Out of all the Playstation VR games I’ve tried this week, Thumper was probably the most surprising, in part because the concept of a rhythm action game on rails with a horror theme (think Amplitude in hell) just sounded weird.
But it’s also one of the most enjoyable titles for PSVR, despite the simple premise. Â Playing as some sort of metallic beetle, the idea is to use a couple of buttons on the controller to avoid flashing blocks, road blocks and sharp corners, all while travelling along an on-rails set path wrapped around a hellish horror theme.
That description doesn’t do the game justice, though. Â Think intangible tentacled horror images and 80s style industrial synth music straight out of a classic horror b-movie mixed with a rhythm action game and you’d be half there. Â The ‘monsters’ are often just out of sight or reach, like a spooky fairground ghost train that taunts you with scares of things to come, but it’s a method that works to create a mad fever-dream landscape that wraps around you in VR as you move ever forward, waiting for the next obstacle or sharp turn to catch you out.
In principle, the VR aspect doesn’t really allow for much other than the action being wrapped around you, making you feel closer to the environment, but considering that the environment is so well designed, the sort of images you might be unlucky enough to see during a nightmarish fever dream, that’s pretty much perfect for this game. While playing on a normal TV is a viable option and the game certainly allows plenty of entertainment via normal play for those without the PSVR, it comes alive with the headset on in a way that it could never do on a flat screen and far better mimics those same fever dream style environments along with the game’s ever growing sense of urgency as it continues to ramp up the intensity of the action. In short, it feels like just the sort of game VR needs, without all the trappings of head tracking, pretend arms or dodgy controls.
If you don’t own a VR headset which, let’s face it, will be the case for many here on Steam or Playstation 4, Thumper is still highly recommended for its imagery that taunts you with almost lovecraftian monsters that hide just out of sight, alongside the fact that it’s a pretty solid rhythm action game in its own right.
If you like your Rhythm Action games but fancy something that little bit different then Thumper may well be your answer. Â Just be prepared for the sounds and imagery to haunt you long after you put the controller down.
Thumper
Pros
- The Horror theme is fantastically realised
- The immersion in VR really emphasises the environment
- Relentless action
Cons
- No death, just restarts
