Each can be brought down only by taking down the respective door guardians, so if you destroy the Yellow door guardians you now have access to only that entrance with the same principle being applied to each entrance.

This would prevent players from outright ignoring the door guards and breaking the shrines immediately.

I know some of you are gonna say, "but what about The Doorman and his portal gun!?!"

That's a good question, the barrier would be a one way for enemies; meaning they can leave the base but cannot enter it.

Now if your Doorman decides to teleport Victor into your base, and your teammate can't seal the deal. Then it's on you and your team to fix Doorman's mistake of allowing a wallbreaker Victor into your base.

I put this together because I found it oddly difficult to decide which bandmate to tackle first as the game gives you zero indicators on the level of difficulty for each boss run like this is a Mega Man game. I got a decent order with my initial blind run (Hemlock ➔ Dex ➔ Arora ➔ Prophet), but I would definitely recommend following the revised path I've laid out below. Based on my experience, the game's difficulty ramps up much more naturally this way.

1. Hemlock

By far my number one pick for the boss you should fight first. Maniac is just a perfect song to play through, especially the revised version by Hemlock. Compared to a lot of the songs in the game, this one feels like it was purely designed for the gameplay and not just to sound good.

• The Stage: Very beginner friendly. This boss run involves minimal hazards, only having two subway trains that follow a very basic left-right-left pattern. It introduces the concept of hazards without overwhelming you.
• The Enemies: You are mostly attacked by common thugs with only a couple of Elites popping up. In later stages, Elites have power armor on most attacks which prevent interruptions by standard attacks, forcing you to dodge or use abilities you don't have yet. However, the Elites found on Hemlock’s map (the ones not part of Harmony) can be interrupted. While this might teach a bad habit for later, it gives new players some wiggle room to experience the game especially if it is your first rhythm focused game.
• The Boss: Hemlock is hands down my favorite boss because of how "honest" he is compared to the others. He is a straightforward bruiser. The majority of his attacks are well telegraphed and relatively easy to follow. He calls in a couple of thugs that you can easily dispatch; otherwise, just follow the prompts and win.
• The Reward: You get your first new ability a sweep attack!

2. Prophet

This was a toss up between him and Dex, but Prophet flows more smoothly into the second boss role because of how his hazards and enemies escalate more naturally from Hemlocks.

• The Stage: Same common thugs with a slight upgrade to the hazards. They are essentially an upgraded version of Hemlock's train, replacing it with a set of cars. It's the same principle just more of them and they remain easy to dodge since they follow a set pattern.
• The Enemies: You will be fighting basic thugs, Harmony goons, and the only mid boss in the game currently. I say mid boss but really he is just an Elite with slightly more health and a simplified boss like attack pattern. He is a great skill check and provides just enough challenge for your second run.
• The Boss: Prophet himself is a tanky boss with a shield and a few surprise attacks. He keeps you on your toes and teaches you that you can't just mash the attack button to win, or he will break your combo chains.
• The Reward: You unlock Prophet's ability, which is, in my opinion, the best in the game. It causes massive stamina damage if executed correctly, making future boss fights significantly faster and easier. If you want a high score, I highly recommend learning this ability. Grabbing it second gives you plenty of time to practice with it.

3. Dex

Dex sits comfortably at number three. His stage increases the difficulty of stage hazards testing your ability to fight and move around the dance floor while maintaining your combo.

• The Stage: Introduces more hazards in the form of lighting bolts. The boss will actively alter the rooms to force you to maneuver around them as they close in on you.
• The Enemies: Aside from the lovable standard thugs, Dex introduces a particular Elite that can only be taken down through a counter attack. You cannot punch your way through them, but successfully countering results in an easy KO.
• The Boss: This is where things get interesting. Unlike the previous two, Dex is a highly mobile enemy that likes to sit in the sky. Aside from standard boss attack patterns, he will constantly throw out projectiles you need to parry. Dex also relies on slow wind up single hit attacks. Which is exactly why we wanted Prophet's ability first since you can now heavily exploit these single hit attacks instead of just dodging them.
• The Reward: Once defeated, you unlock a new ability that can stun lock multiple enemies. It's a fantastic tool to give yourself a breather after hitting all those moves.

4. Arora

I'm not going to sugarcoat it: this organic AI kicked my ass multiple times. She is by far the most challenging boss of the lot as she combines everything you have experienced up till this point. However, if you followed this route and practiced using Prophet's ability, she becomes significantly easier to manage.

• The Stage: The levels aren't necessarily "hard," but they feel like a gauntlet. You will face a section where you have to parry stars and fling space rocks at her to progress, all while fighting off endless waves of space thugs.
• The Enemies: She brings two frustrating new Elites to the table.
  • The Sniper: A long-range attacker that can easily break your groove, combo chains, and health bar. Tip: The most important tell is to dodge when the sniper's laser turns dark red. If executed correctly, you will be able to teleport right to the sniper for an easy KO.
  • Exploding Mannequins: Not much different from the common thug except that if you hit them once they will blow up if left standing. This can lead to moments where you are damaged unintentionally. Tip: Hemlock’s sweep ability is perfect here to blow them away before they detonate.
• The Boss: Without Prophet's ability, Arora is a major pain. While other bosses have relatively simple chains or timings, Arora uses delayed timings on her attacks. Basically it's like Attack>Attack>Pause>Dodge. This simple alteration will cause you to find yourself frustrated, wishing she would just attack faster. However, even if you clear her strings perfectly, it rarely leaves her in a stunned state to counterattack. Making the fight last for quite a while.
• The Strategy: How do you beat her? You have to use your throwables. If you didn't know, you can throw your drumsticks by purchasing the ability. The ability is a fantastic tool for closing the gap.
  • Option A: Wait for her to throw a meteor and chuck your drumstick at it. The rock will roll back into Arora's face, leaving her dazed and stunned for quite a bit.
  • Option B (The Better Way): Use Prophet's ability on her last or single attack to uppercut her in the jaw. Unlike the other bosses, this uppercut can knock her down like thugs and elites. It also does massive stamina damage, both qualities make the fight significantly easier overall, even as the arena throws more difficult stage hazards at you.

Overall, she is by far the most challenging fight, but she rewards players for understanding the core concepts of the game and utilizing every tool in their arsenal. Hopefully, this guide helps anyone staring at the boss screen trying to figure out the best way to tackle this awesome game!

I can't stand that the right stick is the only option to control the camera, while there are also two unused bumper buttons right there just begging to be assigned as pan camera left and/or right .

That's my personal gripe, who knows what other schemes people want on their controller setup.