Audiosurf

Audiosurf: Ride Your Music is an IGF award-winning computer game music from the U.S. game developer Invisible Handlebar. It was published on 15 February 2008. The aim of the game is to drive a spaceship on a multi-lane race track and thereby collect colored blocks tactically by driving over it. Route, blocks and generate speed from the characteristics of the pre-selected piece of music, which is played in sync route while playing. The music can originate from an audio CD or a music file (MP3, WMA, ogg, flac or via iTunes). At the end of the game, points scored and an online highscore list for this piece of music are displayed. Currently Audiosurf is sold through the Steam gaming platform and contains the complete soundtrack of the Orange Box. The beta version of the game was distributed for free.

Gameplay

In Audiosurf the player controls a levitating spaceship - like vehicle similar to those in Wipeout or F- Zero. It can either be controlled by the mouse, the keyboard or a gamepad. The player maneuvers it down a colorful, multi-lane route. Well colored blocks are similar to the game collected Klax. They fall into a level below the spaceship grid. If these blocks included disorderly, crowded to the grid and the spaceship is destroyed and re- appears after a waiting period. However, there are three or more blocks of the same color next to each other (the shape does not matter ), they fall off the grid and the player gets credited with points. The number of points depends on the number of blocks that are combined in one fell swoop. But also the color of the composite plays a role: giving yellow or red blocks score more points than blue. In addition, there are bonus points at the end of the line for certain services, for example for connecting eleven blocks to a combination. At the end of the given points are in addition to a global high score list ( for each song its own list to just compare the scores can ) displayed for the selected song.

There are levels of difficulty beginner, advanced and professional. Are available for each level of difficulty modes of play: So in mono mode, the color of the blocks does not matter, but there are gray blocks on the track, which has to avoid the player. In other modes, the player can, for example, mix the new grid or influence the placement of the blocks in the grid. A two-player mode is available.

The salient feature of Audiosurf, however, is that the track curves are created to match the background music. So the colored blocks appear in time with the music, the topography of the route reflects the speed of the tune resist. In fast passages you go down the route, while quiet places result in a slope. This makes the player with the music, similar to games like SingStar or Guitar Hero.

Reception

• International Average rating: 88/100
• Average rating of the German trade press 85/100