Drool – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

April 18, 2019

Critically Acclaimed Rhythm Action Game ‘Thumper’ is Coming to Quest at Launch

Oculus announced that Thumper (2016), the popular rhythm-action game, is officially coming to Quest at launch.

The company released the news via a blog post as a part of their on-going ‘Quest Countdown’; exactly when the clock is supposed to strike zero, we’re not sure. Oculus still hasn’t appended a launch date to Quest, its $400 standalone VR headset.

Thumper first landed on PS4 and PC back in October 2016, which included optional VR support for headsets such as PSVR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive. It then went on to release on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One a year later. Most recently, Thumper was released on iOS and Android in its ‘Pocket Edition’, and on Oculus Go, the company’s 3DOF standalone headset.

“When we first starting prototyping Thumper way back in 2009, gaming VR was just a sci-fi fantasy,” explains Drool designer Marc Flury. “We didn’t realize our psychedelic space beetle experience would feel so perfect in VR. With a fully standalone device like Oculus Quest, the dream feels complete. Now anyone can experience Thumper in VR with no fuss and no compromise.”

The game has garnered plenty of success in its three years of existence, rating ‘Very Positive’ on Steam and commanding a strong [4.5/5] stars on the Oculus Store. Thumper also boasts a near [5/5] star rating on the PlayStation Store.

The studio hasn’t confirmed cross-buy with Rift just yet, although we’re certainly hoping for it.

The post Critically Acclaimed Rhythm Action Game ‘Thumper’ is Coming to Quest at Launch appeared first on Road to VR.

September 5, 2018

Intense Rhythm Action Title Thumper Coming to Oculus Go Tomorrow

Long before Beat Saber became the rhythm action videogame of choice among virtual reality (VR) enthusiasts, indie developer Drool made a name for itself with its fast paced version of the genre, Thumper. Originally launched on PlayStation VR in 2016 before coming to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive later that year, the team has now confirmed support for mobile standalone headset Oculus Go.

Described by the studio as a ‘rhythm violence’ experience, Thumper puts players in control of a very fast beetle that flies down a cosmic shoot bombarded with musical obstacles that can be overcome with rhythm-obeying commands. Players can glide round corners and bash into the sides to stay alive, trying to survive until the end, which also includes mini-bosses to deal with.

It was an instant hit in 2016 among press and consumers alike for its impressive visuals and audio tracks. While it had a flat screen cousin, it was the VR version that set it apart, especially when you consider all the stationary wave shooters flooding the market at the time.

Condensing the title onto Oculus Go is certainly a feat and it’ll be interesting to see how Thumper holds up on mobile after two years. With Oculus Go’s improved lenses hopefully Thumper hasn’t lost any of its wow factor, possibly encouraging other devs to look at whether their videogames would be a good match for the mobile headset.

Thumper Screenshot 1

Thumper is scheduled to launch for Oculus Go on Thursday, 6th September for $9.99 USD. For some reason, even though most titles work on Oculus Go and Gear VR, Drool has confirmed Thumper won’t support Gear VR – or the team has no plans to.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Drool and Thumper, reporting back with any further updates.

November 8, 2017

Second PlayStation VR Demo Disc Arrives, Full List Of Videogames Revealed

Yesterday we brought you news of the second PlayStation VR Demo Disc which would be available for PlayStation VR users as of today. At the time we weren’t sure what exactly we would get by way of videogame titles baring an announcement from developers Polyarc confirming that virtual reality (VR) action platformer Moss would be amongst the titles on offer. (Much to the delight of the VRFocus team.)

The listings for PlayStation VR sampler has now been revealed and includes titles from across the genre spectrum. The full list of titles joining Moss can be found below.

Battlezone by Rebellion

A regular on VRFocus’ lists relating to the best VR videogame experiences out there, the tank-based shooter takes the series classic roots and updates them for the virtual stage. Battlezone gained a 5-star review on VRFocus, where it was described as “intense and addictive”.

Dino Frontier by Uber Entertainment.

Cowboys meet Jurassic Park by way of Sim City, Dino Frontier lets you capture and tame dinosaurs in the Wild West to help build and manage a virtual town.

EVE: Valkyrie by CCP Games

CCP Games might be packing up the big top as far as their involvement in VR is concerned but that doesn’t stop EVE: Valkyire continuing to be one of the best VR experiences out there, and now VR and non-VR players can enjoy dogfighting in spaceships together.

Fantastic Contraption by Radial Games

Another title commonly amongst those VRFocus recommends: “Easy to begin with, Fantastic Contraption lets you get accustomed to the intricacies of what does what before throwing the real challenges at you. And there’s a lot, the title features 50 levels to get your head around.”

Job Simulator by Owlchemy Labs

A multi-award winning videogame, Job Simulator was so good Google brought developers Owlchemy Labs into the company. The title continues to get development and content as well, with the recently revealed ‘Infinite Overtime’ update.

Raw Data by Survios

A highly popular virtual reality (VR) shooter, Raw Data sees players equipped with both firearms and a katana, and have the simple object of taking out the enemies before they themselves are overcome.

Rez Infinite by Enhance Games

Another PlayStation VR title that received a full five stars in its review, Rez Infinite is the spiritual successor to the original Rez, which first appeared on SEGA’s Dreamcast console.

StarBlood Arena by Whitemoon Dreams

The only title on the listing specifically requiring additional downloading, a demo of Starblood Arena was initially made available back in August. Starblood Arena allows the player to take control of one of nine available ships, each with its unique pilot, features and weapon loadout. Allowing would-be players the combination that suits their preferred style of play.

Star Child by GameTrust

One of a crop of PlayStation VR titles to receive a share of the spotlight recently during Sony’s press event at Paris Games Week, which included the reveal of a brand new trailer. Star Child is takes place on an alien world full of fantastical Martian creatures and creations in a homage to platformers of the 90s while also being something entirely new.

The Persistence by Firesprite

Originally revealed back in March this year, The Persistance comes from the developers behind The Playroom VR. Awaking from cryosleep, it’s up the players to kill the undead and take back control of the ship before it plunges into a nearby black hole.

Thumper by Drool

The self-described “rhythm violence” videogame was announced in March last year and by the time it hit the show floor at 2016’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) it had already made an impact. Drool said in their announcement that Thumper was “unlike anything you’ve seen, played or heard – a cocktail of kinetic action and aggressive acoustics. It’s the kind of game that inhales you, spits you out and leaves you yearning for more.” And they certainly aren’t exaggerating.

Tiny Trax by FuturLab

Slot car racing get a new twist. Tiny Trax features a drifting/boost-recharge mechanic, alongside lane switching and epic jumps across twelve tracks that’ll take players to tropical islands, volcanoes, ice caves and outer-space. It’s developer, Brighton-based studio FuturLab, recently revealed a new PlayStation VR title in Mini-Mech Mayhem.

The PlayStation VR Demo Disc 2 is now available on the PlayStation Store, it requires 15.2GB of space and several titles within it – Raw Data, Rez Infinite, Job Simulator, Dino Frontier and Fantastic Contraption – do require PS Move Controllers in order to play them.

VRFocus will bring you more details on developments with the PlayStation VR very soon.