Long before Beat Saber became the rhythm action videogame of choice among virtual reality (VR) enthusiasts, indie developer Drool made a name for itself with its fast paced version of the genre, Thumper. Originally launched on PlayStation VR in 2016 before coming to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive later that year, the team has now confirmed support for mobile standalone headset Oculus Go.
Described by the studio as a ‘rhythm violence’ experience, Thumper puts players in control of a very fast beetle that flies down a cosmic shoot bombarded with musical obstacles that can be overcome with rhythm-obeying commands. Players can glide round corners and bash into the sides to stay alive, trying to survive until the end, which also includes mini-bosses to deal with.
It was an instant hit in 2016 among press and consumers alike for its impressive visuals and audio tracks. While it had a flat screen cousin, it was the VR version that set it apart, especially when you consider all the stationary wave shooters flooding the market at the time.
Condensing the title onto Oculus Go is certainly a feat and it’ll be interesting to see how Thumper holds up on mobile after two years. With Oculus Go’s improved lenses hopefully Thumper hasn’t lost any of its wow factor, possibly encouraging other devs to look at whether their videogames would be a good match for the mobile headset.
Thumper is scheduled to launch for Oculus Go on Thursday, 6th September for $9.99 USD. For some reason, even though most titles work on Oculus Go and Gear VR, Drool has confirmed Thumper won’t support Gear VR – or the team has no plans to.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Drool and Thumper, reporting back with any further updates.
via Mint VR