Ragnarock (Oculus) Review
Release Date: July 15, 2021
Publisher/Developer: WanadevStudio
Platform: Steam, Oculus
Price: $24.99
Rhythm games and Virtual Reality work together like peanut butter and jelly. While Beat Saber has dominated the market, there are plenty of other games out there trying to create a unique experience. Ragnarock does a great job of creating a unique combination, as a viking rhythm racing game.
Classic Viking tales tell of a drummer who would sit at the back of the boat and keep rhythm for those rowing the boat. This is still used today, and can even be seen during the Olympics. A steady rhythm and an exciting song can keep energy up in the rowers and help them move faster. This is how we connect music and racing games. Doing better makes your team go further, so distance = score. There are several tracks (both music and racing), and the further you get in the level, the more surreal it gets.
After using your ability to set up your boat just so, with adjustments to drum height, the angle your mallets are at in your virtual hands, and where your shields are (for specials), you drop into the game. Rune icons come at you similar to Guitar Hero tracks. Hitting the drums just right results in a perfect white rune, and off beats show where they land on the drum itself. This helps you adjust your beat (or your mallets) to be a better player, and is really handy for practicing getting good. As you chain combos you can build your special, which is activated by hitting the shields, rallying the vikings, and getting a huge burst of speed. Missing a beat resets your meter, so it’s a huge risk versus reward of seeing how much of a streak you can hit for maximum speed.
The track list is wonderfully unique for a music game, an eclectic mix of hardcore metal and celtic tunes. The music fits the game perfectly, but it’s wide open for customized songs with support from the developers, as opposed to games like Beat Saber which require side loading and special setups just to get customization. I like the setup of the menu as well, offering all difficulties on an easy-click button. Too often on Beat Saber my “pro level” son likes to do Expert +++, then I get in the headset and am overwhelmed because the game defaults to the last difficulty. The tracks default in the game are amazingly fun and addictive to my Celtic music obsessed friends. With a robust online fanbase, this game could provide entertainment for years on end.
Virtual Reality games can be a hard sell for casual people, but I felt Ragnarock was an excellent introduction for some. It offers a simplistic gameplay, does not invoke sickness as much as others with the solid boat in front of you to focus on, and doesn’t require as much dynamic moving as games like Beat Saber. My casual friends had fun, but wished there was more visual response to notice when hitting the drums proper. They also complained that they wanted more physical feedback. Beat Saber involves “cutting through”, whilst Ragnarock is hitting a hard drum. That is understandably hard to do in VR, but it does change the immersion factor a bit.
Ragnarock builds a game with wonderful character. The semi-cel-shaded style of the game will stand the test of time, and a combination of rhythm and racing (with even online races!) makes for a unique gameplay hook. This game easily deserves a spot in your Steam or Oculus library on it’s way to Valhalla.
Pros:
-Excellent “killer app” VR game that will stand the test of time
-Guitar Hero focus with VR Beat Saber Action
-Wonderfully unique soundtrack
-Built in custom song support
Cons:
-Could use a bit more response on the successful drum hits
-Maybe some more options on backgrounds, simply for variety (they are widely different, but more is better)
-Can I get it on PSVR please?????