Thumper (2016)

So one time I did so much DMT I fought god in my soul's true form which is an illusion to the iconography of the Egyptian beetle and- Oh I'm not on anything right now? Well Thumper is a "Rhythm" game, but really it is more an arcade racing game with rhythm sprinkled thorough out. I know that is harsh to say but the reality is that the rhythm is just some beats sprinkled around and don't follow that much of a structure really, it is not like let's say Rhythm Heaven where you have a good concise song to play to, it is more like, a simple ancient like beat is played and then beats on top of that are added as courses.

It might not be the best designed rhythm game because of it's loose connection to it's music, you won't exactly be humming the songs of any of this game, you will just be feeling it, it is hard to explain but you might get what I mean, there is a disconnection between the music. What it does most importantly though is successful: A game that distracts you enough that you are completely 100% tuned into the game, and for an arcade game that is the bare minimum you want to do.

A game that you cannot look away and you are completely sinked in, the hypnotic visuals also help quite a lot with this constant distraction, so if you did buy yourself this game you at least have guaranteed an experience that will last a while until you beat it, maybe you will go back and try to perfect the stuff (and you will have to re-do some as really at the end of the day a lot of these are built around memorization and don't tell me otherwise because, how else are you gonna know if something requires you to do a hover jump or stay on the ground unless you know what rings are up next?) but for the most part it really is just a fancy rollercoaster you rode that introduces neat mechanics every now and then, and like some arcade games can be a bit repetitive with it but at least is good and worth the shot if you want more rhythm games.

No but really for a rhythm game there is hardly any songs at all, it is mostly just timed hits and random beats thrown in the course, whenever the game gives you an actual beat or rhythm they throw in a screw ball in the middle and there is no longer any formation of what could be a song, there are moments sure but still.

I used to play rhythm games a lot. From DDR and PIU to Cytus II. With its trippy aesthetics and dark-electro-industrial music, Thumper seemed made for me. I loved the challenge... but it become a chore faster than I thought.

I don't know if its because I'm too old for it, if my hearing is failing or what. But I no longer could feel the rhythm halfway the game. I know is not 4/4, but it wasn't there for me. I found myself playing just by reflexes. It was frustrating.

What I played of Thumper at first wasn't fun per se, but it was very engaging. For a while, It was a really enjoyable challenge with great visuals and music. I still don't know what happened to the game or to me to stop "feeling" it. But its a real shame I can't enjoy it anymore.

Thumper is a rhythm-based game. It starts out fairly simple and slowly the game adds more to the basics and Thumper won’t let you leave an area until you get it down. Every level adds a new gimmick and it ends up getting completely out of hand at times. Each level progressively gets harder as you go.

The issue comes down to the bosses. To beat the boss you literally have to complete each of the stages with complete perfection in terms of hitting each beat with only 1 mess up allowed, with sometimes getting the opportunity to get that mess up back if you clear 1 stage sufficiently. But no checkpoints! This leads to the bosses feelings frustrating and not even the least bit fun.

I appreciate the fact that the limited lives teach you the game in the obstacle portion of the game, but boss battles should either have checkpoints or work off of a collection meter rather than force perfection 4 times in a row or perhaps be a score challenge impossible to fail with penalties rather than the punishment of a restart loop. Thumper is an intensely challenging game..

Oh hey, it's a game made explicitly for me—a synaesthete who loves horror and spent their childhood playing in rhythm sections.

Weirdest part is, I'm also someone who suffers from anxiety, and while this game absolutely triggered that for a lot of people I know, I found myself completely trancing out to it. It's also one of the only games in years, alongside Spider-Man and Horizon, that I actually cared enough about to platinum.

8.5/10

Not usually one for the genre, but every now and then I play one. This is just awesome: simple to understand but hard to master, combining an action title with a rhythm game in an interesting way that makes sense. Ultimately, it's so pleasant to play because it's gorgeous, challenging and the music is amazing and makes sense. The audio goes beyond being cool and actually ends up creating a real, foreboding atmosphere.