Fantasia: Music Evolved is the rare sort that truly must be seen to be believed. Hearing people describe its gameplay doesn’t do Harmonix’s next game proper justice. Waving your arms in sync with nebulous on-screen icons to the rhythm of modern pop and rock songs sounds silly – but so did dancing and playing a plastic guitar in your living room, remember?

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In the same way those games create convincing mimicries of on-stage and dance floor performances, Fantasia nails its approximation of orchestral conduction. But the best thing about Fantasia: Music Evolved is the delightful Disney decor of its in-between, explorable worlds.Hub realms in Fantasia serve as the story conceit for your actions as a composer – the world must be brought back to life, and only your music can make it happen. The more music you play, the more you unlock, and the more vibrant places like The Haven become. The Haven begins almost ominously, but evolves over time into a wondrous, joyful place.A brooding cave bears a playful yeti – his sharp teeth are there to show off his big ol’ smile, and his horns exist to give away his spot during hide-and-seek romps. Your melodic expertise brings the sun out of hiding, melting away the moody darkness, giving you tangible visual feedback amid any aural eccentricities you’ve brought into being. You’ll craft the second yeti’s baritone singing, which excites the cardinals – whose striking crimson color explodes against The Haven’s wintery white – and loops to give The Haven a theme that’s uniquely yours.You’ll excite Fantasia’s world with your Kinect gestures, using the mystical muse to navigate spaces in three dimensions – and the result is the sort of constant, reliable, ever-present sensory feedback that makes Music Evolved memorable. More so, arguably, than the entertaining conductor/remixer role of Fantasia’s musical breaks.

Mitch Dyer is an Associate Editor at IGN. He’s currently reading David Benioff’s City of Thieves. Read his ramblings on Twitter follow him on IGN , and listen to him on Podcast Unlocked