So I lucked out and was able to try Thumper in PSVR. It’s available in both VR and non-VR variants, but man is it a trippy awesome ride in VR.
Just wow. That was pretty much all I could say after I finished the demo. Thumper is like rhythm meets rail-action game. It took me a few tries to totally understand what I was doing, but it’s truly an experience in VR versus the non-VR mode. Both are crazy intense fun, but I think the experience of wearing the VR headset, having really good headphones on puts you truly IN the game plus having the ability to look around at everything going on.
Mostly what’s going on is in front of you as the trail your character, a metal Beetle, follows is where you’ll need to keep your focus. Certain turns as you go through the level are sharp so you need to turn and bank into the turns. If you choose not to you’ll take damage, and enough failed banks means you’ll explode and have to start the sequence all over again. Certain points through the level there will be lights or “notes” in the path and if you successfully hit them they send a pulse back up the trail you’re blazing down. Over the course of several levels you’ll continue to barrel your way through these obstacles. It’s pretty wild, and the sound effects and music really pull you into the experience.
Final Thoughts: This game in PSVR helps cement my desire to get a PSVR once it’s out and I can (reasonably) afford the cost of the device. Games like this aren’t going to replace your first person shooters or adventure games, but they are tons of fun and worth the experience to play them in VR over traditional methods. It’s a fun rhythm game that takes you out of your element and sometimes it’s nice to just immerse yourself in another world for a bit. You might not marathon this game for 10 hours at a time, but the more games that exist in the VR space like this, the more likely people may consider picking up a VR headset/PSVR/etc.
Source: Thumper Game
-Written by Andrew(@SoAfterISaid)
