Thumper Reviews

Thumper is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9.5 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2016

Thumper is a great game that is unique and difficult. Of course it is a specialty game, since rhythm isn’t a lot of people’s “thing,” but for what it is, it does it well. It is a game of pure rhythm that made me bob my head and try, try again.

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4.5 / 5.0
Oct 11, 2016

By the end of Thumper, the speed is insane, the music wild and oppressive, and the feeling of just barely holding on to a beast that wants to send you flying so it can gnaw your bones is disturbingly strong.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 14, 2016

Breakneck speeds, industrial music, and a shiny metallic beetle in a cybernetic reality come together to make one of the most original and difficult rhythm games in years.

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5 / 10.0
Nov 1, 2016

Thumper looks great and has some interesting ideas, but it's bogged down by strange decisions, obstacles that blend in with the environment, and a soundtrack that doesn't have much to do with the on-screen action.

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jan 1, 2017

A glorious assault on the senses

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4 / 5.0
May 18, 2017

By the end of Thumper, the speed is insane, the music wild and oppressive, and the feeling of just barely holding on to a beast that wants to send you flying so it can gnaw your bones is disturbingly strong.

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10 / 10.0
Oct 10, 2016

Pac-Man, Dark Souls, the best Metroids and Marios and Zeldas—the true classics, the cornerstones of the medium that have made an indelible impact on how we play and think about games. Thumper is right up there alongside them. It is an essentially perfect realization of its own unique goals and concerns, and a game we’ll be playing and celebrating for decades, even if it leaves us afraid and confused.

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8.8 / 10.0
Oct 16, 2016

Thumper wraps a trip through spectral hell, the sensation of travelling down an interminable barrel of a gun, and a pounding rhythm game into an articulate package. It condenses to a sensory rampage that feels as concerned with survival as it is as consumed by perfection. Hitting notes on highway isn't a new concept, but performing it under the threat of phantasmal horror, and somehow empowering progress, positions Thumper as a modern apex.

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9 / 10
Oct 25, 2016

Thumper is a thriving rhythm game that includes an incredible VR mode. That's not to say the game isn't worth it if you have no interest in virtual reality, but indie developer Drool takes the game to new heights when you find yourself enveloped in the game's 3D space. Even being mediocre when it goes to playing on the leaderboards, I keep going back to Thumper every night for just one more run.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 17, 2016

Simply put, Thumper is electrifying, and very, very close to being the perfect harmony of inspired visuals and fist-pumping audio. It’s ability to dazzle and awe with its wondrous visuals is matched only by its ability to hook you in for a relentless, downright intoxicating ride. Once you’re strapped in and speeding down that serpentine track, the biggest obstacle you’ll face isn’t the literal hurdles lying in wait — it’s putting down the controller.

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9 / 10
May 18, 2017

Thumper is a fantastic video game, an extravagant rhythm experience that's also a brutal assault on the senses. It's extremely difficult, painfully so at times, yet we feel the need to persevere, retrying tough stages over and over again. Even when that's done the drive for better ranks remains, simply because the game compels us to play on.The level of challenge, though, shouldn't be underestimated - even for strong players short sessions may become necessary in the latter third of the game, in particular. The only real flaw of Thumper, in actual fact, is that it offers so little respite and no 'easy' mode for players. Some may scoff at that, saying it's a game designed to be tough, but the downside is that without that optional concession the game will be inaccessible and impenetrable for some players.That's a pity, as for those up for the challenge it's a wonderful - albeit gruelling - gaming experience.

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7 / 10
Jun 27, 2017

Thumper is a fun and intuitive game based on rhythm that will demand close attention to the sound effects if the players are to make advances in the game's levels. Overall, Thumper needs its players to time their moves just right in order to fulfill with what it expects and those who won't appreciate its audiovisual and gameplay components will not be seduced by this game.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9 / 10
Oct 15, 2016

Thumper makes an incredible case for the future of virtual reality. With an incredible level of quality paired with a reasonable price of admission, this should absolutely be one of the first titles that anyone interested in making the most out of their new PlayStation VR headset buys. With blistering speed and intensity to go along some easy to learn, difficult to master gameplay mechanics, the future of rhythm games – and, by extension, virtual reality – is bright.

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Justin Celani
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Oct 21, 2016

Thumper is one of my favorite games this year, simple yet challenging, visually stimulating, and excellent sound use. Easy to play, hard to master is the familiar phrase that comes to mind. VR only adds to the experience, but even without that added element, the game shines

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GameMAG
ACE
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jun 28, 2017

Thumper is a really hard game that stands out compared to other musical projects with unexpected concept and choice of setting. Beautiful and unusual visual design together with extraordinary music draws into the grim world.

Review in Russian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 18, 2016

It's a great game overall. It doesn't pull any punches, and is relentless in its 'rhythm violence' and that makes it one of the most satisfying games out there. Now to try and S rank these songs.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2017

On the outside, Thumper looks bizarre with its strange design and nightmarish visuals. But don't let that fool you, Thumper has it where it counts.

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90 / 100
Nov 23, 2016

Thumper is a right hook out of nowhere. It’s the right combination of speed, bizarre visuals, music, and difficulty that makes you want to replay it after the credits roll. The single button and stick controls also makes it eminently accessible to everyone, but difficult to master. Come for the bizarre visuals, stay for the even more bizarre bosses.

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90 / 100
May 31, 2017

Thumper is a terrifyingly difficult game, but don't let that deter you from experiencing its rhythm violence firsthand. The Switch port takes advantage of the system's features quite well, and its speedy performance and killer sound design will rock your world.

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Unscored
Oct 11, 2016

THUMPER is the videogame you should play today.

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