Riff VR Seeks to Reignite the Music Rhythm Genre by Making Your Guitar Virtual

The days of picking up plastic guitars and banging drums to the beat of the music are long gone. However, IMEX Media wants to make sure that playing along to the music never dies with its newest game, Riff VR. The developers announced that the VR game, compatible with the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, is available now on Steam Early Access.

Tony Shiff, CEO of IMEX Media, said in a statement:

With this Riff VR/AR suite of products, we’ve given the power back to the player. No additional hardware needs to be purchased, no pre-set roles, no cover bands. Sing, jam on the guitar, play the drums, direct a music video with the AR app, etc.—it’s your journey to explore and enjoy on the road to becoming a rock legend.

Riff VR uses the VR controllers to simulate playing on the guitar and drums, or singing into a microphone. Players take a journey from small-time garage band to full-on rock ‘n’ roll legends as they work their through each performance, playing along to a collection of 20 popular songs, including:

Europe – The Final Countdown
KISS – I was Made for Loving You
Night Ranger – Rock in America
Grand Funk Railroad – We’re an American Band
Joe Walsh – Rocky Mountain Way
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
The Music Explosion – Little Bit O’Soul
3 Doors Down – Kryptonite
The All-American Rejects – Swing, Swing
Everclear – Santa Monica
Fall Out Boy – Sugar, We’re Going Down
38 Special – Hold on Loosely
The James Gang – Funk 49
Night Ranger – Sister Christian
Poison – Talk Dirty to Me
X Ambassadors – Renegades
Marcy Playground – Sex and Candy
Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Tesla – Modern Day Cowboy
Poison – Nothin’ but a Good Time

That’s not all the game has to offer during your virtual rock star experience. The game comes with various features, including connecting to the mobile AR app. According to the developers, Riff AR “puts players in the audience or behind the camera to direct their very own music video using in-app camera tools, filters and more!” Players are also able to stream their performances on YouTube and compete on Steam online leaderboards. The Riff AR iOS app is available for download for $3.99, with an Android version coming later this year.

It’s good to see some developers keeping the Rock Band/Guitar Hero era of music rhythm games alive. IMEX Media seems to be pulling out all of the stops by including motion-captured performances of actual professional musicians, multiple levels to play through and the game’s companion app. It is also sure to make the wallets of many VR fans happy, since the game doesn’t require the use of any extra hardware.

Riff VR is available on Steam Early Access for $19.99. However, for the next week until July 7, players can buy the game for $13.99, 30 percent off the regular price. Watch the game’s trailer below to get an idea of how this virtual rockfest works.