Thumper VR Review

  There are a couple of things holding me back from playing with VR and it has to do with time for set up and the weight of the headset on my neck after some time. The first issue is because I am lazy and the second comes from me recently learning how low the headset is supposed to sit.  Through all these trials and tribulations I managed to finish my first VR experience in Thumper developed and published by Drool.

Eye Candy

  Thumper is an on the rails rhythm game where you will be using the direction keys and an action key (spacebar) to perform some pretty basic maneuvers.  Nodes will spawn on the rail and you will push the action button on them to "kill" them;  some turns have a barrier, which you must press your action button and do a drift past; sometimes you have to use your little bug wings to jump past or grab optional rings in the air.  This is all done in a beautifully atmospheric environment that comes off really well in VR.  

  While it starts out slow it ramps ups in a continuous fashion all the way to the end becoming ever faster, throwing more maneuvers at you, and frying your eyes with visuals.  Sometimes I felt the visuals were almost too much and it could lead to some very distracting moments that would cause you to miss something import and take damage or die.  This is a minor complaint as you are able to just retry the same area of the track and you are less likely to be distracted the second time.  It also would make sense the game was designed to do that.  

The Game Stays Interesting

  While the gameplay is super simple the game varies enough that you will be tested.  Each stage has a unique move that you will learn and that move becomes increasingly important.  For instance, in the later stages, you will have to learn the mechanic of flying, then landing on a node, causing a more powerful 'kill'.  In boss fights, you will be required to do these maneuvers to inflict damage, which brings about an interesting level of challenge.  The motions get faster as does the rhythm at a pace that isn't jarring and at the same time not to slow.  It is a good steady ramp up.

  The sound mixed with the visuals made this game incredibly entertaining for me.  When you hit the nodes or certain object they make a sound.  This becomes almost like a rhythm section to the ambient sounds and makes a type of improvisational song. The further you get the faster the nodes and the more intense the sounds.  It really builds up the suspense. 

 This was my first full experience in VR and I learned not only is it really hard to take screenshots in VR but it's an immersive experience.  It's like a non-stop rollercoaster.  I didn't get motion sickness in this game at all and found it really easy to play in longer sessions. For a few years old, it's still a fun and unique experience in VR.  While not as immersive as some of the open world games it can lock you in and have you focused on getting the movements down.  I liked it and if you like rhythm games its worth playing.  Especially if you plan to play it in VR.