Just Dance 2021

Just Dance 2021 is a 2020 dance rhythm game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was unveiled on August 26, 2020 during the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase August 2020 web presentation as the twelfth main installment of the series, and was released on November 12, 2020, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Stadia, and on November 24, 2020, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It is the first game in the series since the initial title not to be announced at E3, due to the event's cancellation in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also the first game in the main series not to be released for the Wii and the first game in the series not to be available on a Nintendo optical disc.

Gameplay

As with the previous installments of the franchise, players must mimic the on-screen dancer's choreography to a chosen song using either motion controllers (PlayStation Move and PlayStation Camera on PlayStation 4, Kinect on Xbox One, and Joy-Con on Nintendo Switch) or the game's associated smartphone app. The Stadia version also allows the use of a gamepad and a keyboard for menu navigation.

Its user interface and features are largely identical to Just Dance 2019 and Just Dance 2020. Changes include the "World Dance Floor" now being revamped with a three-song competitive tournament in three separate rooms that matches a player's level with other players of a similar level, Chill Panda (Beginner), Fabulous Hippo (Intermediate), and Fierce Deer (Expert), and a new results screen that details the player's accuracy rate in performing the moves, which is only shown when playing solo. The game also features a new mode, known as "Quick Play" mode, in which the game randomly shuffles a song to make it easy for players to jump right into dancing without the struggle of choosing a song to dance to.

Production

The Just Dance series primarily features routines performed by real-life dancers, who have makeup and costumes applied on and their in-game appearances edited in post-production. The production of Just Dance 2021, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, presented several challenges for the development team at Ubisoft Paris owing to social distancing guidelines. To tackle these problems, Ubisoft Paris used strategies like a comprehensive overhaul of traditional production methodologies to accommodate remote collaboration, while upholding the series' established brand strategy. Ubisoft Paris also embraced a commitment to diversity and inclusivity by introducing a variety of characters, including disabled dancers, into the game's universe.

Reception

The Nintendo Switch version of Just Dance 2021 received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received fair approval, being recommended by 50% of critics.

Soundtrack

Kids Mode

Just Dance Unlimited

Just Dance Unlimited continues to be offered on 2021 for eighth-generation consoles and Stadia, featuring a streaming library of new and existing songs. The service also made its debut on ninth-generation consoles with the release of 2021.