Ragnarock "Gloryhammer Raid" DLC Review
Release Date: March 17, 2022
Publisher/Developer: WanadevStudio
Platform: Steam, Oculus (reviewed), Viveport
Price: $5.99 bundle or $1.99 per song
Last year, WanadevStudio dropped an awesome rhythm game, pulling in the VR Beat Saber crowd as well as Guitar Hero enthusiasts by melding the two play styles (swinging arms of Beat Saber + track stylings of Guitar Hero) into a unique Rhythm Racing game, casting you as the drummer keeping the beat for the oarsmen to maximize speed. As I mentioned in my article at the time, Ragnarock does an excellent job of being an “introductory VR” experience: many adjustments are possible to line up your drums, the 3D experience isn’t nauseating, and overall the graphics and music are simply fun. Now, the developers have dropped their plans for the future of the game, and it’s looking bright, with the Gloryhammer Raid DLC making an excellent first showing.
As this year goes on, Ragnarock plans to have new free songs added every quarter, with DLC “Raids” offering new collectibles, hammers, songs, and environments. This first DLC is based on the British power metal band Gloryhammer, including the 12 minute Fires of Ancient Cosmic Destiny for a true test of your endurance. Each song has three difficulty levels with their own leaderboards as well.
At the same time, Ragnarock is being updated with individual in-game profiles, allowing users on the same headset to save their settings for quick swaps during parties. Eventually an official party mode is intended to be added to the title. The developers are also currently working on porting Ragnarock to PSVR, adding another platform as well as crossplay between all of them. I’m personally excited for this as my son and I can use our PSVR and his Oculus to challenge each other. While Ragnarock already supports custom song lists and user-created tracks, they are looking into creating an in-game tool to build new levels as well.
Ragnarock is an amazingly fun rhythm game that is an excellent introduction to VR for beginners, and provides plenty of challenge for true rhythm masters. Six new tracks for six bucks is an easy sale for anyone who already loves this game. The base game currently sells for $24.99. Here’s hoping one of the upcoming Raid Packs does some more of the Celtic tunes!
Pros:
-Well made VR “killer app”
-Guitar Hero + Beat Saber
-Amazing soundtrack
-Custom Song Support
-Amazing upcoming roadmap
-Literally every “Con” from my first review of the game is recognized or being worked on
Cons:
-A pack of songs from a single band will tend to be similar, less variety than base game