I wanna see someone play this on two phones at once

Thumper is a special game, one I'm happy to see come to any and all platforms that make sense. The rhythm title is heading to iOS next with Thumper: Pocket Edition on January 24, 2018.

Looking at the initial screenshots, I think this should translate well to tablets and especially phones if you like to play one-handed; everything's readable even on a smaller screen, and the game's main inputs -- tapping and holding -- are a good fit for touch controls. I can already picture it.

Developer Drool recommends wired headphones or integrated speakers for the sake of audio latency, whic?h, yeah. The studio also lists "Smooth 60 FPS in portrait and landscape" on the store pa??ge.

At five bucks, the price seems right.

The post Intense rhythm game Thumper coming to iOS appeared first on Destructoid.

Start the rhythm-violence all over again

Nintendo, unlike it's contemporary competitors, isn't too keen on offering sales. This statement applies doubly to the eShop, which tends to overcharge customers as is, and only offer decent sales on Capcom titles most of the time. Thankfully, there's a decent sale on through next week for everyone's favorite 'rhythm violence' video game and/or nightmare simulator, Thumper.

Thumper normally runs for $20, but with the 25% eShop discount, you can snag this title for just $15. This deal will only last until the end of the week, so it's better to take this into consideration now. Do you want to lo??se your mind in a rhythmic ride to hell? If so, this might be your new fix.

Thumper was well received by both fans and critics. I liked it. Jordan seemed to like it too. If you're even remotely interested, I'??d recommend giving this one a test drive.

Thumper gets a 25% Discount on the Switch eShop [Nintendo Life]

The post The N?intendo Swit?ch eShop has a discount for Thumper appeared first on Destructoid.

On August 18

Thumper came out of nowhere for me.

Billed as a "rhythm violence" game I didn't really get it, until ??I played it in VR. It utilizes a soundtrack that's equal parts entran??cing and unsettling, and combines it with a very cool roller coaster-esque gameplay loop. So far it's hit PC, PS4 and Switch, but now developer Drool is ready to unveil the Xbox One release date -- August 18.

If you haven't tried it yet, fix that, even if you check it out at a friend's house. The isolating feeling of? VR is probably the best way to experience it wit?h good headphones jacked up to the max.

The post Thumper will hit Xbox One this month appeared first on Destructoid.

A game this simple shouldn't cause this much stress

_{[Header Screenshot via Chillybilly's Twitter]}

When Rez first came out in 2002, I learned a new word from its marketing campaign: Synesthesia. Basically, it means that one of your senses is being triggered by something it normally wouldn't, so you might get the sensation that you're hearing a color or touching music. Anyone who's played Rez knows the fee??ling of trancel??ike focus that comes from a good run, but it's an experience that isn't easy to replicate.

There was a spiritual sequel to Rez in 2011 with Child of Eden, but despite the improved visuals, I didn't get the same feeling until I loaded up Thumper a few days ago. I'm not sure what I was expecting from a game that billed itself as "Rhythm Violence," but after playing for a bit, I'll be darned if the developer, Drool, didn't de??liver on that promise.

Thumper is a great example of a game that doesn't need a story. Your space beetle avatar careens through a psychedelic tunnel stuffed with hazards that match up with the beats of the oppressive music that plays in the background. You can mess up once per level, but any more than that and your beetle explodes into chunks and you'll start the level over. It plays a lot like a Rock Band or Guitar Hero title since you're constantly watchi??ng the tunnel ahead of you for the next prompt and doing your best to hit it on the beat.

It sounds simple, but there's no denying this is an intense experience. Playing well requires your full attention at all times, and you'll feel it in your guts when you mess up a turn or fail to boost through a barrier. It's hard to describe how deeply this game tapped into my fear center. In fact, I was a little shaken by how Thumper grabbed hold of my brain on a primal level. Fortunately, Breath of the Wild's low stres??s, past??oral setting was able to provide a quick antidote.

The Switch version adds support? for HD rumble, which makes it all the more immersive when your poor space beetle flies to pieces. Being able to go portable in handheld mode is always a nice feature, and the framerate doesn't suffer for it. I did find it a little harder to see what was coming up ahead of me on the smaller screen, but it didn't seem to affect how often I screwed up. Having a good pair of headphones is a must, though, and this might not be a game you'd like to play on a bus or a car trip. It's much more suited to a dark night in bed where all you can see is the screen and the track ahead of you. 

