After spending an eternity as a Meta Quest exclusive, Thrasher has finally made its way to PC/Steam. And, despite its lack of any sort of story surrounding its character, it’s pretty wild, to say the least.
The game, created by an artist behind the insane Thumper, focuses on a space eel. It’s your job in each micro-stage to fly into objects that appear on-screen in a limited time frame. But, as each new stage comes, you’ll find enemy projectiles and flying orbs you need to avoid. It sounds simple. In later stages, however, it proves to be a steely task.
This eventually leads to epic boss battles where they throw everything at you, but you can strike and really tear into their heart. It’s a fundamental moment, likely due to the impactful presentation and slick music. Just be prepared, though – the game becomes more daunting as it goes on.
For a $10 title, Thrasher isn’t bad. It’s built on a simple concept, but becomes much more challenging over time. Its difficulty curve could lighten up a bit, and there are times that what’s happening on-screen can be, well, chaotic. But the nature of the beast is nicely captured enough to give this unique puzzler a recommend.
Thrasher Will Whip You Around With Its Presentation
The first thing you’ll notice about Thrasher is its stylish visuals. There are some tones in comparison to Thumper, though obviously it’s a far different kind of beast. It’s more generally static screens, where it’s easy to spot the objects you need to destroy. However, as time goes on, stages become more chaotic, forcing you to be quicker with movement.
This is a pro and a con. The pro is that this adds to the challenge for those that are looking for it. However, this can also get confusing, since too much may be going on at times. Nevertheless, the visuals have a nice neon-ish glow to them, and the bosses are remarkably designed.
Backing all this up is a solid soundtrack. Maybe not quite as good as Thumper’s, but still involving and worth a listen. For good measure, the sound effects truly rock in stereo headphones.
In all, it’s a presentation that’s a little too elaborate at times, but always fun to watch and listen to. Not bad for a budget title.
How Does Thrasher’s Gameplay Hold Up?
Next up is the gameplay, in which you guide your eel around to break objects on-screen while avoiding projectiles. Again, sounds easy, until later stages force you to react quicker to stay alive.
It’s actually a cool idea, and one that reminds me of the old days of Snake, to an extent. Instead of watching out for yourself, you’re watching out for, well, everything else. But it’s built on solid gameplay mechanics, even if the difficulty curve is a bit much. I also like the introduction of power-ups, including the ability to slow down time (a huge plus).
You can also play the game in VR if you wish. Alas, I lack a fancy rig to go with my Steam Deck (not to mention apartment space). But in general Steam gameplay, it holds up well, and you can see the whole screen moderately well.
I’m Feeling Thrashed, In a Good Way
While there could’ve been more done with the game’s balance (particularly in difficulty), Thrasher is a charmer. It holds you with its simple gameplay, and keeps you coming back with boss challenges and power-ups. Plus its presentation, while a little uneven, still holds together well. And if you’ve been looking for a new VR title, well, this should suit the bill.
Just be prepared to get whipped around. Because, boy, Thrasher whips you good.
GAMERHUB RATING: 3.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Puddle for the review code! Thrasher is available now for PC/Steam, as well as Meta Quest devices.
Need more surreal gaming fun? Check out our review of Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit!
