PlatformOVERALL
PC7.10
Overall 7.10
Thumper is the much talked about "horror" rhythm game that got critical acclaim last year. This was VR compatible so I was in. The game is good but not really anything stand out to me. First this whole horror angle is total bullshit. Yeah some ugly monster looking thing is a boss at the end of every level, but it's the same thing over and over again. The majority of the game you are going through a psychedelic landscape of nonsense.

Now I will say it's a unique rhythm game as I have never played anything like it. You are some form of beetle on a track growing through who knows what and you blast through barries, do tight turns, jump over stuff, and so on to a beat. You hold down a button ti create a sort of thump and you need to time those thumps with colored orbs on the track as they come. The track is like a roller coaster so it has sharp turns of which you need to thump and turn on the stick or you take damage. As the game goes on new mechanics and obstacles are introduced. You will have to hold the thump button down to power through gates, press up to jump and hover to hit rings, move side to side to avoid snake things.

The most interesting parts are the bosses here you have to hit a sequence perfectly to summon a orb that will blast the boss and start the next phase. These sequences are difficult and require good precision. Well the entire game requires a really demanding level of precision as levels last a good 15 minutes of nonstop finger gymnastics, my hand hurt playing this game.

Like any great rhythm game getting into a rhythm and mastering levels is exciting and fun. For me though the core gameplay mechanics are just odd, it's a lot of pushing one button and moving side to side. There is no real music either which is kind of a bad thing for a rhythm game. Every track is just random electronic beats, your play doesn't really make the music all that better. To me it all sounded the same from the start of the game to the end.

I can see why many would love it, what it does it does very well. The game is long, it stays interesting with new mechanics and a hard mode. VR didn't add much of anything except put you inside the weird landscape. Cool game, but I've enjoyed other rhythm games more, especially those with good music.
Posted by Dvader Fri, 09 Jun 2017 16:43:14
 
Fri, 09 Jun 2017 17:14:02
Like Rhythm Heaven?
 
Fri, 09 Jun 2017 18:14:04
Fuck this shit.
 
Fri, 09 Jun 2017 18:26:59
You press one button so many times that after a long session my iPhone didn't recognize my thumb print because it was so smooshed in.
 
Fri, 09 Jun 2017 18:28:41
There have been times when I wondered if they designed button mashing segments in games so you would break your controllers and have to buy more...this sounds like the same thing applied to much more expensive tech.
 
Fri, 09 Jun 2017 18:37:32
Oh it used an Xbox one controller. The buttons are so hard, stupid MS.
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