Creator of Rhythm Action Game ‘Thumper’ Announces New VR Game Set for 2024

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One of the co-creators of Thumper (2016), an acclaimed rhythm action game that eventually got VR support, has announced a new VR-first game called Thrasher with some totally unique-looking gameplay.

While Thumper was a flatscreen game first with an eventual VR mode, the upcoming Thrasher will be the reverse—Thrasher is being built with motion controls in mind and will launch first as a VR-only game on Quest and PC VR next year, with a flatscreen version coming at some point further down the road.

It’s a bit hard to tell exactly how the gameplay will work from the initial trailer, so here’s some context going in:

THRASHER is a mind-melting cosmic racer and an essential audiovisual experience. Swoop, dash and thrash across the void, taking on wild bosses in a race for survival that begins at the dawn of time.

Immerse yourself in a dazzling adventure across space, where music, visuals and gameplay mesh into one transcendent experience.

Thrasher is being developed by indie studio Puddle, which is comprised of Thumper co-creator Brian Gibson and Mike Mandel (Rock Band VR, Fuser, Fantasia: Music Evolved).

From what we gather, players will guide the ‘eel’ around using their motion controller, almost like waving a ribbon around on the end of a stick. It doesn’t sound exactly like a rhythm game proper, but something of an audio-visual extravaganza.

We love seeing creative VR gameplay and Thrasher certainly looks intriguing!

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Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."