VR rhythm games have the potential to be soothing and meditative when done correctly, and that’s exactly what Rhythmscapes seeks to achieve.
Describing itself as a blend between rhythm gaming and meditation, this is a game deliberately minimalist in execution that aims to bring a calming edge to the typically-score heavy and competitive category. As I put on my noise-cancelling headset at the Tokyo Game Show and listened to the sounds of excited visitors, I was greeted with a peaceful forest lit only by one fire. The only thing in front of me was a drum. The controls are made simpler for the purpose of allowing the user to track their hands using the Quest 3’s improved cameras and passthrough. This allows the controllers to be removed. You can now tap the drum with your hand without having to use clunky buttons and controllers. The glowing balls will show you how to play the drum. Small flowing balls that mimic the pattern expected to be hit on the drums appear in the kit to help players who are struggling. These are not meant to be exact, they simply indicate whether you should hit the right side of the drummer with your left or vice-versa. You will be given a pattern of drums to imitate. Then you have to repeat the same rhythm in time to the music. The game will not allow you to play the drums the way you want to – it’ll just keep repeating the same music if you do not follow its lead. It’s a game that you play with a virtual drum. Tokyo Game Show chooses from among a long list of entries 80 independent titles to be featured in their dedicated corner for indie games. Each exhibitor receives a tiny demo area that is about the same size as a table in an artists alley during a convention. For VR, sitting in front of the space is cramped considering people walk between the narrow alleys between desks.
Coupled with the constant interference of shadows and presences near the camera, I often found the camera would fail to register my hits to the drums, or register additional hits from passers-by. It was frustrating because the sound of the event could drown out the audio. The game’s gameplay is what I’m most concerned with. Can it sustain itself or achieve the meditative effects it claims? In the privacy of an office, bedroom or other quiet place. I can’t help but compare the game to
, which feels meditative and liberating in how it uses the complexity of rhythm games with an interstellar journey, transporting you from your worries to immerse yourself in the music.
Comparatively, the game’s simplicity and repetitiveness isn’t pulling me into the music and rhythm of the sonic landscape, nor is the visual stimulation of the light show engaging enough to pull me into its vision of a truly relaxing journey. Instead, I was bored and sometimes missed visual cues for moving into the next simple rhythmic pattern due to a lack interest. The visual indicators are so obvious they just feel intrusive, rather than blending more seamlessly into the environment created by the British-based developers.
Without the hectic nature of an event, this perhaps could be a better experience. The demo, whether it’s good or bad, represents all of the current features that developers have promised for the game. The balance between simplicity for relaxation and engagement is a difficult one, and so far this is lacking in this rendition of the game.
noise-cancelling