9 /10 1 Votes
9/10 GameSpot Initial release date 10 October 2016 Publisher Drool | 9/10 Steam Programmer(s) Marc Flury Developer Drool Artist Brian Gibson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Platforms PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch Genres Rhythm game, Survival horror Similar Music video games, Other games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thumper is a "rhythm violence" game developed by Drool and released on October 10 on Steam and PlayStation 4, supporting VR through the Oculus and PlayStation VR headsets. The game was shown at the Experimental Game Workshop during the 2015 Game Developers Conference. It is to be released on Nintendo Switch during Spring 2017.
Contents
Gameplay
The object of Thumper is to guide a space beetle along a single track through a series of fantastic worlds. The player must press a button to hit lit "notes" on the track in time with the background music, while also bracing against obstacles, turning against curved walls, jumping over spikes, and defeating enemies. The game is played in a third-person point of view just behind the beetle, which enhances the extremely fast scrolling speed of the level's obstacles.
Each level is broken up into segments. After each segment, the player is given a score and a rating showing how well they did. The beetle can sustain one hit (a missed turn or crashing into an obstacle), and at certain places it can regain its shield if it is lost. However, taking a second hit without its wing-shield in place will destroy it, and the level starts over at the last checkpoint. The player can repeat the segment as many times as is necessary to beat the level.
Reception
Thumper has been a critical success, with PC Gamer heralding it "one of the best rhythm games ever made" and a Metacritic score of 84 (PS4) and 85 (PC). Chloi Rad of IGN wrote that "Thumper's trippy sights, sounds, and intense rhythm action create a terrifying VR experience I won't soon forget."
