Just Dance: 2025 Edition Review

Initial release date: October 2024

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S

Genres: Music video game, Action game, Fitness game

Developers: Ubisoft, Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Pune, Ubisoft Mumbai

Publisher: Ubisoft

Series: Just Dance

Engine: Unity

The number of unique features offered in Just Dance games has decreased in recent years. We’ve bid farewell to World Lab, au revoir to the World Dance Floor, and since the Kinect has been discontinued, see you later for precise movement tracking.

However, the current edition of Ubsoft’s renowned dancing game franchise, Just dancing 2025, is releasing a beta version of their newest feature, Camera Controller Mode, which allows players to track their movements using their phone’s camera. Previously, movement while dancing was detected purely by the movement of a phone held in the player’s right hand, leaving us with no confidence that the scores provided were correct. We were excited to try Camera Controller Mode; would it counteract Just Dance’s lack of challenge?

Just Dance is back in 2025!

Camera Controller Mode enables players to position their phones in landscape on a surface in front of them. The app then uses the phone’s camera to track their entire body motions. This new option is accessible for all songs in the 2025 edition of the game, except for a few earlier hits. It requires not only sufficient lighting (which detracts from the party atmosphere), but also a proper location for your phone and a space large enough to stand far enough away. Was it more precise? Well, we got a really good 4 out of 5 stars on a medium difficulty song that we had never played before, which was higher than most scores obtained when utilizing hand tracking – so the verdict is still out on that one.

Camera Controller Mode is a novel concept, but it is the only new addition to Just Dance 2025. We witness the return of two features from Just Dance 2024: Challenge mode, which allows players to challenge their friends, and Workout mode, which measures calories burned while dancing. However, we’ve lost the story playlist, which we appreciated in the previous two editions of the game. It appears that Ubisoft has been focusing their efforts on acquiring deals on the latest chart toppers and making them look as nice as possible, with the tracks on this year’s version of the game seeming larger and brighter than before.

In terms of songs – or maps, as they are referred to in the game – we believe this is the best collection in a long time, with numerous top singles that we know, like, and want to dance to. Fans of Ariana Grande will be pleased to learn that five of her most popular songs, including Yes and And?, have been included. and One Last Time, which are all included in a separate playlist. Other recent hits include Doja Cat’s Paint The Town Red, the omnipresent Dua Lipa song, this year’s Training Season, Exes by Tate McRae, Lunch by Billie Eilish, and the summer’s single, Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter.

We noted a significant absence of international flavour in this year’s offering, however BLACKPINK with Pink Venom represents K-POP, and Don Elektron and Gotopo’s Mi Gente Lo Siente provides latin beats. It wouldn’t be a Just Dance game without some novelty songs, and there are Christmas and Halloween ones to pick from, as well as the option to dance alongside Spongebob and Patrick as they celebrate Spongebob’s 25th birthday.

The best track list for a while

There are also some historical favourites like Madonna’s Vogue, Green Day’s Basket Case, and Lady Gaga’s Poker Face. In total, there are 40 new songs to pick from.

Nothing has changed about how you play the game; you simply follow along to the dancing moves demonstrated by the ‘coach’, with current and upcoming moves indicated by a stick person in the bottom left corner of the screen. You are granted points based on how successfully you strike the move, allowing you to earn stars (up to a maximum of five), as well as a colorful animated text – ‘OK/good/perfect/super’ – that appears on screen to keep you encouraged. At the end of the song, you may see how many points you earned, which places you on the world and friend leaderboards.

Local multiplayer supports up to 6 people, and there is choreography for everyone, ranging from easy to more difficult, as well as varying intensities. If your party members do not want to dance, the words are displayed in the lower left corner for them to sing along to.

The interface of Just Dance has not evolved much over the years. There’s the home page and songs page, both of which list the songs you can play (we’re not sure why they’re there), the playlists section, where you can create your own playlists as well as access Just Dance’s curated ones, and the profile area, where you can track your progress and customize your Dancer Card.

Just Dance 2025 Edition also includes a shop where you can purchase prior editions of the game as well as music packs containing six themed songs from past games. Of course, there is the option of a Just Dance+ Subscription, which grants access to the game’s entire back library of 350+ tracks. When you purchase the ordinary edition of Just Dance 2025, you will receive a month’s subscription; the Deluxe version includes four months, and the Ultimate edition includes thirteen months. Of course, all of these versions of Just Dance 2025 are priced differently on the Xbox Store website.

Going big on accessibility?

Ubisoft likes to show off their accessibility credentials, and this year they collaborated with Galantis and Ubisoft’s Neurodiversity ERG to create a special map featuring the song BANG BANG! (My Neurodivergent Anthem) is intended to raise awareness about ADHD.

Just Dance 2025, like previous editions, features several tunes tailored to people with various disabilities. There are songs that do not require any jumps, ground moves, or seated positions. However, there isn’t much variety, with only three sitting tracks accessible in Just Dance 2025 (versions of Basket Case, Espresso, and yeah, and?). To get more, look for them in Just Dance+ while you have it.

Whether you’re there for the chart-topping songs, the exercises, or the nostalgia, Just Dance 2025 Edition keeps the fun going on the dance floor. Despite a few small shortcomings, the game upholds the franchise’s heritage of bringing people together through dance, with a stunning playlist of new and vintage tunes. The sole new feature is Camera Controller Mode, and we’re not persuaded it works as well as we’d want, but it’s still in beta, so functionality may improve. I suppose we’ll see if it returns in Just Dance 2026.

Review Overview

Gameplay: 88%

Controls: 86%

Aesthetics: 90%

Content: 84%

Accessibility: 89%

Value: 85%

Overall: 87%

FANTASTIC!

Summary:

“Just Dance: 2025 Edition” features a new and exciting playlist that will have players moving, making it one of the most entertaining entries yet in the series. The game’s vivid colors and flawless animations keep the energy up while delivering imaginative new choreography and dance variations. The settings are simple to use, although some devices may require additional finetuning for optimal motion tracking. It’s a great pick for dance aficionados wishing to groove through 2025, with a wide range of music and tempting alternatives for all ages.