Thumper trailer promotes "rhythm violence"

There's something primal and terrifying about Thumper's pulsating bass beats. It's like the unstoppable march of something deadly and dread-laden. It is, in other words, pretty damn cool.

The latest trailer, "Rhythm Violence," is a minute-long assault of colour, noise and foreboding. It follows the last trailer, "Kill Crakhed," which was pretty much also that.

In case it's not clear, I'm looking forward to Thumper. I played a bit of the IGF build, and I'd describe it as Audiosurf if Audiosurf didn't much like you. It's a rhythm game, in which you perform specific actions to the beat—but along an on-rails track that you're inescapably locked on to. Even the tutorial's droning, rolling beat felt like a simulated panic attack. Does that sounds bad? It isn't meant to. Rather, its tone and style is perfectly placed to enrapture those receptive to rhythm action games.

Thumper will be released "when it's finished".

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.