Beat Saber
{{Short description|Virtual reality rhythm game}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Beat Saber
| image = Beat Saber logo.jpg
| developer = Beat Games
| publisher = Beat Games
Oculus Studios (2019-present)
| engine = Unity
| platforms = {{ubl|PlayStation 4|PlayStation 5|Windows|Meta Quest}}
| released = May 21, 2019
| genre = Rhythm
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
| designer = {{Unbulleted list|Ján Ilavský|Vladimír Hrinčár|Peter Hrinčár}}
| artist = Jan Ilavský
| composer = Jaroslav Beck
}}
Beat Saber is a virtual reality rhythm game developed by Ján Ilavský, Vladimír Hrinčár, and Peter Hrinčár. The game was published by Czech game developer Beat Games and was later obtained by Oculus Studios. It takes place in many different surrealistic neon environments and features the player slicing blocks representing musical beats with a pair of brightly-colored sabers. Following an early access release in May 2018, the game was officially released for PlayStation 4 and Windows (supporting both Steam VR and Oculus VR APIs) on May 21, 2019, and for the Meta Quest (Oculus Quest) in standalone mode.
Gameplay
File:Beat Saber gameplay screenshot.jpg
The player uses VR controllers to relocate a pair of glowing sabers, which by default are colored red and blue for left and right respectively, although the colors are changeable to any color. In each song, the game presents the player with a stream of approaching blocks laid out in sync with the song's beats and notes, located in one of the 12 possible positions of a 4x3 grid. Each one may also be marked with an arrow indicating one of eight possible directions in which the block may be required to be cut through. There are also blocks with dots instead of arrows, which players may hit in any direction from the sides (not poked through the dot). When a block is properly cut by a saber, it is destroyed and a score is awarded, based on the length and angle of the swing and the accuracy of the cut. In addition, there are sometimes bombs that the player should not hit, and obstacles in the form of oncoming walls that the player's head should avoid. The term “map” refers to the layout of these blocks, walls, and bombs in a song.
Underneath the path where the blocks travel is a white “energy bar,” also called “battery”. At the beginning of every song, the bar is halfway full, slowly filling up as the player hits notes correctly. If the player makes mistakes, such as hitting a note in the incorrect direction or with the wrong saber, hitting a bomb or running into a wall, the bar will decrease. If the bar becomes empty, the level will end.
Since the addition of Original Soundtrack (OST) 5, two new mechanics were introduced to the game. One of them features a new block called a Chain, which starts with a block which indicates which direction to cut. After the lead slice, there are several smaller blocks which can be cut. The other new mechanic is the Arc. An Arc is a line showing the recommended path for your saber to follow. It is connected to a block and continues on until it either connects to another block or stops altogether. Both of these new mechanics also calculate score differently than the original blocks.{{Citation |title=Arc And Chain Notes Tutorial {{!}} Beat Saber Explained |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5EnYBttaaA |access-date=2022-03-19}}
Before the start of each song, the game offers the option to enable Modifiers. These are options that affect different aspects of gameplay, such as the presence of bombs, or the speed at which the song plays and in return these can either increase or lower the player's rank depending on the impact on difficulty.
For example the "No Fail" modifier allows the player to complete the song without fail if the energy bar depletes but the final rank will be lowered. The "Super Fast Song" modifier will increase the players rank, but the song will progress at 150% speed.
