Hands-on: 'Thrasher' delivers audiovisual bliss, fast-paced action on Meta Quest
Thrasher combines trippy visuals with a hypnotic soundtrack and fast-paced arcade gameplay. I got to try out the game on Quest 3 before its release later this month.
Thrasher is the new game from composer and visual artist Brian Gibson, responsible for the cult hit Thumper. Thrasher bears the signature of its creator and is very similar to Thumper in terms of visuals, sound effects and music. Anyone who knows and loves the old game will feel right at home in Thrasher.
The gameplay, however, is completely different: you control a space eel with a hand or controller and have to destroy certain objects in the shortest possible time by flying through them while avoiding other objects. The gameplay is two-dimensional, there is only a visual dimension of depth.
A gameplay trailer (see below) illustrates what to expect from Thrasher and how to start and chain combos. In my brief hands-on, I was also able to collect power-ups that allowed me to launch a thrust attack on objects that I would normally have to dodge.
A feast for the eyes and ears
Thrasher shines from the start from an audiovisual perspective. Like Thumper, it's a feast for the eyes and ears, especially with good headphones, which I highly recommend for this type of VR game.
As for the game mechanics, I wasn't immediately hooked. I probably still need to get to know the game and its intricacies better. And get used to the controls because the eel's movements are a bit sluggish, and in the heat of battle I sometimes lost track of what was happening and where I was.
There is still room for technical optimization, at least on Quest 3. Subjectively, I felt that the VR game was running at less than 90 hertz and stuttering here and there. With a visually and sonically powerful game like Thrasher, this can be a drag on the fun.
Thrasher is a very accessible VR game: The objective of the game is immediately clear, and you can play it lying down and with one hand. I haven't tried the hand tracking, but I imagine it's very difficult to control the game with your hand, as I've already struggled with the controller. Thrasher requires precision and timing right from the start.
Thrasher will be released on July 25 for Meta Quest 3, 2 and Pro on the Quest Store and for Apple Vision Pro in the App Store. The SteamVR and a flatscreen version will follow at a later date.
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