Beat Saber
PSVR, Rift, Vive
At this point in virtual reality’s development, it’s still rare to encounter a game that feels native to the technology. Beat Saber is an exception – it feels like it was created by examining the tools available and building from there, rather than jamming an existing genre into VR. True, the colourful blocks zooming towards the player in time with a soundtrack might mean that at first glance Beat Saber resembles Guitar
Hero or another rhythm game. But it’s fundamentally reshaped by the way you interact with it.
What is the most satisfying and natural thing you can do with a motion controller? Hyperbolic Magnetism has correctly concluded that the answer is ‘slice objects in half’. It’s like being handed the cardboard tube from inside a wrapping-paper roll: you instantly become a child again, wielding what is now your sword or, perhaps more fittingly, lightsaber.
Each block has to be sliced in a particular direction, and incoming obstacles have to be dodged or ducked under. The result, as you bounce on your toes, alternating between delicate slashes and two-handed pounding, feels like a mix of dancing, drumming and swordplay. There’s one lovely design touch that captures the sheer joy of interaction in Beat Saber: hold the two beams together, and they’ll push back against each other, the controllers buzzing in your hands.
Combined with the kind of abstracted visuals that VR does best – less danger of bumping up against the walls of the uncanny valley – and the synaesthetic deployment of music, it’s an experience perfectly crafted for the immersion tank environment of a VR headset. Not least because you can’t see your own arms flailing around, which would rather puncture the illusion that you’re moving with samurai-like elegance.
When it comes to the music, most of which wouldn’t feel out of place in a mid-’00s Pendulum festival set, your mileage may vary. Whether or not it’s to your taste, however, is largely unimportant. In terms of how you’re interacting with them, and the way they’re structured, these aren’t really songs. They’re levels to explore, defining the space and rhythm you’ll be playing within. They’re opponents, which can be pushed up or down in difficulty depending on your mood or proficiency.
Beat Saber never reaches the same transcendental moments of synaesthesia as Tetris Effect, but it does make you feel like a genuine participant in the music. That encourages performative play, even though there’s no score incentive. Whether it’s tapping a toe, swinging your hips, or thrusting with your sword like you’re in a Tron-reskinned version of The Princess Bride, it’s impossible to play Beat Saber without a flourish.