In 2024, songs with explicit lyrics were added to the game. Players ages 13 and over may choose to remove or include uncensored explicit songs in the game settings. Players between the ages of 10 and 12 using a child account have explicit songs removed by default.{{Cite web |last=studio |first=Ler digital |title=Beat Saber - VR rhythm game |url=https://beatsaber.com/faq.html |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=beatsaber.com |language=en}}
Development
Beat Saber began after the completion of Beat Games' (Hyperbolic Magnetism at the time) previous title, Chameleon Run. Vladimír Hrinčár and Ján Ilavský began creating demos and prototypes, and some of these were posted on Facebook. The composer, Jaroslav Beck saw some of these prototypes and met the team in Prague in order to convince them to let him create the soundtrack for the game. After around two years of development, the game was released in early access on May 1, 2018.{{Cite web|title=How Beat Saber beat the odds|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/08/how-beat-saber-beat-the-odds/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=TechCrunch|date=May 8, 2019 }}
Release
File:Beat saber team gdca 2019.jpg at the Game Developers Choice Awards 2019]]
The game was first released in early access on Windows on May 1, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.windowscentral.com/beat-saber-everything-we-know-about-vr-rhythm-game|title=Beat Saber: Everything we know about the VR rhythm game|last=Hunt|first=Cale|date=April 5, 2018|website=Windows Central|access-date=May 9, 2018}} The game was released on PlayStation 4 on November 20, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.playstation.com/en-ca/games/beat-saber-ps4/|title=Beat Saber|website=PlayStation|access-date=November 28, 2018}} An editor was announced for release in May 2018, which would allow for the creation of custom user songs, but it was postponed,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/vr-rhythm-game-beat-saber-now-the-highest-rated-game-on-steam-releasing-level-editor-next-week/|title=VR rhythm game Beat Saber, now the highest rated game on Steam, releasing level editor next week|last=Horti|first=Samuel|date=May 6, 2018|magazine=PC Gamer|access-date=May 9, 2018}} and added in May 2019.
{{main|List of songs in Beat Saber}}
In March 2019, Beat Games released its first paid song pack, featuring 10 songs from electronic music record label Monstercat.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/beat-saber-releases-first-paid-dlc-song-pack-contains-10-tracks/|title=Beat Saber releases first paid DLC music pack|last=Horti|first=Samuel|date=March 16, 2019|magazine=PC Gamer|access-date=March 16, 2019}} "Crab Rave" was added as a free update on April Fools' Day that year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2019/04/01/crab-rave-beat-saber-free-song/|title=Crab Rave is the Latest Free Beat Saber Song, Available Now|date=April 1, 2019|website=PlayStation LifeStyle|access-date=April 14, 2019}} On May 2, 2019, to celebrate the game's first anniversary, a prototype version created three years prior was released to the public as Beat Saber Origins.{{Cite web|url=https://techmoneyfit.com/blog/beat-saber-releases-origins-early-build-to-celebrate-first-anniversary/|title=Beat Saber Releases Origins Early Build To Celebrate First Anniversary|date=March 4, 2019|website=techmoneyfit.com|access-date=May 10, 2019}} The game was fully released out of early access on PC on May 21, 2019.{{cite news|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/22/beat-saber-out/|title=Beat Saber bops out of early access|first=Matt|last=Cox|date=May 21, 2019|access-date=May 21, 2019|website=Rock Paper Shotgun}} On January 29, 2020, the game received a free pack featuring three songs by Japanese artist Camellia.{{cite web|url=https://uploadvr.com/beat-saber-new-track/|title=Three New Free Beat Saber Songs Arrive In New Update From Cametek|date=2019-01-29}} Many other songs and song packs, both paid and free, were released afterwards in updates.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Beat Saber - VR rhythm game |url=https://beatsaber.com/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=beatsaber.com |language=en}}
Facebook via Oculus Studios acquired Beat Games in November 2019. The company stated that the purchase would not affect future development of Beat Saber on third-party VR platforms besides Oculus.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/26/20984468/facebook-acquisition-beat-games-beat-saber-vr-studio|title=Facebook is buying Beat Saber's development studio|last=Robertson|first=Adi|date=2019-11-26|website=The Verge|access-date=2019-11-27}} Beat Games will continue to operate in Prague as an independent studio, although under the umbrella of Oculus Studios.
