So when I got off work, I had dinner and played some Here They Lie again, and this time, I didn't feel as sick as last night. Even though I didn't feel any nausea, I was ready to take a break from it when the second "take a break" prompt came up. The game's getting better, and I actually had a couple of freaky moments. There were some sections where I had to skirt around some monsters, and it got a bit intense. I even found myself trying to poke around a corner to see if the monster went the opposite direction.
I also have to say Here They Lie has one of the coolest respawning sequences in any game. When you die, you come back in a sea of black washed with blood and a giant red sun halfway out of the horizon. Some figures come out of the blood, and then there's multiple spinning rings of debris that alternate to create a cool tunnel effect, something you would experience at a funhouse. Then it all materializes and forms a door and back out you go.
I'm really hoping this game continues to get better, and I also hope I start building a tolerance for whatever caused me not to feel that well last night.
My intent tonight was to play several demo games from the demo disc, but I didn't have much time after playing some Watch Dogs and watching a movie. I did, however, want to get at least one demo in. When I popped the disc in, I was met with a 30 minute update so that took a sizable chunk out of what little time I had left.
There were actually many more demos on the disc other than the nine that was shown on the back of the box. When you start the demo disc, you're whisked into this giant open space with the PS home menu music playing. It's kind of surreal. Then you just scroll through groups of three demos. I knew right away that when I landed on Thumper, I wanted to try that, and wow, did I pick a winner!
Thumper is amazing! You're this metallic beetle on an energized track and you have to hit the X button just as patches of light slip underneath you. There's a constant pulsating soundtrack that plays, and the gameplay is part of it; so it's a rhythm game. It's not just a rhythm game, though; it's an experience.
The game starts you off with a boss. The track you're riding on is being spun out of the boss's mouth, who is just a triangle but the track is also decorated with tendrils that fold out, suddenly making everything appear to be more alien than before. You have to hit the bits of light just perfect and if you hit the final one of the segment, there's a charge up and a powerful pulse ripples down the track to the boss and damages it. Enough times, the boss is destroyed and you move on.
There are curves that get introduced and you have to hold X and turn the opposite way in order to not take damage from the blinding light of the curved walls. They later come so quick that you have to start paying attention way down the line before they come. Obstacles come and you have to hold X to go into an armor mode and smash through them. By the time you get to the last boss, which is like a calavera, you have to use everything you learned to survive the onslaught.
What really impressed me about this game was its visual style and sense of depth. You see the track coming from a mile away as it bends and twists. Deep into the background, it's an abyss, which causes the light from tunnels and walls to stand out so much more. It feels like one of those arcade rides that you go to the mall and pay 8 bucks for to have an attendant strap you in with 20 other people.
I loved the demo so much that I ended up playing it again immediately. This is the kind of game VR was made for, and after playing the almost colorless Here They Lie, this game was a giant breath of fresh air. I have decided to make Thumper my next PSVR game purchase. It really is something else. If you have a PSVR yourself, you need to try this one out!
As always, thanks for reading!
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