You’re Gonna Go Far Kid: ‘Drums Rock’ Officially Launches on Meta Quest Today

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here,” wrote Shakespeare. Luckily you can send the devils back where they came from with just a pair of drumsticks in Drums Rock.

Moving from App Lab to the Meta Quest Store today, Drums Rock turns you into a snare-smashing hero. Descending into hell, you’ll need to drum harder than you’ve ever drummed in your life if you want to fend off the demons. The campaign mode even pits you against hard-hitting bosses, forcing you to use all the drumming tricks and flourishes at your disposal. And once you’re done there, DLC from The Offspring, Simple Plan, Lit, and more will keep you coming back to the drum throne on a regular basis.

We sat down with Garage51 Co-Founder and Producer Marc Company Vila to discuss Drums Rock’s unique blend of rhythm game and combat, how the soundtrack has expanded over time, and an upcoming collaboration with some punk legends…

Check out the interview below—including a tease for some upcoming DLC—or head to the Meta Quest Store and pick up Drums Rock if you’re ready to start bashing demons.

Marc Company Vila: Really it's something unique, and not seen in music games. At Garage51, we want the game to be fun. For us, that’s the foundation. It’s non-negotiable.

Initially we had this dilemma, whether to pursue an arcade feel or make the game more of a simulator—so, we thought, why not seek a middle ground? We wanted to make a game that would be loads of fun and also allow you to feel like the best rock drummer.

Drums Rock emerged from that. You delve into hell to defeat demons—and will even face the king of hell himself. But we also wanted the drums to be very enjoyable to play. Our hope was that Drums Rock players would end up buying real-world drum kits. Thus arose the Drums Rock drum kit, which features realistic physics and where you can even perform tricks.

MCV: It's a complex process as the songs themselves must meet certain prerequisites.

One requirement is quite evident: The song must include drums—otherwise, it would be impossible to add it to Drums Rock. Then, we aim for songs that are both well-known and fun to play. This is why we've ended up adding groups like The Offspring, Simple Plan, and so on. Additionally, we look for songs that are having a moment. For instance, "In the Meantime" by Spacehog was featured in the latest Guardians of the Galaxy movie, which brought us tremendous joy.

We also take user feedback into account. Some user-proposed songs, like “Hearts on Fire” by Hammerfall, have been incorporated in the latest DLC. As you mentioned, Undertale falls into the category of video game songs, something we wanted to include in a series of DLCs to allow players to delve into their worlds, and we hope to have more of those in the future.

Moving forward, there will be more songs from renowned bands, different styles of rock such as heavy metal (I can reveal that we are creating one by request of the players), video game collaborations, and more.

Essentially, we aim to have the widest variety possible so that every player can find something they identify with musically.

MCV: This is an aspect of Drums Rock that we’ve been really focused on, and we've polished it to the maximum ahead of the Meta Quest Store release. We’re more satisfied with it than ever.

We have a team member who plays the drums, and we’ve been lucky enough to rely on their input throughout development. We adapt the game based on their feedback, which is why in Drums Rock, the drumsticks are treated as separate entities that you can grab and throw, allowing you to perform tricks and feel a sense of complete mastery.

And it's not just that—we’ve tailored the haptic feedback to each controller across the different versions of Drums Rock, ensuring the best possible sensation regardless of where you play.

MCV: It's hard to say. On one hand, we have songs like "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" by The Offspring, which has always been one of my favorites, and playing it in a game made by us is priceless and always fills me with nostalgia. The same happens to me with "Welcome To My Life" by Simple Plan, another nostalgia-filled song that’s also very fun to play. And there's one that will be released soon, but I'm not sure if I can tell you about it…

But then there are other songs that pose a fun challenge at high levels (Hard or Extreme). As an internal joke, we always say that Drums Rock should have the fitness tag. An example is "Hearts of Fire" by Hammerfall, a song where you go all-out for the entire track. Or we also have "King for a Day" by Battle Beast, where the song requires you to stay focused and learn the patterns.

It's hard to pick just one song, since each one brings something different to the table.

MCV: In our Twitter and Discord, we always post the roadmap for the year so people can get an idea of our intentions. This year, new DLC is on the way—if all goes well, we have three or four more DLCs planned. I can't reveal much more, as some are still in early stages, but what's coming will be very epic.

We also haven't forgotten about free content, and we plan to continue adding free songs, various skins, and even things that users have requested. That's why I urge users who trust us to join our social networks and make their proposals because, as much as possible, we always take them into account.

MCV: Well, if you insist, I can give you a glimpse of the future…

Before that, let me mention that with the release on the official Meta Quest Store, Drums Rock now incorporates mixed reality, allowing you to defeat hell’s demons from the comfort of your own couch. It's a very different way to enjoy Drums Rock!

And now, for the tease: A couple of months ago on our official Twitter, we asked which band people would like to see in Drums Rock in the future.

Green Day won, so we've been working to bring them onboard—and I can confirm that they will be featured in a mix in a few weeks. It's going to be legendary!

If you’re ready to drum like all the demons in hell are after you—because they are—you can pick up Drums Rock on the Meta Quest Store.