Review: Smash Drums
Since its launch in 2021, Smash Drums has been my favorite rhythm game on the Meta Quest. I’ve always felt it was unfortunate that players on other platforms missed out on its fun. Therefore, when PotamWorks revealed it would be available on PSVR2 with enhancements, I was incredibly excited and eager to discover what new features it would offer.
Release Date: May 15th 2025
Developer: PotamWorks
Publisher: PotamWorks
Price: Standard: US $19.99 / Premium: US $54.99
Reviewed On: PlayStation VR2
* Access Provided For Review *
A Smashing Good Time
Let’s begin by exploring the distinctions between the Standard and Premium Editions. The Standard Edition provides the core game along with a base pack of fifty-eight songs from artists such as Thorr, Celldweller, Scandroid, and Daedric, ensuring you have a robust selection to kick off your gaming experience. In contrast, the Premium Edition enhances your collection with an extra thirty-five songs from downloadable content (DLC) track packs, featuring renowned artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, The Cure, and Blondie. Additionally, these DLC track packs can be acquired separately for $5.99 each, with a total of seven packs available.
True to its name, this game immerses you in a rhythmic drumming experience featuring a diverse selection of songs. Depending on the mode you select, the gameplay will vary slightly, but fundamentally, all modes revolve around the same core mechanics of drumming. Your goal is to achieve combo streaks, boost your multiplier, and maximize your score on each track. The available modes include Arcade, Classic, and Fusion, each offering a unique twist on the same gameplay loop and note patterns, altering the way you engage with the music.
In Arcade Mode, you’ll experience drums and cymbals soaring towards you to strike. Classic Mode presents a color-coded drum setup, reminiscent of the traditional Guitar Hero/Rock Band style, where colored notes descend on a board for you to match with your drum parts. Lastly, Fusion Mode combines elements from both, allowing you to play the drum kit while color-coded notes approach for you to hit as they align with the corresponding drum part. You can explore each mode to find your preferred style; personally, I favor Arcade Mode, as it was the original mode released in 2021, making it the one I’m most accustomed to. Unfortunately, the multiplayer mode is missing from the PlayStation VR2 version of the game, and there are no current plans to introduce it.
In Arcade and Fusion modes, you’ll encounter the usual notes along with some that are highlighted with ‘!’ or ‘!!’ to indicate offbeats. Additionally, there are numbered notes that indicate how many times you should strike them. Although you can strike them once without breaking your streak or counting it as a missed note, for the most genuine experience, it’s best to hit them the number of times indicated. Additionally, there’s a modifier that enables you to impose strength requirements on the notes, meaning they must be struck lightly, normally, or with force, introducing a layer of realism for those seeking an extra challenge.
Staying faithful to the rhythm game genre, this game features escalating difficulty levels ranging from easy to expert. It enables players to enjoy a more relaxed experience or ramp up the challenge when they feel prepared to advance. As you progress to higher difficulties, you’ll encounter faster drumming and increased tempos. Personally, I discovered that starting at a medium level and gradually advancing worked best for me when I first played it on the Quest.
Every difficulty level features its own leaderboard, providing an extra incentive for players eager to claim the top spot, beyond the game’s enjoyable and addictive nature. If you’re aiming to dominate the leaderboards, consider utilising score modifiers, which can increase the challenge of the songs while also boosting your score.
Additionally, the game includes a No Fail mode for those who prefer to enjoy the songs in full without worrying about scores, or for players who want to practice before tackling tougher challenges. I suggest starting with the DLC tracks in No Fail mode, as they present a higher difficulty compared to the standard tracks, without altering your overall difficulty setting – just a helpful tip from me to you.
PSVR2 SMASH!
While the gameplay remains consistent from Quest to PSVR2, there’s no need to alter a formula that functions so well. The real enhancements stem from the capabilities of the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, which surpass those of the standalone Meta Quest. The PotamWorks team has diligently leveraged this power to elevate an already remarkable experience.
The visuals have received a significant upgrade, featuring enhanced dynamic lighting and shadows, along with improved models and textures for the various environments where you can play your drums. Additionally, the game now boasts better performance, with the standard PS5 supporting 120Hz in performance mode and 90Hz in fidelity and social modes. Meanwhile, the PS5 Pro delivers 120Hz in both performance and fidelity modes, and 90Hz in social mode. This enhancement is made possible through foveated rendering enabled by the eye-tracking technology of PSVR2.
For those looking to create content or stream Smash Drums, Social mode is the ideal choice. This mode enhances your social screen with smooth camera movements and dynamic angles, making the experience more engaging and lively for your audience, as opposed to just a straightforward view.
In rhythm games, audio plays a crucial role, and one aspect I dislike is when the sound quality diminishes if my performance falters. Fortunately, Smash Drums maintains consistent audio levels regardless of how well you play. You’ll receive subtle yet clear audio cues when you miss notes, along with a warning if your Mojo falls below 25%. The quality of all tracks is excellent, and the interactions from the stages are both noticeable and audible, providing an ideal sound experience for a rhythm game.
Not only have they leveraged the enhanced power and eye-tracking to elevate the user experience, but they have also incorporated other distinctive features of the hardware. The adaptive triggers provide force resistance in the mid-range, allowing you to confirm your selections in the menus. While this may feel unusual at first, it quickly becomes second nature. You can also press the triggers to rotate your drumsticks, with each complete turn signalled by vibrations in the adaptive triggers. Additionally, the team has utilized the headset haptics, but this feature is limited to Arcade and Fusion modes, where you may encounter flying debris during gameplay; if you fail to dodge them, the headset will vibrate.
Comfort
The Verdict
Just when I thought Smash Drums had reached its peak, the PotamWorks team surprised me with their latest enhancements. Featuring an impressive array of base tracks complemented by thirty-five additional DLC tracks, there’s an abundance of content regardless of the edition you choose. The team has successfully transferred the already captivating gameplay from the Quest version, leveraging the enhanced capabilities of the PS5 and PS5 Pro to elevate performance and visuals. The improvements in real-time lighting and dynamic shadows exceeded my expectations. Achieving 120hz natively on both consoles, thanks to foveated rendering, results in an incredibly smooth experience. With various modes and difficulty levels available, players can easily find their ideal playstyle, and the leaderboards provide an extra incentive to keep coming back, despite the unfortunate removal of multiplayer mode. Smash Drums on PSVR2 has firmly established itself as my top VR rhythm game, and it’s undoubtedly the best platform and where I will enjoying this title in the future.