Not too long ago, we had a lot of rhythm-based games like Dance-Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero and Rock Band released. They required players to mash buttons in rhythm to the music while also hitting the corresponding colour. The better one played, the faster the music got, calling for a zen-like concentration.
Cut to today. With virtual reality (VR) becoming commonplace, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, flag bearers for PC based VR have enabled getting into it, though the issue of affordability remains. Gaming has always driven technology, and VR is no exception. Beat Saber is a popular VR game available on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Sony’s PlayStation VR. If you are a Star Wars fan and always wanted to slash out at objects with your light-saber, this game allows indulging this fantasy. The game involves using light sabers (laser swords) — red in the left hand and blue in the right — to slash through either red or blue blocks that fly at you in-sych with the beat of the background music.
The blocks also have arrows pointing in the direction they need to be slashed. If you slash in the wrong direction or use a saber of the wrong colour too often, you could lose the level. Some blocks have only a dot in the middle, and can be slashed in any direction, but with a saber of the same colour. It all looks deceptively simple, but as difficulty level rises from easy to expert+, you need to be really fast to keep up.
And, speed is not the only thing you need to worry about as you also have to dodge and duck to avoid rectangular obstacles that keep coming at you from the sides or the top. Also, present are mines, which explode on contact with your saber, so make sure to get them out of the way once you cut through a block. Each track has been mapped by the developers, to have just the right number of blocks and speed of music to keep you interested. Beat Saber can also be used as a good workout. The game also features several modes other than “Standard”, to keep you from getting bored. “One saber mode”, has only one saber and monochromatic blocks. “No arrows” blocks can be slashed in any direction, as long as the colours are matched. Party mode allows for group play, and swapping of headsets while keeping track of high scores by each player. There are only a few tracks available on Beat Saber, but they are all fantastic. The music sounds incredible and is custom produced for the game.
There is also the no-fail option available so even if a few blocks are missed, the game doesn’t stop. From a fitness perspective, this helps as otherwise, we would need to start over, and the part which gives maximum movement would have to be re-attained.
Beat Saber is fantastic in every way — the music, the game play and the environment is all top notch. It is challenging at higher levels if you want a good workout; if you are a high-score junkie, it will not disappoint. The game is not hard to pick up and difficult to put down. If you have a high-end VR headset, this is one title you shouldn’t miss, and if you don’t have one, for this, you might want to get one. To spice up the game play, and avoid monotony setting in, new tracks keep getting added. At $20 it’s not expensive. With massive holiday discounts on offer, it’s a title to keep a look out for.
— The writer runs the site www.talkingstuff.net
