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Unplugged

Unplugged is an interesting VR experiment that is bogged down by hand-tracking technology and strange design decisions. If you can ignore that, it's a whole lot of fun.
Unplugged Game Cover
70%Game Brain Score
music, story
gameplay, graphics
68% User Score Based on 80 reviews
Critic Score 75%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

PCOculus QuestPlaystation 5Virtual RealityWindowsPlayStationPlayStation VR2
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Unplugged Game Cover

About

Unplugged is a single player action game. It was developed by Anotherway and was released on December 14, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Unplugged" is a single-player musical VR game where you can play air guitar to rock hits from famous bands like The Offspring, Weezer, and Ozzy Osbourne. With a virtual guitar in hand, match your movements to the chords, engage the crowd, and unlock songs, venues, and guitars on your journey to rock stardom. The game offers 50+ songs, 4 difficulty modes, and global leaderboards for competitive air guitarists. It is fully playable with controllers or finger-tracking technology.

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Play Modes
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+8
Skip User Reviews

68%
Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews
music21 positive mentions
graphics2 negative mentions
  • The game offers a fun and immersive experience, allowing players to feel like they are actually playing an instrument.
  • The song list is surprisingly good, featuring a mix of classic rock tracks that many players enjoy.
  • Finger tracking works well for most users, and the game captures the essence of rhythm gaming reminiscent of Guitar Hero.
  • The finger tracking can be inconsistent, leading to frustration when trying to hit notes accurately, especially on harder difficulties.
  • The guitar's positioning can be awkward, often sinking into the player's torso, making it difficult to play comfortably.
  • There are technical issues such as audio delays and performance drops that detract from the overall gameplay experience.
  • music
    75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the quality and variety of the song list, which includes popular rock tracks. However, there are significant concerns about gameplay mechanics, such as the guitar's awkward positioning and lack of custom song options, which detract from the overall experience. While some players find the music enjoyable and immersive, others feel that the limited song library and repetitive gameplay may hinder long-term engagement.

    • “I'm surprised by the quality of songs; for the price, I didn't expect much given that song licensing is expensive.”
    • “Once you get the hang of how to play, you really can get immersed in the music and zone out in the rock you're creating.”
    • “This game replicates the feeling of being in the 'zone' as a musician.”
    • “Although I wish you could add custom songs (like Beat Saber) and I wish there was a setting to strum with the trigger and not my full wrist.”
    • “I always find myself progressively missing more notes the further into a song I go because the guitar keeps moving, and intentionally repositioning it mid-song makes me miss even more notes.”
    • “Sometimes I had sound issues; it is a big problem in a music game.”
  • gameplay
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is described as a VR evolution of the classic Guitar Hero style, featuring enjoyable mechanics and a decent song list, particularly for those avoiding hard mode. While it effectively teaches players through engaging tutorials, some users noted issues with the guitar's handling and overall execution, suggesting that certain gameplay elements may not work as intended. Unique features like cursed notes and VR-specific mini-games add depth, but opinions on the overall effectiveness of the gameplay are mixed.

    • “In terms of gameplay, this feels like a natural evolution of Guitar Hero, which is exactly what I wanted it to be.”
    • “The game starts you off as a new guitar player and teaches you all the mechanics by American musician Satchel (Russ Parrish) from Steel Panther.”
    • “With a fun track list and immersive gameplay, Unplugged beautifully fills that void left by Guitar Hero.”
    • “But, most importantly, the gameplay does not work.”
    • “I see what they're trying to achieve with the gameplay, but it's a miss as far as I'm concerned.”
    • “My only gameplay-related criticism so far is the way the guitar flops around if you move your hands in certain ways.”
  • story
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story features a character inspired by a guitarist from Steel Panthers, who is described as loud and over-the-top. While some players found the narrative engaging, others felt it was overshadowed by technical issues related to controller compatibility, particularly for Oculus Quest users. Overall, the story adds a fun element to the gameplay, but opinions vary based on the platform experience.

    • “This game is really fun, better than I thought it would be by looking at some of the negative reviews but you'll notice they are mostly Quest people.”
    • “Most negative reviews are worthless since they just complain that it doesn't work on Quest 2 despite the store page clearly stating that this version only works on Valve Index controllers.”
    • “There's some story with Steel Panthers' guitarist, and damn does he just shout obnoxious guitarist.”
  • graphics
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with users noting a need for improved auto-calibration of visuals and audio, as well as criticism of the simplistic and awkward aesthetic. Additionally, some players find the visual design to be strange and clumsy, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “For a rhythm game, there should be a better way of auto-calibrating both visuals and audio.”
    • “The aesthetic is weird.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is primarily delivered through the character of Satchel, a comedic 80's metal rock star who serves as the narrator, adding a fun and nostalgic vibe to the experience. However, while the concept is entertaining, some users feel that the execution falls short, detracting from the overall comedic impact.

    • “The narrator, Steel Panther's own Satchel, is a hilarious 80's metal rock star with rock-star hair who guides you on your rock and roll journey.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been criticized for being poor, with players experiencing significant stuttering and glitches, which detracts from the overall experience. Some users noted that even basic features from earlier games, like performance feedback, were lacking, further highlighting the optimization issues.

    • “I don't know if it was because I played it through virtual desktop or what it was, but to me this game was just a stuttering and glitchy mess.”
    • “Even the first Guitar Hero managed to cut out the guitar if you messed up, giving you a reason to improve your performance so you didn't butcher the song.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers feel that the atmosphere of the game is lacking, citing a need for more diverse tracks and overall content to enhance the immersive experience.

    • “The game needs more tracks; it lacks atmosphere and feels empty.”
    • “There is a significant lack of content, which really detracts from the overall atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is underwhelming and doesn't engage the player as it should.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is not heavily criticized for bugs, but rather for a lack of engaging gameplay, which diminishes the overall experience regardless of performance. Players feel that the game's mechanics do not meaningfully affect the enjoyment of the music, leading to a sense of disconnection.

    • “What really kills this game isn't that it's buggy, but more importantly, it just isn't fun to play. No matter how bad or good you play, it has no impact on the song you hear.”
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75%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Unplugged is a action game.

Unplugged is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Virtual Reality, Windows and others.

Unplugged was released on December 14, 2021.

Unplugged was developed by Anotherway.

Unplugged has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its gameplay.

Unplugged is a single player game.

Similar games include Holodance, OhShape, Eleven Table Tennis, Maestro, Ragnarock and others.