Thumper is quite unique as far as rhythm games go. This is a very fast and intense experience that is really designed to get your adrenaline pumping. Between the semi-creepy visual themes and the atmospheric tension you could almost go as far as calling this part horror game in some regard. I don't believe the strange visuals elements are as likely to make players jump off this game as much as the high skill ceiling required for progression. While there is fun to be had in this unique experience the fact is that the challenges presented might just be too great to overcome.
In Thumper you control a beetle shaped ship traveling down a single winding track. As the track begins to curve you'll need to hunker down and lean into the opposite direction to avoid taking damage. The first time you get hit you lose your outer shell and if you get hit again you have to go back to the last check point. There are notes on the track you can hit to score points which you can chain together to get a combo going. Occasionally, there is an opportunity to recover your armor if you manage to hit a particular note on the track. The concept certain sounds simple enough but you speed down the track quite fast and each new stage offers new challenges.
Stages in Thumper not only get increasing longer but continuously add more complexly to the formula. Each stage has more sections then the last and when you consider the fact that you can't save progress mid run you better be prepared to grind out a victory. As you progress you'll find bars and spike traps blocking your path. You'll need to brace yourself to safely break through the bars while you'll need to jump to get over any spikes. Sometimes after flying you'll need to slam down on the next note to send out a shockwave which will open gates blocking your path.
For most of the game the notes aren't nessacary and are simply used to score your letter grade for each section. Boss fights however will make you continuously repeat sections until you hit a series of notes without missing a beat. This is a very fast-paced game and getting the timing right to hit each note can be a real doozy. Up until the bosses you can get by simply avoiding damage so you really own have your performance tested during these fights. There are only nine stages so theoretically this shouldn't be a very long game but having spent a good half hour on the fourth stage boss the skill proficiency required to beat is game will require much devotion.
This is a neat and certainly very original concept but the difficulty ceiling will probably be too much for most players. I had fun with the first two stages and even thought some the mechanics added latter, such as multiple lanes, was pretty cool. What frustrated me was how the bosses require precision from me where as the stages leading up to them only required minimal survival. Personally I think breaking up the stages into small bite size chapters could have helped or simply adding more levels to lessen the difficulty curve. I like rhythm games and the minimalistic visuals work nicely if you want to play this in VR. It is unfortunate that for many the challenge level will over power the fun factor.