Thumper is a welcome addition to the Switch's library, but for people with access to multiple systems, it may not be the ideal way to experience the title. While it plays great in both docked and handheld modes and maintains a solid 60 FPS throughout, a game like this is enhanced considerably if you can shut out the outside world and give it your full attention. It seems ideal for virtual reality setups, and I'd imagine playing on PlayStation VR, Vive or Oculus Rift is a much more immersive way to experience Thumper. For those without access to a VR-capable system however, Thumper on the Switch is an easy game to recommend.

_{[These impressions are based upon a retail version of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Thumper on Switch wore me out appeared first on Destructoid.

This game will seep into your dreams

Drool is bringing its rhythm-action game Thumper to Switch on May 18, 2??017. That gives you just two weeks to cram ??in an intensive training regimen to get your reflexes in tip-top shape. I believe in you!

The Switch version supports HD Rumble and runs at 60 frames per second whether you're docked or on the go. In handheld mode, the resoluti?on will be 720p, but in TV mode, it'll bump up to 1080p.

For any??one wh??o's been holding out, this is gonna be extra good as a handheld game.

The post Thumper slides to Nintendo Switch in two weeks appeared first on Destructoid.

Enter the void

Drool's rhythmic space-beetle adventure Thumper is coming to Xbox One this spring.

Play it yet? You should, some day, if you're partial to on-rails rhythm games. Here's a quick thought from my eight-out-of-ten review for the PlayStation 4 version: "It's intense. Genuinely intense. I don't mean in a typical 'Thank eff I made it through that hard part!' way. It's more like 'Holy shit, after that, I couldn't play another level even if I wanted to. I'm just drained. And now I'm going to bed.'"

Aside from the existing console and PC versions of Thumper, there's also an in-the-works Nintendo Switch port -- similarly due out this spring -- with the promise of "Rumble Violence."

??Thumper's Blen??d of Rhythm Violence is Coming to Xbox One This Spring [Xbox]

The post Thumper will take Xbox One players on a?????????????????????????? t?rip this spring appeared first on Destructoid.

Daunting rhythm action

One of the early highlights of the Pl??ayStation VR lineup ??has come to HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

As of today, Drool's unrelenting space-beetle rhythm game Thumper is now (opt??ionally) playable on the three major virtual real??ity headsets. Which is great, because the game itself is great. I'd recommend it with or without VR, though the latter works its dark magic to further draw you into the hellscape.

The studio has also enabled "basic support" for the Vive and Oculus Touch controllers, if you have those and want to make the most out of them. It's wonderful to? see multiplatform support for a title like this.

Thumper Now Supports SteamVR and Oculus [Steam]

The post T??humper is now compatible wit?h Vive and Oculus Rift appeared first on Destructoid.

I will sit this one out

As if Drool's rhythm-violence game Thumper isn't enough of a challenge already when you're going for perfect runs, there's an upd?ate out today that will push you further ??into the depths of suffering/bliss.

In "Play +" mode, you only get a single life for the duration of a level, and while you can potent??ially earn a higher combo multiplier for a better spot on the leaderboards, expect an even faster game speed. It's g??oing to be brutal! On the positive side, you do get to play as a golden beetle, and that rules. Still, I think I'll sit this one out and cheer Myles on instead. He was born in a lab to master this game.

The update is live on PC and PlayStation 4. With the PS4 Pro out today, ther??e's also now support for native 4K and, if you're using PlayStation? VR, "high quality supersampling and anti-aliasing."

The post Thumper has a new h??ard??core mode and PS4 Pro support appeared first on Destructoid.

Brace for impact

"You are a s?pace beetle. Brave the hellish void and confront a maniacal gi??ant head from the future."

Ever since hearing this strange summary or some earlier iteration of it years ago, I have been on board with Thumper. The unnerving rhythm-action title is the work of a pair of former Rock Band developers, now at?? their own independ??ent studio, Drool, and it is a remarkable game indeed.

Thumper (PC, PS4 [reviewed])
Developer: Drool
Publisher: Drool
Released: October 10, 2016 (North America) / October 13, 2016 (Europe)
MSRP: $19.99

The way Thumper feels is not easily described. But, surface-level mechanics? Sure, let's start there. You are, in fact, a space beetle, one who is unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) hurtling at high speeds across a winding hellscape. And, ye??s, sometimes th??ere's a demonic head blocking the path forward.

Using only ??simple directional controls and a single action button, you'll smash down on "??thumps" littered across the track, make horribly sharp turns left or right, hover over spikes, and hunker down to bust through oncoming hurdles. There are a few other later-game concepts to pick up like multiple lanes or advanced combo techniques, but that's it for the most part. These interactive elements produce sounds that, altogether, form this mildly unsettling and weirdly intoxicating percussive music.

