Disc Ninja – Oculus Quest Review

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Fast Facts

Throwing Stars and Disc

Disc Ninja arrives on the Oculus Quest after being in early access in July 2020, on PCVR in Steam. Disc Golf for the uninitiated is a sport much like golf, where instead of using a club and hitting a small ball across fairways, greens, and sandtraps, you toss a frisbee disc from point A to B. In Disc Ninja the main gameplay consists of reaching the goal, a giant golden dragon, in as few throws as possible.

The presentation of Disc Ninja is ebbing with Feudal Japanese tropes in a vibrant world design that oozes character. The game’s menu system for entering various courses and settings is creative. In the center of the room, there is a map which you can turn a crank to the right and left to unveil the 15 courses. Placing a statue on the course opens it up to play. Each course has a star ranking and unlocking more courses requires getting enough stars, which means hitting a certain level of throws.

Train in the Shadows for Glory

Courses in Disc Ninja range from the darkened forests, oceanside islands, high-rise bridges, and mountain ranges. The maps have Japanese architecture and nature wrapping around every corner. In some areas, you also have to contend with moving fans and swinging axes, gaps in walkways, and more. As you throw your disc your character will teleport to the landing spot allowing you another shot at the goal. Throughout each level, you will also come across glowing pots and items that if you hit them with your disc can potentially unlock various custom upgrades for your avatar.

Each map of Disc Ninja is also filled with Japanese-themed musical instruments. The audio tracks use a variety of instruments native to Japan which help to add to the atmosphere. Along with the music tracks, the game does a decent job of letting you know when your throws are successful, or like some of mine, land in the water with a splashing thunk.

Tossing Disc with Friends

I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you about the core gameplay of throwing in Disc Ninja. Overall there is a decent variety in being able to throw with either a forward or back-handed toss. Disc Ninja has an auto-throw system whereby holding down the A button on the Quest controller you can aim straight ahead of you. By using aim assist though you take away your ability to arc your throws around buildings and barriers. Arcing your shots can be helpful for navigating the maps’ shortcuts as well as if you are looking to unlock secrets from pots and crates.

Disc Ninja has a multiplayer game that allows you to team up with friends or random players. I didn’t get to play any multiplayer games as match making either wasn’t working or active players were not around to link up with. I watched some videos of others that successfully were able to play multiplayer matches and from what I could see the gameplay is the same, there are leaderboards that track your scores alongside your friends. You can also see your opponents’ locations within the minimap so you can see how close they are to you and the goal.

The Course for a Warrior

Disc Ninja performs surprisingly well given the beautiful environments and moving pieces in many of the levels. The visuals are stunning and never hiccuped for me as I played. There were a few times where my disc landed close to a wall or piece of the bridge which made my next throw after teleporting somewhat difficult. I know in disc golf you play where the disc lies on the ground, but it would have been nice to have a bit of a buffer sometimes if you land close to a building or wall.

Disc Ninja may not be the most authentic disc golf-style game you can play in VR but it sure is one of the most fun. The game requires a pretty exact throwing motion which can make things frustrating and difficult for some players. VR games are made more fun with friends and Disc Ninja is no exception. If you can get a group of friends together you are sure to have fun playing. The single-player game is a little less fun, as playing disc golf by yourself can be lonely. There is a solidly built game here for Quest and PCVR recreational sports game fans.

You can purchase Disc Ninja for the Oculus Quest here.