I signed up for beta and will trial it on the kids once the key arrives
I’ve been playing some Synth Riders today, and while decent with a good song (and the bigger song variety is nice), it’s a far cry from Beat Saber. In a way it shows how good Beat Saber is, how it wasn’t trivial to make a best seller and why the market needed some time to produce one, you have to make correctly lots of small decisions that form a full game. Examples:
- The moment to moment gameplay of BS feels better than SR, it’s more satisfying. Slicing blocks with light saber >> touching spheres with your hand-spheres.
- The direction system of BS gives a much bigger depth and variety to the game. A ball in SR in the “top left” quadrant is more or less the same always. In BS, a block in the same area can give more, as it will feel and play different if it’s a downward cut, a upward cut, a diagonal, etc.
- SR introduced at some point the Force mode, where you have to ‘punch’ the notes, in addition to be accurate. I think the dev knew something was missing in his game so he was trying to fix it (without copying directly other games). I like it, as at lest it gives a ‘workout’ aspect to the game.
The problem is that some songs aren’t designed for this mode, it feels a bit clunky when it throws 6 super close notes, you can punch the first one, but in no realistic way you do the same with the rest. - Something I noticed today, it’s something small but at the same time very indicative of the types of the small but important flaws SR have: the main factor’s in the score is how accurate you are hitting the center of each note, right? Well, given how players usually play (arms more or less close to the body, below head, in the chest/shoulders area) and given the still-limited FOV of current headsets, you won’t see your own hands most of the time! So unless you play with your arms stretched in front of you, you are never sure how accurate you are being in hitting well the notes, I usually only have a vague idea while playing.
What do you think of the Beat Saber 360 tracks?
I’ve recently started adding the Oculus Quest to my fitness regime. I run about 5 miles per day, 6 days per week but I was looking for other low hassle fitness activities. The Quest seems to fit this niche nicely.
So far I’ve got Beat Saber, The Thrill of The Fight and The Climb.
Beat Saber is awesome and spikes my heart rate quite nicely
The Thrill of The Fight is… OK. It’s a great workout but I’ve never been a boxer and so I just flail about ineffectually ;)
The Climb is fun but far too chilled and not exactly workout material.
Can anyone recommend any other games that are good for fitness?
Is Pistol Whip to light? I find myself kind of tired after a game or two but then I run slightly less than 5 miles per day . . .
I like Audica more than Beat Saber. Shooting laser pistols is more appealing to me than swinging light sabers and it makes for a fun, upper-body workout.
There’s a new fitness-focused game I’d like to try called Box VR. That one is getting decent reviews but $30 is a bit much so I’m waiting for a sale.
I wouldn’t say it’s that new. It is a proper ‘workout’, since there is no game to it - it’s just punching and ducking to music. I found it pretty dull and would much rather Thrill of the Fight.
Adding my own music was a good thing but it took way too long to generate a level. And there was no haptic feedback when you hit something, it just felt wrong.
This was a while back so maybe it’s better now.
Ack, you’re right, It came out back in May. WE REGRET THE ERROR
I’m curious to try it. Looks like a more physical experience, less about hand-eye coordination like Audica or Beat Saber and more about form and movement.
I should check out Thrill of the Fight since it’s only $10.
Bought it. Played it. Trying to catch my breath. WOOF
My favorite workout game is AudioShield, since you can easily use your own music. It’s not on the Quest, but does work via Quest Link.
Your shoulders are probably going to hurt tomorrow and the day after. I speak from experience.
Some Oculus news
-Oculus Go is now $150
-Facebook has made a patent for what it seems a VR force feedback glove (not that patents are indications of future commercial products)
-Until you Fall is free this weekened
-Path of the Warrior coop mode released (and featuring Cross-Play)
-Rec Room Quest version has released the Laser Tag rooms, before that mode was missing
-Fail Factory! released.
Good. I will wait for a $99 sale. I’m sure it’s coming, even if it takes 18 months.
Audica has been released for Oculus Quest. From Harmonix, the makers of Rock Band, etc. Very recommended!
Nice! How is it in terms of satisfying learning curve compared to Beat Saber?
I really like Pistol Whip but it seems like its skill ceiling is pretty modest without much longevity. Compared to Beat Saber where I’m still having fun playing many of the same songs. Wondering how Audica compares.
[oops wrong thread]
I played last night for a few minutes. I’m at a high Expert level (not Expert+) on Beat Saber. Audica on Normal was kicking my ass. It seems pretty fun and like it will be quite difficult on the higher levels. Oculus’s refund policy is the same as Steam’s and refunds are pretty easy to request, so you could try it out for an hour and see what you think.
I can’t really compare the learning curves since Beat Saber never really clicked for me. I typically play Audica on Standard (getting 5 stars before moving on to the next song) or Advanced. If I peek into Expert it’s just to see how quickly I’ll fail.
I think I like Audica more than Beat Saber because the gameplay mechanics are more varied. It also seems to incorporate a wider field of view so it feels like I’m more surrounded by the experience than the relatively narrow road of Beat Saber blocks. I love the parts where you can squeeze and hold the triggers to get those wicked-sick, righteous, crackling lightning bolts of rock. Or maybe it just comes down to me liking dance-shooting more than dance-slashing.
So…I own a Rift S now. :)
And my super major hugest worry was motion sickness. But I also have been experiencing it a lot less since I got a new prescription for my eyeglasses back in November, and I’m thrilled to report that after an hour of Oculus-ing, I’m fit as a fiddle still. So I’ll be easing into using it, but yeah. I definitely get it and see the potential. :)
Oh, and NO ONE TOLD me that you can just sit and watch movies in 3D with a Rift! (I mean, I’m sure there are lower-priced VR sets that do the same thing, but I also want the full magilla gaming experience too; it’s just a value added thing I hadn’t thought of.) I realize that 3d movies are generally kind of trash and much better viewed in good ol’ 2D, but there’s one in particular that has a hugely special place in my heart that’s I’ve only seen once in 3D and honestly can’t wait to revisit that way in a VR theater. :)
You’re talking about Friday the 13th Part III, aren’t you? Yeah, I knew it.