Considering all the musical elements, this is less a traditional rhythm experience and more a stripped-down, fast-reflex arcade game of trying your damnedest not to die. (And, with mastery, it's a game of risking your neck at every opportunity to earn bonus points for a leaderboard-shattering high score.) While it might seem comparable to something like Amplitude at fi??rst glance, that line of thought fades before long.

Even playing on a standard television screen, with a decent pair of headphones, there's this undeniable physicality to Thumper. You can feel every wall-scrape and beat smash, every single bit of commotion, and it all reverberates through your soul. It's intense. Genuinely intense. I don't mean in a typical "Thank eff I made it through that hard part!" way. It's more like "Holy shit, after that, I couldn't play another level even if I wanted to. I'm just drained. And now I'm going to bed."

That's a good thing! (I think.) I can't recall the last game to?? make me feel this way. It can be frustrating, but it's also a special kind of satisfying. Opening levels aside, you have to practice, improve, and fire on every last cylinder to progress. That's most true with the boss sequences, where you'r?e stuck in infinitely repeating loops until you can (essentially) perfect a rhythmic run to move on.

I don't yet have a PlayStation VR -- which Thumper optionally supports -- so I can't speak to what it's like to play with that extra layer of immersion, but I am both scared and excited to try it soon. The last third of the game, especially, might be too overwhelming for me. Or perhaps I'll find it easier to "stay in the zone," as it were. To do well here is to avoid consciously thinking about how you're playing or tryin??g to predict the next o??bstacle coming down the line. Every time I did that, I lost focus. Once you lose focus, you lose control.

As much as I like Thumper -- for its originality, for its foreboding mood, for its exceptional art direction and tight controls -- ?it is not without faults. That such a small team was able to come up with this concept is impressive. I can't stress that enough, and I'm happy to see it isn't g??oing overlooked.

But after a certain point, it became too difficult, too fast, with too few new ideas, and my enjoyment eroded. Part of that stems from the length because this is a surprisingly (and unnecessarily) long game. I found it to be at its best when I was just scraping by but still clearing most of the sequences on the first few tries -- approximately until stage six or seven of nine. Further in, the levels felt less intuitive and readable, and more tough for the sake of it. I'm sure some people will have a grand time getting good enou??gh to master the entire game, and I wish them luck. I've learned that pursuit isn't for me.

I'd still recommend Thumper, though. Readily. But I would?? also advise not to get too wrapped up in fully finishing it. This road is long and winding and brutal. It might just drive you mad.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Thumper appeared first on Destructoid.

Just in time for the PlayStation VR launch

With Rez Infinite and now Thumper releasing on October 13, 2016, we'll be able to go to rhythm heaven and r??hythm hell on the same day.

The latter game (PS4, PlayStation VR, PC) sends you, playing as a so-called "space beetle," hurtling down a winding psychedelic track. The sights and sounds are all very unnerving, which is a major reason why I've been so excited about it. That, and the fact that the game has a "mechanical giant head from the future" named Crakhed as an antagonist. I'm dying to know what that's about.

Developer Drool is preparing a collector's edition with iam8bit, and pre-orders open tomorrow at 9:00am Pacific. The? package includes a game code (region-free for Steam, but North American PlayStation Network accounts only for PS4/PSVR), the digital soundtrack, and a vinyl set.

Good lord, that album art is niiice.

For those of you contemplating playing this in VR, I'm right there with you.

The post Unsettling rhythm game? Thumpe??r hits PC, PS4 this October appeared first on Destructoid.

Rhythmic dread

Today I stopped by the PlayStation booth at PAX East to take a look at a rhythm-hell fever dream that I’ve much looked forward to: Thumper. You know your boy hopped directly ??into the opportunity to experie??nce Drool’s nightmare running on PlayStation VR.

I sat down and was given a brief introduction to the game as well as the PSVR headset (both of which I’ve had no prior experience with), and the next thing I knew I had a controller in my hands, headphones on my head, and Thumper in my face. And as it turns out, it’s the har?dest-to-describe experience I’ve?? ever had in my life.

My space-beetle glided along a narrow track that seemed to extend upwards, forever. A disturbing but quiet ambient track droned in the background as I was led through the game’s tutorial stages. The controls are simple - the D-pad and the X button are my only method of communicating with these demonic call-and-response rhythm challenges, but that doesn’t mean Thumper isn’t challenging.

