Thumper Review (PS5) | Push Square
Thumper was a highlight of PSVR's launch lineup back in 2016 — check out our review through the link to learn why. It's a relentless, frantic rhythm title that has you racing through space, matching actions to the beat of the heavy soundtrack. The game is just as excellent this time around, if not better. While many of the PSVR titles have more noticeable graphical upgrades, Thumper nailed its aesthetic so well the first time out that the change isn't all that drastic.
Visually, the game still looks great, though oddly, only the VR version has HDR support. If you're playing on a traditional TV, you'll have to settle for native 4K and a high refresh rate. The boss fights seemingly have more tendrils and are just generally bigger in scale, but by and large, the experience is the same one you remember.
The PSVR2 headset and peripherals make the biggest difference here, rather than the game itself. The haptics on the visor perfectly accentuate Thumper's gameplay, long described as «rhythm violence». Each time you hit a power-up or damage a boss, the headset rumbles along with your controller, heightening the visceral violence of the experience to new levels.
While you can use the new PSVR2 Sense Controllers — the game didn't function with the PS Move controllers on PSVR — the DualSense feels more comfortable for this outing. The rumble was more noticeable this way, and the traditional controller setup feels better.
One thing we were hoping to avoid with PSVR2 was tracking problems. Staying in range of the PS Camera is no longer a factor, but sadly the headset occasionally loses track of you and jumps around the screen for a moment. It didn't happen often, and it was certainly less finicky than the original PSVR version of
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