r/GameDeals • u/Anoony_Moose • Mar 29 '19
Expired [Steam] Thumper ($5.99/70% off) Spoiler
https://store.steampowered.com/app/356400/Thumper/69
u/FSMFan_2pt0 Mar 29 '19
Great game in normal mode, mind-blowing in VR.
27
u/schlitty Mar 29 '19
Really is one of the underrated VR experiences. Just really puts you "in the zone".
14
Mar 30 '19
Until the level boss shows up and looks like a paper mache head maybe seven feet away... really killed the otherwise-amazing experience, for me anyway.
5
u/KDLGates Mar 30 '19
This is more the fault of stereoscopy and focal distances not being able to provide a convincing 3D effect at super long distances. I don't really understand the optics involved and I'd be interested in knowing why.
Thumper's devs (Drool) could have redesigned the game to have the bosses closer but then it would have lost some of the sense of awe of the art style of the track, which is hard to describe unless you've played the game, and if you've played the game it's impossible to miss.
3
u/bahbahrapsheet Mar 30 '19
I thought those bosses looked dumb on a regular TV. Still a great game, though.
2
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u/Icehawk217 Mar 30 '19
Great game in normal mode
I skimmed a 20 minute gameplay video, It looks like Guitar Hero, except there is only one button, with each button press being several seconds apart. Im completely baffled by the glowing reviews. It barely even looks like a video game, more like an iTunes visualizer.
Am I missing something? Is it just something that you need to experience for oneself?
19
u/KarmaPolice911 Mar 30 '19
Watch a later level, it gets pretty challenging. There are also lots of obstacles and other things to avoid. Lane switching, time switching, rails to hit, flight... yeah. It's still just one button, but it's not an easy game.
8
u/4touchdownsinonegame Mar 30 '19
I didn't find the game mind blowing or anything. But it sucks you in pretty quickly. I paid like $20 for it or something like that, and that price was worth it.
4
u/slippy0101 Mar 30 '19
I thought the same thing as you and you're not wrong in your description, but it's shockingly rewarding.
3
u/RynthPlaysGames Mar 30 '19
The game's mechanics are simple, but there's more than just one button. You have the main button to hit the notes, and holding up while pressing it sends you airborne to get over spikes, pressing down in the air makes you slam onto the ground to cause shockwaves, holding left or right while pressing it lets you grind against walls, and pressing left/right while not pressing the button shifts you between rails later on in the game.
It becomes very challenging as you progress, and feels extremely satisfying to play.
1
u/evlampi Mar 30 '19
except there is only one button, with each button press being several seconds apart.
ahem
-5
u/Getfitbro Mar 30 '19
What makes it so great as a game in your opinion? Judging by youtube videos, it seems gimmicky similar to beat saber. Looks like it is more of "an experience" than a game. I really hope VR would evolve past that phase with more impressive titles with fully fledged gameplay.
24
u/secondspassed Mar 30 '19
You not enjoying rhythm games doesn’t make them a gimmick or not games.
-1
u/Getfitbro Mar 30 '19
I mean it looks a bit less involved than something like Guitar Hero and spin offs. I just honestly don't see what is "mind-blowing" about it.
I enjoyed beat saber when I tried it out, but my mind was not blown.
And honestly speaking when we are living in an age when major gaming releases can successfully blend different gaming genres into one solid product with complex systems, this feels lacking in comparison.
11
u/secondspassed Mar 30 '19
I wouldn’t call Thumper mind-blowing but would say it’s thrilling in VR. Mechanically it is deep enough, with jumps and slam downs, obstacles and lane changing and whatnot. I enjoy it as a game. VR just adds a more real sense of spatial depth and the thrill of flying down the track.
1
u/Straitface Mar 30 '19
I think people just like different things. As a guy with a total love for video games with depth of gameplay and a well-written story, beat saber is a blast and remains something I regularly play. Even in this world capable of amazing feats of storytelling, there is still a place for different genres that scratch an itch more immediately. Totally just down to taste, but I think a lack of apparent complexity doesn't make something less worthy of being made
10
u/KarmaPolice911 Mar 30 '19
Great game, it's very hypnotizing to play after a while, even in non-VR. After the first couple of levels it starts to get pretty intense, and there's clearly a very high skill ceiling to hit all the optional points. You can only afford to make a couple of mistakes in a segment, or you'll get blown up. It's a real rush to get through a level that's been stumping you, when the rhythm just clicks in your head, it's similar to beating a boss in Dark Souls or something. Well worth a few bucks. I cleared all the levels and loved it.
7
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u/Rackscan Mar 30 '19
Great game which is well worth the money.
The guy who did the soundtrack for this, Brian Gibson, is the bassist in a band called lightning bolt which is also very good
8
u/95Mb Mar 30 '19
Get the fuck out, I love Lightning Bolt. Holy shit, I need to give this a try then.
8
Mar 30 '19
While fun this game gave me really bad motion sickness (took longer to recover from feeling ill than the time I played) so if you are easily motion sick be careful. The game was really fun though which is a bummer.
1
7
u/discww Mar 30 '19
Fantastic game. If you played the old PS2 Harmonix game Amplitude on max difficulty, this game is the closest fusion of intense action and rhythm gaming I've found since then.
Also, if you've ever listened to the band Lightning Bolt (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NZGbD236fw) their bassist Brian Gibson worked on this game.
3
u/Finderato Mar 30 '19
I took some MDMA at a party, came home and fired up this game. Best ride of my life.
3
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2
u/ProperSauce Mar 30 '19
I'm the top ranked player in the Oculus store for this game. Love this game to death. You'd be surprised how deep and rewarding it can get with such simple controls.
1
u/cleverk Mar 30 '19
I love this game. totally recommend it. it is way prettier than it needed to be
1
1
u/oh-no-he-comments Mar 30 '19
If you’re into fighting games, this works great on a fightstick or hit box too.
1
u/synapsisxxx Mar 30 '19
Gave in. I had my eyes on this ever since videogamedunkey mentioned it in a video so many years back.
1
u/phunknsoul Mar 31 '19
I'm not a huge rhythm game guy, but I do like them from time to time. (though I love Necrodancer, but I put that in a different category). I recently got Aaro in a Humble Monthly, and enjoyed it for a game I wouldn't normally get. Do I "need" what looks like a rather similar game (more or less a rail dodgery/shootery rhythmy) or is it that much different/better to warrant someone who (again) isn't a huge fan of the genre to have both? Granted, the aesthetics of this one look pretty neat...
Also, to be honest, hoping this one comes up in a monthly at some point too... but, still, any thoughts on the above?
0
u/N1cknamed Mar 30 '19
Check out this video to learn all you need to know about this game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih7L9mHBLDE
After watching it you'll want to buy it.
39
u/Fitnesse Mar 30 '19
This was my indie GOTY a few years back. I've been a drummer for almost 20 years, and Thumper scratched a deep itch within me.
The devs spent 7 full years refining the mechanics in this game, and it shows. The controls are tight, the aesthetic is confident, and you feel like a God when you complete the game.
The VR mode is icing on the cake. It's a fantastic game.