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Ive been telling myself that Im done buying new games for the year.
The backlog is huge.
- I am all set on new games.
And certainly no more buying them!
Whats important is that Maestro is some of the most fun Ive had all year in any video game.
Its a complete delight.
And, because its exclusively in VR, Im afraid none of you are going to play it.
Maestro In VR, Not Maestro VR
One quick thing before I dig deeper.
This game is called Maestro.
Its available on Meta Quest andSteam.
However - if you want this game!
- it is not Maestro VR on Steam.
That is a different game and it has mixed reviews.
Maestro is the VR game Im talking about, Maestro VR is not the game Im talking about.
I know, I know, its all a mess, but Im not the one naming these things.
You know when the fancy person waves the baton and points at people?
If youve played literally any rhythm game before, you will understand how this works.
Maestro doesnt actually use controllers: It senses your hands and puts em in nice cartoon gloves.
Trust me, its stupid, but it helps.
Anyway, the entire gameplay loop is just - obviously - you moving your hands.
The baton hand hits arrows in a way somewhat similar to something like Beat Saber.
All of this is cued with visuals the way youd expect in a rhythm experience.
But in Maestro, it actually makes sense.
Its simpler to be using your hands alone to point and wave and raise and lower your arm.
The controller would actually get in the way here.
This will all be familiar territory to you if youve played the genre.
If its not: rhythm games!
Now that Ive played Maestro, I candefinitelyvaguely describe it.
Because the game is so intuitive and responsive, you immediately fall into it.
Suddenly I understood why conductors look so happy and excited.
Its fun, man!
I dont know why Bugs Bunny tries to ruin it for them!
Thats the other thing.
If this was just a good rhythm game, Id be happy.
Thats my get-out-of-depression bread and butter.
The game is ‘hosted’ by a Mozart-looking weirdo named Eric de Roch.
Oh, thats right!
Before each song, it’s possible for you to turn around and bow as they applaud.
In most rhythm games, you choose a song and you wait for it to start, right?
Not here, girl!
In the land of conductors, the musicians wait for you to start the song.
Take as much time as you want getting praised by the crowd before you begin.
You have to hit your baton on the music stand a couple times.
You have to raise up your hands.
And then, when youre ready, you’ve got the option to begin conducting.
Once you start to get a feel for it, its seamless and so joyful.
As I said, there is an audience.
So after your musicians finish, you turn around and face the crowd to bow.
If they hate you because you failed the level, they throw tomatoes like youre Fozzie Bear.
It doesnt actually matter, but its a nice touch.
It gives the whole performance a sense of place.
Youre in an opera house conducting an orchestra for an audience.
The problem is, of course, that this is all in virtual reality.
That game looks amazing, too!
Itll also break my ‘no new games’ mandate.
Which is a shame.
Because its so good and Im both worried and bummed this wont get the attention it deserves.
Thats not the fault of the general public, but its still a bit of a downer reality.
But Maestro is just fun, buddy.
It doesnt have a deep story.
It doesnt have some wild gimmick.
Its just a very well done rhythm game that actually made me feel like I was a professional conductor.
Every so often, the illusion is perfect.
Its some of the most moment-to-moment joy Ive had in a video game.
Im glad we got something that makes me look like a big old dork.
I know I mentioned Bugs Bunny already, but my body throw in is definitely ‘frustrated music conductor’.
No, Maestro isnt a game that will move headsets.
Its not a triple-A system mover.
But its a fantastic virtual reality game and a fantastic rhythm game.
If you exist within this Venn diagram of fandom, kindly buy this game.
To reiterate, I didnt get it free either; Im right there with you.
I would not tell you to buy it if I didnt think it was worth my money.
Ive disappointed myself so many times buying some random game that seemed cool.
I just hope somebody other than me plays it.
Bounce Arcade puts you inside a pinball machine for a bouncing good time.
