Did you just finish Campaign, or are you playing it right now? This post is for you!
TL;DR -- Campaign hasn't been updated in years (maybe even since release in 2018), so it's filled with old game design. I highly recommend you forget about it, and challenge yourself in Free Play instead!
I think Campaign is the wrong name for the mode... really, I think the Developers should have called it "Challenge Mode" because that's really more of the gameplay style that you experience as a player... The word "Campaign" makes it seem like that section of the game must be an essential part of the experience, when it's really not, and hasn't been focused on (development wise) since the release of the game almost 5 years ago. The developers downfall is that they haven't bothered to update it a single time since, and as the meta of the map design and note block patterns have changed, it's come to show just how dated and frivolous the tasks in the "campaign" are. Each passing year I see better and better maps and game design, which just further alienates the campaign. To think new players buy Beat Saber and put on the headset to just jump into the Campaign alone... I weep for them. To think my fellow Backloggers play Beat Saber to the campaign credits and assume their journey is over, I weep for them also.
Because truly, as many say, the Campaign is agreeably terrible, some of the challenges are completely unintuitive, forcing you to miss notes, or restrict your movements. I can only imagine the developers intent for the mode long ago, and if I had to guess, it was probably put there to force the player to come to terms with every aspect of the games design instead of what could be borne naturally through experimentation in Free Play.
As I mentioned, this mode has not been updated in YEARS, which means you're experiencing an older and less refined version of the game. This isn't even mentioning that even if you do complete the campaign mode, you'll be left at expert difficulty, instead of the true ultimate difficulty, Expert+. Restricting yourself to play the Campaign or thinking that the Campaign will give you every experience the game has to offer is incorrect, but that's due to no error on your part. I really wish the developers would kill the mode altogether, or move it to a smaller portion of the menu if they really don't have plans for it. It just does not fit in with the modern meta anymore. Perhaps it will go away when they eventually release the battle pass model, but who's to say?
So, what do you do now that you've experienced (or will not experience if you've pre-emptively heeded my words) the worst Beat Saber has to offer? Well, play in free play mode! Challenge yourself to become better! You don't need arbitrary modifiers or restrictions for the game to be fun, and you don't need the Campaign to become good. You just have to enjoy playing the game. You might start off small on Very Easy, but maybe one day that'll start to feel slow so you'll amp it up. Maybe you've been playing on Expert for some time but aren't ready to make the jump to Expert+ yet. That's okay! If you know where you're at, you can make it challenging yourself, rather than let 2018 Beat Games take you though their dated. clunky mess of a "campaign".
I'll tell you right off the bat, if you're in between difficulties, try the speed modifier and play some of the early songs in the first and second packs. Mess around with the note offset. Maybe turn on Ghost notes. There's always a way to move your skill level forward. This is what I feel like the TRUE "Campaign" really is... you, progressing through in your own journey, towards your own goals. You adapt, you overcome, you reflect on your progress and feel incredible about your achievements. Every session you grow stronger, with every song you hone your instincts, and that's where the true value of the game comes in play and why I've been playing for so so long.
I have over 100 hours in vanilla Beat Saber alone. If you're looking for more packs, I highly recommend Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, and Rocket League packs (with Interscope, Lincoln Park, and Timberland close behind). Those have PEAK map design, IMO, and really illustrate how far Beat Games (and their community mappers) have come over the years. Don't restrict yourself to the Campaign! Begging you to forget about it altogether, or to in the least, remember that it is filled with truly ancient game design that hasn't been updated in years! Please remember to venture out and play newer maps! Find me online and we can do multiplayer. Peace!
Link to my original full review of the game here
TL;DR -- Campaign hasn't been updated in years (maybe even since release in 2018), so it's filled with old game design. I highly recommend you forget about it, and challenge yourself in Free Play instead!
I think Campaign is the wrong name for the mode... really, I think the Developers should have called it "Challenge Mode" because that's really more of the gameplay style that you experience as a player... The word "Campaign" makes it seem like that section of the game must be an essential part of the experience, when it's really not, and hasn't been focused on (development wise) since the release of the game almost 5 years ago. The developers downfall is that they haven't bothered to update it a single time since, and as the meta of the map design and note block patterns have changed, it's come to show just how dated and frivolous the tasks in the "campaign" are. Each passing year I see better and better maps and game design, which just further alienates the campaign. To think new players buy Beat Saber and put on the headset to just jump into the Campaign alone... I weep for them. To think my fellow Backloggers play Beat Saber to the campaign credits and assume their journey is over, I weep for them also.
Because truly, as many say, the Campaign is agreeably terrible, some of the challenges are completely unintuitive, forcing you to miss notes, or restrict your movements. I can only imagine the developers intent for the mode long ago, and if I had to guess, it was probably put there to force the player to come to terms with every aspect of the games design instead of what could be borne naturally through experimentation in Free Play.
As I mentioned, this mode has not been updated in YEARS, which means you're experiencing an older and less refined version of the game. This isn't even mentioning that even if you do complete the campaign mode, you'll be left at expert difficulty, instead of the true ultimate difficulty, Expert+. Restricting yourself to play the Campaign or thinking that the Campaign will give you every experience the game has to offer is incorrect, but that's due to no error on your part. I really wish the developers would kill the mode altogether, or move it to a smaller portion of the menu if they really don't have plans for it. It just does not fit in with the modern meta anymore. Perhaps it will go away when they eventually release the battle pass model, but who's to say?
So, what do you do now that you've experienced (or will not experience if you've pre-emptively heeded my words) the worst Beat Saber has to offer? Well, play in free play mode! Challenge yourself to become better! You don't need arbitrary modifiers or restrictions for the game to be fun, and you don't need the Campaign to become good. You just have to enjoy playing the game. You might start off small on Very Easy, but maybe one day that'll start to feel slow so you'll amp it up. Maybe you've been playing on Expert for some time but aren't ready to make the jump to Expert+ yet. That's okay! If you know where you're at, you can make it challenging yourself, rather than let 2018 Beat Games take you though their dated. clunky mess of a "campaign".
I'll tell you right off the bat, if you're in between difficulties, try the speed modifier and play some of the early songs in the first and second packs. Mess around with the note offset. Maybe turn on Ghost notes. There's always a way to move your skill level forward. This is what I feel like the TRUE "Campaign" really is... you, progressing through in your own journey, towards your own goals. You adapt, you overcome, you reflect on your progress and feel incredible about your achievements. Every session you grow stronger, with every song you hone your instincts, and that's where the true value of the game comes in play and why I've been playing for so so long.
I have over 100 hours in vanilla Beat Saber alone. If you're looking for more packs, I highly recommend Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, and Rocket League packs (with Interscope, Lincoln Park, and Timberland close behind). Those have PEAK map design, IMO, and really illustrate how far Beat Games (and their community mappers) have come over the years. Don't restrict yourself to the Campaign! Begging you to forget about it altogether, or to in the least, remember that it is filled with truly ancient game design that hasn't been updated in years! Please remember to venture out and play newer maps! Find me online and we can do multiplayer. Peace!
Link to my original full review of the game here