Dirt Reviews

     Audiosurf does exactly what it says it will.  It lets you experience your music in a whole new way.  This game may at first seem like a Guitar Hero or Rock Band knock off, but it is far and above BETTER than Rock Band or Guitar Hero.

     Audiosurf is a game that has endless replay value.   As long as you have music, you can play.  The code interprets your music and turns it into a wave that you ride as a rocket thing.  As you ride, you use the arrow keys or mouse to hit the multi-colored notes that come down the road.  As you hit the notes, they store themselves in rows of 6, depending on which row the note is in.  When you connect three notes of the same color, they disappear, and give you points.  But if you overfill a column, then you are immobilized for a couple of seconds.  The game play is addictive, and immediately hooked me in.

     After you have selected your character from the list of 14( all of which have unique abilities), you can search your computer for virtually any audio file, including iTunes and Lime Wire songs.  Audiosurf then develops a track for you to ride by measuring the tempo, pitch, and other characteristics, which it then formulates into the songs custom track.  When riding, the speed of the track increases with the speed of the song, and the height you are riding at increase by the pitch.  The falling notes are determined by the speed of the song at the moment as well.

     The visuals of this game are simply astounding, as well as captivating.  One is also able to customize the visuals as well, choosing between negative, black, and other background types.  The options are limitless, and this allows you to replay a track and have a totally different experience.

     As I got more engrossed in the game, I decided I could up the difficulty to the highest of the three difficulties.  But I found out that I just wasn't good enough.  Playing a fast song on pro is near impossible, because as you get to the harder levels, you feel like you are playing a puzzle game, no longer the music game you fell in love with.

     Audiosurf goes above and beyond the call of an indie game, seeming almost too professional for one.  This game is Tetris on high, and I highly recommend it.

RATING       

93%  

 FEATURES

• Incredibly addictive
• Great audio library
• Good flowing translation of music
• Two player co-op
• Perfect leader board integration
• Stunning visuals
• Three difficulties
  

CONS

• This game can be really hard, and if you are into heavy metal, you better have a fast hand
• The puzzle element is often ignored by your want to hit every note
• Could cause arthritis
• Can make you dizzy or give you seizures
  

Audiosurf includes a two player mode, letting you share the fun with a friend