Beat Saber (PC) Review

It's no surprise that Beat Saber has become the critically acclaimed VR behemoth it has evolved into. If there is one thing that VR needed, it was something that had the mass appeal of - great music, physical movement to dance and rhythmic glowing boxes to chop. For anyone unfamiliar with the game, that really does sum it up. Think Guitar Hero back in the day and what a huge success that franchise became and then it suddenly becomes clear.

Glowing boxes with directional arrows will fly at the player, as they are tasked with chopping them at the correct time with glowing light-sticks that may or may not resemble the famous accessory from Star Wars.

"That sounds easy", some people cry. Well, those people should give Beat Saber a true try, because while the three volumes of original default tracks have a variety of speeds and levels of difficulty, it defies anyone to play them on hard and not finish their session of gaming drenched in sweat.

Make no mistake, Beat Saber is a proper workout, and this is one that keeps you sucked in and itching for that "one more play" just to perfect a track.

One of the aspects that makes Beat Saber so appealing is the visual design. The player stands on a sort of neon blue/pink runway - while a cacophony of rave lights and exciting things happen along this sci-fi stage. It is an incredibly engaging space and it is the standard of any VR title to suck the player into the world they are trying to inhabit and Beat Saber certainly does this. It's not just little glowing boxes to keep an eye on either, flying walls are part of the mix as well, with the ducking and diving adding that real boost to this fun-filled cardio workout.

Between the speed at which the boxes are flying at the player, the change in directions, and the complicated matter of certain colours pertaining to the left and right saber, there is a hell of a lot to think about. The sense of accomplishment from actually mastering a track on expert difficulty is tangible.

It has to be said, the quality of the Oculus Quest 2 speakers add immensely to the experience. 3D surround sound - turn the volume up and get immersed in music and movement.

At the same time, the greater specs of the Quest 2 and the new 90hz mode, means that anyone upgrading their headset will find the experience even more immersive and enjoyable. Of course, while there are a bundle of tailor-made tracks included in the base game by Czech composer Jaroslav Beck, this isn't even scratching the surface of what is possible in Beat Saber... but more on that in a moment.

K-Pop supergroup BTS are pretty much the hottest thing in music right now. So it is no surprise that a music-rhythm game seeks them out and boy does it work well for this genre. Any fans of theirs will know the group is known most of all for their energetic-hits they have been wowing the globe with since 2013 - the likes of Dynamite, IDOL and DOPE - all of which are included in this pack of 12 tracks, all with bespoke beat maps and dance moves.

Not only are these tracks frenetic and fun music workouts, but cute TinyTan figures also join the party in game, with the animated characters delightfully dancing along to the songs. It's a small touch, but fans will appreciate it immensely and in VR, it is the cool features like this that really add to the experience.

Back on the intriguing point above, Beat Saber has grown a massive community among the VR world and one benefit is the ability to add custom songs to the game. What this means is all the player's favourite tracks can now make up an almost endless list of songs to learn and dance along with. Best of all, the process is a cinch to set up.