In December 2024, a 17 song Metallica song pack was released.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-10 |title=Beat Saber’s Metallica Music Pack out today |url=https://blog.playstation.com/2024/12/10/beat-sabers-metallica-music-pack-out-today/ |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=PlayStation.Blog |language=en-US}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| MC = PS4: 86/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/beat-saber/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4|title=Beat Saber for PlayStation 4 Reviews|website=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=May 22, 2019}}
PC: 93/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/beat-saber/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=Beat Saber for PC Reviews|website=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=May 30, 2019}}
| OPMUK = 8/10
| GI = 9/10{{cite web|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/review/beat-saber/engrossing-musical-swordplay|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181212015239/https://www.gameinformer.com/review/beat-saber/engrossing-musical-swordplay|url-status=live|archive-date=December 12, 2018|title=Beat Saber Engrossing Musical Swordplay|website=Game Informer |date=November 20, 2018 |access-date=May 22, 2019}}
| rev1 = Road to VR
| rev1Score = 8.9/10{{cite web|url=https://www.roadtovr.com/beat-saber-psvr-review-move-and-groove-slice-and-dice/|title='Beat Saber' PSVR Review – Move & Groove as You Slice & Dice
|website=Road to VR|date=November 20, 2018
|access-date=May 22, 2019}}
| JXV = 17/20{{cite web|url=https://www.jeuxvideo.com/test/976715/beat-saber-une-version-ps4-de-haute-volee.htm|title=Test Beat Saber : une version PS4 de haute volée !|website=Jeuxvideo.com|date=December 21, 2018 |access-date=May 22, 2019}}
| rev2 = UploadVR
| rev2Score = 8.5/10{{cite web|url=https://uploadvr.com/beat-saber-psvr-review-the-most-addictive-vr-game-to-date/|title=Beat Saber PSVR Review – The Most Addictive VR Game To Date|website=UploadVR|date=November 20, 2018|access-date=May 22, 2019}}
}}
During its early access phase, Beat Saber received numerous positive reviews, becoming the highest rated game on Steam less than a week after its early access release. The game sold over a million copies by March 2019.{{cite web|last1=Princ|first1=Zdeněk|title=Beat Saber překonal hranici milionu prodaných kusů|url=https://www.vortex.cz/beat-saber-prekonal-hranici-milionu-prodanych-kusu/|website=www.vortex.cz|publisher=Vortex|access-date=March 15, 2019|language=cs}} By February 2021, the game had sold over 4 million copies and 40 million songs have been sold through paid DLC.{{cite web |last1=Verdu |first1=Mike |title=From Bear to Bull: How Oculus Quest 2 Is Changing the Game for VR |url=https://www.oculus.com/blog/from-bear-to-bull-how-oculus-quest-2-is-changing-the-game-for-vr/ |website=Oculus.com |publisher=Facebook, Inc. |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=February 2, 2021}}
Edge thought the game was an excellent fit for VR as a medium, writing "At this point in virtual reality's development, it's still rare to encounter a game that feels native to the technology. Beat Saber is an exception."{{cite magazine |author= |title=Beat Saber Review |magazine=Edge |issue=328|publisher=Future |pages=120|date=February 2019}}
IGN noted that while the game "doesn't push the limits of [VR tech] too far", it is extremely effective at communicating the appeal of VR, and considered the game "a go-to for introducing anyone to virtual reality."{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/05/28/beat-saber-review |title=Beat Saber Review |last=Stapleton |first=Dan |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=May 28, 2019 |access-date=January 2, 2020}}
GameSpot noted that at launch the supported song library was "slim", but nevertheless concluded that "Beat Saber is an exhilarating rush and an exhausting game to play in the best way."{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/beat-saber-review-bass-boosted/1900-6417044/ |title=Beat Saber Review – Bass-Boosted |last=Barbosa |first=Alessandro |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=November 26, 2018 |access-date=January 2, 2019}}
In 2025, Meta compiled its "50 best-selling paid Quest games of all time", with Beat Saber topping the list at number 1.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-22 |title=Meta Revealed The 50 Best-Selling Quest Games Of All Time |url=https://www.uploadvr.com/meta-revealed-the-50-best-selling-quest-games-of-all-time/ |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=UploadVR |language=en}}
= Awards =
References
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