izigame.me

While I wouldn't say that Thumper is a revolutionary rhythm game nor it being the most difficult, (that honor would go to A Dance of Fire and Ice,) it has to be the most primordially invigorating game of the genera. It really drives home the speed at which you are going and the increasing rate and which obstacles are coming at you with ever more complex patterns. The setting of a single metal track barreling down past the point of no return through hell also contributes to the feeling of abstraction and frantic pacing that is present in every level.
The mechanical , or whatever it is that you control, doesn't move in time to music; it moves in time to drums and synth-like screeches that hardly resemble music. It definitely isn't a soundtrack that is especially Spotify worthy, but for the purposes of the game feel and overall identity I wouldn't have it any other way. Each level can be quite long which can drain the player when played too long, but it isn't that bad since you can quit at any time and your progress will save.
What is most rewarding is climbing the leader boards for each level along with their + variants. You start to pick up on certain tricks such as slamming down on any beat that you can and sliding on walls at the last possible moment to rack up extra points. It sucks that it's impossible to take a break in the middle of a level if you want to get a decent score, but I understand why that is. What sucks even more are the times at the top of the leader boards that are obviously cheated and a lack of a workshop editor to make your own levels for replay ability's sake.
Still, what is here is a great package even when it isn't on sale. It's a great game that could have been a very great game given some adjustments. While I do think that A Dance of Fire and Ice is the better option because of those adjustments. most of all being the workshop, Thumper is still something that shouldn't be missed for its own vision: a spiral into hell; metal to metal.