As I was flying down the track at near breakneck speeds, visual and auditory cues indicated upcoming obstacles, which from what I played included a blip on the ground that sets forth a shock wave, fences to break through, and sharp ninety degree turns guarded by rails. Later stages threw everything at me in? different patterns in quick succession, which proved to be challenging for my reflexes and sense of rhythm.

The more progress I made, the more intricate the music became, with dynamic swells and outright scary instruments and rhythms. I have absolutely no music background and it’s really hard to describe, so I’ll let this video demonstrate that which I can’t quit??e put into words.

But of course, playing the game in virtual reality only made it that much more unsettling and sweaty, in a good way. My glasses fit perfectly into the headset, and the lenses used gave me a clear and crisp image with a field of view that, in my experience, was close to indistinguishable to that of the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. The PlayStation VR’s 1080p resolution resulted in visible pixels, yes, but after a few stages of Thumper any concerns I had seemed to melt away.

Being able to look further down the track to see what’s coming after two or three gnarly turns proved to be a godsend. I haven’t played the game in regular-ass 2D yet, but I can certainly say that Thumper’s eye candy is exponentially more engaging when it’s surr??ounding me from all direction??s.

The post Thumper in VR is scary and entrancing appeared first on Destructoid.

Confirmed for PlayStation VR

We've kept up with Thumper for some time now and this is it -- this is the year it's bringing "rhythm hell" to Ste?am, PlayStation 4 an??d, as announced today, PlayStation VR.

The game is about you, a shiny space beetle, hurtling down a psychedelic track, and there's also this demonic head at some po?int, and, u??h, you had probably better just watch today's trailer to get a basic sense of what they're going for here. The atmosphere is unlike anything I've seen in a rhythm game.

Thumper is a collaboration between two former Harmonix developers, Marc Flury a??nd Brian Gibson.

"We've spent the past few years making Thumper the most intense tw??o-dimensional experience possible," said Flury. "Wouldn't a VR version just be too intense? Well, we can confirm that not only is it intense, it's com?pletely overwhelming!"

I believe it.

The post With or without VR, Thumper is going to be wild appeared first on Destructoid.

Confirmed for PS4 and Steam

Bambi this is not.

We've talked about Thumper a couple of times before and I'm still getting acclimated (if such a thing is even possible for a rhythmic racing game about a space beetle and "an insane gian??t head from the future" named CRAK?HED). It's now planned for release on Steam and PlayStation 4 next year.

"Every sound, collision, and visual effect is coherent and interwoven for maximum impact," said Drool's Marc Flury, who was previously the lead programmer on The Beatles: Rock Band (the best!) and Dance Central. "There's no blood or gore in Thumper, but you will feel the violence."

I'm picturing a ridiculous '90s gaming m??agazine advertisement right now and it's glorious.

The post Thumper’s rhythm violence is strange and unsettling appeared first on Destructoid.

Nominated for Excellence in Audio at the Independent Games Festival

While watching this trailer for THUMPER, a self-described rhythm violence game from current Harmonix artist Brian Gibson and former lead programmer Marc Flury, I didn't want to?? blink. I also let out a confused "what?" followed by an even more puzzled "what the fuck?!" during the clip.

The protagonist is a spac?e beetle barreling down hallucinatory tracks, and I get that scraping against walls is a bad idea -- but otherwise I'm not comprehending what we??'re looking at here.

On the website, that devilish beast shown toward the end is described as "an insane giant head from the fu??ture." The game is headed to "whatever p??latforms make sense," so, probably PC.

The post If this is what a ‘rhythm violence’ game looks like, I’m all about them appeared first on Destructoid.

Defeat CRAKHED, overuse CAPS LOCK KEY

The F-Zero series may be the king of the "go really fast and repeatedly run into walls until you explode" genre of games, but indie developer DROOL apparently wants to try its hand at it. The interesting bit is that DROOL is made up of two former Harmonix employees, and they intend to infuse a rhythm component into THUMPER.

From the trailer above, it isn't exactly clear how THUMPER will play or how it will incorporate music, although it does seem reminiscent of Frequency or Audiosurf, but without the gems to hit. What is shown is the protagonist named THUMPER, who is described as "the ultimate space beetle with a high polish chrome exterior." Naturally, THUMPER wants to kill CRAKHED, because he hates drug a?ddicts with bad spelling.

THUMPER is planned as a 2014 release on mul??tiple?? unspecified platforms.

The post Indie DROOL unvei?ls trailer for rhythm racer THUMPER appeared first on Destructoid.