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Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
Review: Beat Saber
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Your scores are recorded after successfully clearing a level. In the Campaign mode, your progress is also recorded at this point. To pause the game (not recommended) you can bring up your headset's menu. Time needed per session:While your typical level only lasts for two or three minutes, you're likely going to play several levels at a time. Also, you'll need a few moments to get your vr headset ready, so plan for around fifteen minutes per session.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | No - this is a great game for Christians Any potential issues with this game lie with the lyrics to the music the player is using. However, all of the music that comes with the game or can be added via DLC has been censored. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/beat_saber_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/beat_saber_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/beat_saber_2.jpg)
Game Overview
Beat Saber is quite possibly the most famous virtual reality game of all time. Although mixing a good cardio workout with a quality soundtrack isn't a new concept, this game does manage to make it fun and easily accessible to a lot of people, which is worth acknowledging even if you're not a fan of its mechanics.
That said, the gameplay could hardly be simpler. The player wields a "saber" in each hand, and you'll use these to slice your way through blocks that come towards you. The position and speed of these blocks is tied to the beat, so you'll be cutting through them with the music. The trick to this is that it only counts if you cut through the blocks in the correct direction with the correct saber. Don't worry too much about this though: it's incredibly intuitive. In fact, thinking about what you're doing will probably trip you up more often than not. Also, a few songs contain "arcs" connecting two blocks - to clear these, you'll need to keep your saber over the arc for the entire swing.
In addition to the blocks, there are some obstacles that get in your way. For example, the blocks are sometimes accompanied by mines, and walls occasionally block off a portion of the play area. Hitting a mine, standing in a wall, or missing blocks will cause your energy meter to decrease, and if it empties completely, you lose the level and need to try again.
Fortunately, there's no real penalty for this, and there are also a large number of options available to help tailor the game to your abilities. If you're finding yourself struggling with a song, just turn the difficulty down a bit while you practice. Of course, there are also plenty of options to make the game harder, if you're interested in that. This game is primarily about having fun, so figure out where you're comfortable.
It's really easy to see why this game has become such a staple of the virtual reality gaming scene. With tons of options, multiple game modes, and a constant stream of regular updates bringing in new music, it's definitely a good choice for your VR library.
That said, the gameplay could hardly be simpler. The player wields a "saber" in each hand, and you'll use these to slice your way through blocks that come towards you. The position and speed of these blocks is tied to the beat, so you'll be cutting through them with the music. The trick to this is that it only counts if you cut through the blocks in the correct direction with the correct saber. Don't worry too much about this though: it's incredibly intuitive. In fact, thinking about what you're doing will probably trip you up more often than not. Also, a few songs contain "arcs" connecting two blocks - to clear these, you'll need to keep your saber over the arc for the entire swing.
In addition to the blocks, there are some obstacles that get in your way. For example, the blocks are sometimes accompanied by mines, and walls occasionally block off a portion of the play area. Hitting a mine, standing in a wall, or missing blocks will cause your energy meter to decrease, and if it empties completely, you lose the level and need to try again.
Fortunately, there's no real penalty for this, and there are also a large number of options available to help tailor the game to your abilities. If you're finding yourself struggling with a song, just turn the difficulty down a bit while you practice. Of course, there are also plenty of options to make the game harder, if you're interested in that. This game is primarily about having fun, so figure out where you're comfortable.
It's really easy to see why this game has become such a staple of the virtual reality gaming scene. With tons of options, multiple game modes, and a constant stream of regular updates bringing in new music, it's definitely a good choice for your VR library.
Points of Interest
Tons of music
Counting the many, many DLC packages, Beat Saber offers more than 180 songs for you to dance and slice your way through. Players can also add custom songs using mods, though how difficult it is to mod your game depends on the platform you're using - the Steam version seems much more mod-friendly than the Meta Quest releases. For more on custom songs and mods, take a look at this fan site
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Single player challenges
If you're playing alone, you're probably going to be using the Solo game mode, which allows you to select any available song and customize the difficulty to your personal preference. Note that these customizations come with a trade off: making the game easier (by say, disabling walls) will lower your score. On the other hand, increasing the difficulty grants a score bonus.
Another way to play the game alone is the Campaign mode, which has you clear predefined levels by completing specific tasks. This is considerably harder than the Solo mode, as some of the goals aren't things you'd normally encounter in the game, such as limits on how much you can move.
Another way to play the game alone is the Campaign mode, which has you clear predefined levels by completing specific tasks. This is considerably harder than the Solo mode, as some of the goals aren't things you'd normally encounter in the game, such as limits on how much you can move.
Online and local Multiplayer modes
Playing Beat Saber online works about as you'd expect - it's basically the Solo mode played in tandem with a friend, and the player with the most points wins. The local multiplayer mode, dubbed Party mode, is a lot more interesting. In this mode, players take turns using the VR headset to play through their choice of songs. When a level is successfully completed, the player records their score by signing his or her name into a local leaderboard. When you're all done, this leaderboard can be cleared with just a few clicks.
Importantly, the Party mode allows a group of friends to play together with just one headset and copy of the game.
Importantly, the Party mode allows a group of friends to play together with just one headset and copy of the game.
Achievements
Both the Steam and Quest versions come with 26 achievements for players to earn while they groove out to the music. Most of them are awarded by playing the game a lot, so you'll eventually earn them if you play it frequently. Some of the harder achievements require you to use settings that make the game harder than usual, so only the most skilled players will earn those.
Concerns and Issues
Fairly clean
None of the songs in the base game contain swearing or references to anything noticeably offensive, making this a clean and family friendly game. However, there are a few DLC tracks that originally contained swearing; their official Beat Saber versions have been censored.