Even though most of the world (especially those of us in the United States) are still social distancing to prevent the spread of the ongoing pandemic, things are slowly but surely starting to get back to some sense of normalcy. As such, industries that shut down in the early part of the year, such as arcades, are trying their best to push forward. With this in mind, one new offering that m
Coming from Blackwall Labs, Rhythmatic is the latest VR rhythm game that has hit the market, although it offers something a bit different from counterparts such as Beat Saber and BoxVR. Rather than being a game where you’re simply trying to do your own personal best, Rhythmatic is a multiplayer-centric title. This means that you and up to 5 friends will be in direct competition with one another to see whose rhythm skills are the best.
Like many other games in the genre, Rhythmatic places you in control of two different lightsaber-style wands which you’ll use to hack and slash at the blocks that head your direction. The blocks will arrive near you to the beat of the current song you’re listening to. Some of the tracks that Blackwall Labs has been able to add to the game come artists such as DJ Steve Lawler and Lee Walker. The soundtrack itself also spans multiple genres, including that of metal.
Additionally, Rhythmatic also sets itself apart by giving players the ability to utilize various power-ups in the experience. Power-downs can also be doled out on other players that you might be battling against as well, to make the gameplay experience more unpredictable and replayable.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be releasing Rhythmatic to VR arcades worldwide this August. With an action-packed multiplayer mode and an ever-expanding list of artists collaborating on this project, Rhythmatic will become the new standard for rhythm-based VR games,” said Blackwall Labs director Sam Perrin in a statement given to VR Focus.
Obviously, the fitness applications of Rhythmatic seems to be quite similar to other VR rhythm games. While the sole purpose of the experience might not be to get a sweat on as something like Supernatural would, the byproduct of each session is that you’ll likely burn a few calories. Plus, if you’re locked in any serious matches with friends, the competition may surely get that heart rate pumping more than you normally would in a single-player experience.
Rhythmatic started rolling out at the end of last month in a beta iteration via platforms such as SpringboardVR and SynthesisVR. As such, it might be a bit hard to play for yourself right now unless your own local VR arcade opts to add it to their lineup. And even then, you and your friends might not feel comfortable spending a night out at the arcade, which is totally fine. That said, if you want your local hot spot to add if to their own rotation, signs-ups can be found right here.
Still, Rhythmatic seems to be doing a lot to help set itself from others in the genre and will hopefully catch on as time passes. While it remains to be seen if the game would ever come to at-home VR headsets such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, or Valve Index, I know that I for sure would be interested in giving it a shot on my own setup.
