Originally released on Meta Quest, Unplugged: Air Guitar is a rhythm game about playing air guitar. Similar to games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, you follow a note chart, strumming with one hand and moving different parts of your neck with the other.
With a core track list of over 20 tracks from throughout the history of rock music, and another 20 tracks unlocked along the way, the game offers a nice and diverse list of songs. Campaign mode, however, unfolds the track slowly and disjointedly. All tracks are grouped into tiers that seem to have no real rhythm or reason, and serve only as obstacles to unlocking the next certainly impressive venue. I ran into a few issues with my progress, so it can feel a little slapstick in places.
This tutorial, backed by Steel Panther guitarist ‘Satchel’, is essential as it provides important information at a good pace. These first impressions mock the sickening “geek” that feels like a very dated skit, but as it goes on, the video gets progressively cheesier and really funny. Plus, it teaches you the robust and precise mechanics of the game.
To play, press different numbers of buttons on the PSVR2 Sense controller to approximate musical notes. The higher difficulty levels involve tilting the guitar at different angles, but with the game’s impressive tracking. Strumming patterns resemble real life in a way that even rock bands don’t. The frets on the neck are great because they can distinguish slight differences in hand placement on the guitar. This accuracy leaves a lot of room for learning.
As a result, the game lives up to the “easy to play but hard to master” cliché and offers ample replay value thanks to a varied track list worth sticking with for many sessions.
