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0 Regular Thumb Culture readers and VR gamers may well remember that back in October I reviewed a little VR a rhythm game called Maestro. Which you can handily read here. Well the developers Double Jack are back with the Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack. An add on pack for Maestro with five new spell bounding orchestral pieces for you to conduct. The Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack is now available on the Meta Horizon Store for £6.99.
Handel With Care
Before you can play this pack you’ll need to pick up the base Maestro game. And good news for you it is currently discounted to £15.99. Or pick up the Bundle for £19.99. But hurry, these offers are only available until 7th January, 2025. Now onto the review!
Gameplay
The Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack is the first add on pack from Double Jack. The press release we received stated that “Maestro’s ambition is to bridge classical and popular culture, creating an immersive world where music and magic intertwine.” An ambition I can get onboard with. There is nothing more spectacular than hearing an orchestra play, and being able to be a part of that from your own living room? Brilliant. It’s funny to talk about VR games and accessibility in the same article but Maestro truly does make classical music accessible to everyone. And this new pack? Well it builds on the orchestral magic…literally.
The Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack plays exactly the same as the base game. You use your controllers or hands to conduct an orchestra. Simple in premise and yet it does take some mastery. The best way to play this is still using hand tracking in my opinion. The immersion from waving your hands about is joyful. When leading my orchestra through In the Hall of the Mountain King things did get a little frantic, however that is the nature of this piece! Speaking of pieces you may be wondering just what musical compositions you’ll be leading with the help of your Baguette Magique. The tracklist for this add on pack is as follows:
- Hedwig’s Theme (from Harry Potter) – John Williams
- The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (from Fantasia) – Paul Dukas
- In the Hall of the Mountain King – Edvard Grieg
- Symphonie Fantastique – Hector Berlioz
- El Amor Brujo – Manuel de Falla
Graphics & Audio
If you read my previous review you will know I am a big fan of the graphic and art style the Double Jack team have used for Maestro. And in Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack that is no different. With the new Coven setting players are never far from the theme of sorcery. I loved that the orchestra musicians have had outfit changes too. Gone are the renaissance wigs, and in place are Victorian inspired garments. Fitting in perfectly with the creepy mansion behind us. Oh and the group of witches dancing around a blue light. Which isn’t concerning at all.
I could go on for days about the audio. Once again the tracks are beautifully chill invoking. From the strings to the brass. And the xylophone to the percussion. It’s wonderfully magic. That’s not even mentioning the croaks of the frogs and other atmospheric setting sounds when you’re loading into your performance area.
Longevity
As I’ve said before the longevity of any rhythm games depends on the ongoing support from the developers. With Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack being the first add-on pack and the game still being so new I have high hopes. Of course with the prestigious Berklee College of Music supporting the game you can’t go too wrong:
“Berklee Online from the Berklee College of Music shares with Double Jack the mission of transforming music education. Over the last two years we have supported Maestro’s efforts, providing pedagogical, content, and curricular design advice and feedback. All of this can be seen in Maestro and its new Secret Sorcery Pack. With the iconic scores of Harry Potter and Fantasia, this VR experience transforms classical orchestral magic into an immersive, hands-on journey, making this ancient art resonate with today’s digital generation by bringing the enchantment of music to life,” said Michael Moyes COO of Berklee Online, Berklee College of Music.
Final Thoughts
When I first reviewed Maestro as a base game I said it was “Pure, Brilliant, Indulgent Fun” In fact I was quoted on that! The Double Jack team have somehow taken a brilliant VR game and improved upon it with even more fantastical musical masterpieces. I was already hooked on the game but the Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack has solidified it for me. I for one hope this isn’t the last pack we see either. I’d love to see more of John William’s works in Maestro, perhaps of the space opera variety?
The Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack receives the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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