As i do with movies i usually do the same random stuff with videogames. Rhythm games arent usually my genre of preference but i did found some hidden gems here and there that should be talked more often, and it is also one of those few with weird genre combinations so if you dont like rhythm games as a whole, maybe you could enjoy rhythm as a subtle feature, and Thumper does that for the most part. Granted, i only played this game because it was free on PS Plus a long time ago. If it wasnt for that, this review wouldnt exist and that would be a bad thing for my precious community, as i write each review with sweat and blood like if it was my last one, lol.
Thumper unfortunately was sold primarly as a rhythm game and that part is kind of mediocre. I would actually classify it as a runner or even a survival game with elements of rhythm, as there is rarely music. Most of the time is just sound effects with different intensity (though incredible inmersive with headphones i have to say) which sounds in a consistent way... for the most part. And this would be a creative and a very good way to push the rhythm genre forward.... if it werent just for one thing that kind of ruins this idea... Not all of the parts are telegrapphed by listening to the tempo or the rhythm, but by your reflexes, which is a huge flaw, since sometimes in the same part of a level the tempo can change inmediately and it can take a player by surprise, and a single hit can be very punishing.
The sense of speed is amazing, and if the game excels and is saved for one thing is for the inmersion and adrenaline. Every single level is like a travel, like going into an spiral of hell. The intensity of the tempo (for the most part as i said before) and visuals really makes you feel nervous but also prepared on the most challenging areas. Unfortunately there is very little difference between bosses and levels and the only thing that really changes is the colour or the filter of the screen. If If you were so inmersed in the game like me, this after an hour or two of gameplay can make the whole thing to feel repetitive and even boring. The same "red face" or the same purple walls being repeated over and over and over again. This could really had benefit of something like Rez, which had abstract subrreal visuals with enough variety to not feel tiresome.
Maybe the fact that this is an indie and therefore low budget affected the overall package. There is no online too, or barely any options to configure out controls or accessibility. The game can be ridiculous hard at times though i admit i had a lot of fun and is well designed... until the tempo gets messed out for no reason, or the collision detection is confusing due to the flashy colours or speed the game is moving.
I admit im not the type of person who recommends games with less than a 7 but Thumper is surprisingly an exception. It is by no means the best in the genre, contrary to what many "professional reviewers" can make you think. But this is one of the very few times of a good 5. It isnt ruined by its flaws per se, but only because it lacks enough reason to be replayed and it doesnt feel like a rhythm game despite being sold as one. It had a lot of potential. But if you have the money, is really worth the time, trust me, despite the low score i couldnt recommend it enough.
Thumper unfortunately was sold primarly as a rhythm game and that part is kind of mediocre. I would actually classify it as a runner or even a survival game with elements of rhythm, as there is rarely music. Most of the time is just sound effects with different intensity (though incredible inmersive with headphones i have to say) which sounds in a consistent way... for the most part. And this would be a creative and a very good way to push the rhythm genre forward.... if it werent just for one thing that kind of ruins this idea... Not all of the parts are telegrapphed by listening to the tempo or the rhythm, but by your reflexes, which is a huge flaw, since sometimes in the same part of a level the tempo can change inmediately and it can take a player by surprise, and a single hit can be very punishing.
The sense of speed is amazing, and if the game excels and is saved for one thing is for the inmersion and adrenaline. Every single level is like a travel, like going into an spiral of hell. The intensity of the tempo (for the most part as i said before) and visuals really makes you feel nervous but also prepared on the most challenging areas. Unfortunately there is very little difference between bosses and levels and the only thing that really changes is the colour or the filter of the screen. If If you were so inmersed in the game like me, this after an hour or two of gameplay can make the whole thing to feel repetitive and even boring. The same "red face" or the same purple walls being repeated over and over and over again. This could really had benefit of something like Rez, which had abstract subrreal visuals with enough variety to not feel tiresome.
Maybe the fact that this is an indie and therefore low budget affected the overall package. There is no online too, or barely any options to configure out controls or accessibility. The game can be ridiculous hard at times though i admit i had a lot of fun and is well designed... until the tempo gets messed out for no reason, or the collision detection is confusing due to the flashy colours or speed the game is moving.
I admit im not the type of person who recommends games with less than a 7 but Thumper is surprisingly an exception. It is by no means the best in the genre, contrary to what many "professional reviewers" can make you think. But this is one of the very few times of a good 5. It isnt ruined by its flaws per se, but only because it lacks enough reason to be replayed and it doesnt feel like a rhythm game despite being sold as one. It had a lot of potential. But if you have the money, is really worth the time, trust me, despite the low score i couldnt recommend it enough.
