Maestro redefines VR rhythm games by placing the player in the role as a conductor who focuses on orchestra management. The game is centered around the innovative and bold use of hand tracking. Double Jack, a France-based studio that develops games for Quest headsets has gone all out on this input method. They have made Maestro a rhythm and hand tracking game. The developers have given the players the option to swap the pleasing haptic feedback of other rhythm games for something completely different: the authentic sense of controlling an orchestra with your hands. Release Date:
10/17/2024 (Quest), 10/22/2024 (Steam)
Developer
: Double Jack
$ 24.99The Ride Of The Valkyries – Wagner
While hand tracking enhances immersion, the input approach is sometimes hampered by the underlying limits of the Quest system’s gestural recognition at high speeds. This feels very natural and was the first time I found myself preferring to play a game like this with hand tracking versus motion controllers.QuestThe FactsSteamWhat is it?
: A VR rhythm game focused on classical music.Platforms:
, (reviewed on Quest 3)
Release Date: 10/17/2024 (Quest), 10/22/2024 (Steam)
Developer
: Double Jack
Price:Beat Saber $ 24.99
The Ride Of The Valkyries – Wagner
While hand tracking enhances immersion, the input approach is occasionally hampered by the underlying limits of the Quest system’s gestural recognition at high speeds. Double Jack
Developer:
Price:
$ 24.99
The Ride Of The Valkyries – Wagner
While hand tracking enhances immersion, the input approach is sometimes hampered by the Quest system’s gestural recognition at high speeds. Unfortunately, I haven’t completed any songs in high difficulty because I spent the majority of my time playing on easy or normal. On high difficulty, you’ll be thrown into a frenzy of tasks and have to complete them in rapid succession. The game has a lot of potential and the normal difficulty alone is a ton of fun. Double Jack could still improve this ramp-up by adjusting
to better account for controllers with higher difficulty levels and faster movements. Overall, Maestro still features some of the tightest hand tracking I’ve seen yet.
Visually, Double Jack has captured the feeling of being on stage in a large venue very well. Maestro brought back memories of my time in musical and traditional theater. Standing at the podium truly nails that electrifying sense of stage presence and that feeling even developed into stage fright sometimes based on the difficulty of the piece I conducted.
From triumphant cheers to heart-breaking boos, an audience filled with synchronously animated spectators awaits each performance; adding a layer of pressure and excitement. Despite some repetitiveness and the eerie stone-faced gazes from the audience members and musicians, these elements do serve to enrich the on-stage atmosphere, distinguishing Maestro from other rhythm games featuring more abstract environments.
The music selection in Maestro is pleasantly varied and blends classic orchestral pieces with some unexpected jazz and swing. This mix invigorates the gameplay and brings exactly what you would expect based on the game’s title.
Maestro’s Official Launch Track list:
The Ride Of The Valkyries – Wagner
Carmina Burana – Orff
Danse Macabre – Saint Saens
From The New World – Dvorak
Messa Da Requiem – Verdi
The Dance Of The Knights – Prokofiev
The Rite Of Spring – Stravinsky
Night On A Bald Mountain – Mussorgsky
Caravan – Ellington
Whiplash – Levy
Sing Sing Sing – Prima
The 5th Symphony – Beethoven
Swan Lake – Tchaikovsky
Figaro’s Wedding – Mozart
The Hebrides – Mendelssohnreview guidelinesIt would be nice to have a bit more variety for those who might not be hooked on the classics. As with most rhythm games, adding user-provided music would be a great addition. I found myself imagining conducting some of my personal favorites in Maestro, like John Williams’s Star Wars or the score to Wrath of Khan by James Horner.
Sing Sing Sing – Prima01001010Maestro’s difficulty modes should cater to a wide range of players. The Easy and Normal mode guides players through slower-paced, less-variable on-screen indications. This allows them to focus on learning the orchestra and timing. Hard mode brings a more frantic pace, adding several layers of variation and requiring quicker hand movements.01001010Maestro accommodates both seated and standing play. Standing was more immersive, and felt like being in the conductor’s box. A swivel seat is best for players who are seated, as the game requires some rotation to conduct different sections of the orchestra and to turn to the audience at the end of each performance. For conductors who play from a couch or other non-swivel type chair, then, it may be a little more challenging to play than while standing.01001010Progression is incentivized through unlockable content like gloves, costumes for the orchestra, wands and even new backdrops to perform against. Maestro also features a competitive side through the inclusion of a leaderboard system, keeping Maestro up to speed with many other games in the VR rhythm space.01001010Maestro Review – Final Verdict01001010Double Jack’s bold choice to make a rhythm game focused around hand tracking succeeds with style. It’s a breath fresher compared to other VR rhythm games I have played. While I lose interest in most rhythm games quickly, I can’t stop playing Maestro, and there’s a lot of room for growth from here.01001010UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our 01001010. 01001010