharrell Williams (‘Happy’), Katie Perry (‘Birthday’), Ellie Goulding (‘Burn’), and Calvin Harris (‘Summer’). Or you can turn up the cheese with tracks from Bonnie Tyler and Gloria Gaynor.
The learning curve is steep – the game could use a practice mode. The Xbox One’s Kinect provides for shared humiliation: up to five people can share the floor, and the motion sensor successfully captures everyone’s movement. Sadists can reveal their righteous moves in online mode World Dance Floor.