believe that Dra-
gon Quest Her-
oes: Rocket S-
lime is a pr-
oduct fro-
m Squa-
re-Eni-
x? N-
ice.
The Official Game Reviews thread...
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soloist
- Commanding Knight
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MINI-REVIEW OF ROGUE GALAXY (PS2)...
Bear in mind that I did not have
much time with this game s-
o far (about 6 hours, mos-
tly just leveling up th-
ough). Here is wha-
t I gathered from
what I have p-
layed thus
far for t-
hose i-
nter-
est-
ed.
SOLOIST'S MINI-REVIEW FOR ROGUE GALAXY (PS2)...
While it's story is not the deepest I have come to know, nor is it presented with textual dexterity of the most profound in nature, the voice-work is well done and the visuals can be described as cell-shaded goodness! The story is that of a orhan named Jasper who in attempting to protect his village, runs aross intergalactic bounty hunters and traverses with them to see the stars. While I am certain there is more to it than that, this is all I have learned from what I have played so far.
The battle system is similar to Kingdom Hearts since RG exists as an action RPG, but has additional abilities that can be used and a combo attack with context sensitive sensibility... so specific buttons must be pressed in order to deal out massage damage (once that ability is discovered). Controlling 3 characters, though one at a time, players can use each ones special skills... and since the enemies in this game vary in method of defeat, one must select the player best used to combat them. While it is possible to destroy certain enemies without having the best abilities used, it sure does prevent you from using alot of healing items and makes the game much more difficult.
Getting back to abilities, there is a chart similar to Final Fantasy X's system which allows each character to be levelled up, though in this case, it depends on what items are found whether its after enemies are defeated or in treasure chests. This system works pretty well and is less complicated the FFX's. In fact, this game is not as deep by way of battle system, story or even skills... though each category is done rather well and suits the game comfortably.
Visually, Rogue Galaxy excells in cell-shaded appearance with character models looking clean as well as the environments... and the details for each are just as crisp!
There is even a side-incentive while progressing in the game! Being a space pirate (of sorts), Jaster is on a list of the top hunters in the game, so in order to climb this listing, the player must meet a certain demand such as defeating 30 enemies of a particular type. It may not seem like much, but it adds to fun ultimately. There is also a bug catching game where the player can leave a trap to catch an insect, and depending on the bait used and the location where the trap is left, it is possible to ensnare on of the creatures. It is then possible to raise the bug for battle to compete against others (think Pokemon) or even mate them to get a new bug (unlike Pokemon). Another nice diversion... and there may be more!
"Please remember to save often," is the advice I can give those who invest in RG, because it take a little while for the "game over" screen to pass and the title screen to surface after meeting ones demise in this game. Not a major issue, but a feature to allow ones to restart at last save-point would have been helpful.
While Rogue Galaxy has its share of humor (a frog that can combine items by eating them being just one of the oddities of this title...), the game itself is a whopping 100+ hours and the humor does not distract much from the game itself (think Dragon Quest). Presentation-wise, RG is as pleasant as the visuals and is fun to play (I find it as addictive as Zelda:TP was).
Finer points:
-Visuals (very clean visuals!)
-Audio (characters blurt out sentences every now and then...)
-Price-point (it's only $40 or $39.99+ tax...)
-Not much loading in the main game
Improvements/inclusions:
-A quicker way to restart
-Audio (those sentences can get annoying after a while)
much time with this game s-
o far (about 6 hours, mos-
tly just leveling up th-
ough). Here is wha-
t I gathered from
what I have p-
layed thus
far for t-
hose i-
nter-
est-
ed.
SOLOIST'S MINI-REVIEW FOR ROGUE GALAXY (PS2)...
While it's story is not the deepest I have come to know, nor is it presented with textual dexterity of the most profound in nature, the voice-work is well done and the visuals can be described as cell-shaded goodness! The story is that of a orhan named Jasper who in attempting to protect his village, runs aross intergalactic bounty hunters and traverses with them to see the stars. While I am certain there is more to it than that, this is all I have learned from what I have played so far.
The battle system is similar to Kingdom Hearts since RG exists as an action RPG, but has additional abilities that can be used and a combo attack with context sensitive sensibility... so specific buttons must be pressed in order to deal out massage damage (once that ability is discovered). Controlling 3 characters, though one at a time, players can use each ones special skills... and since the enemies in this game vary in method of defeat, one must select the player best used to combat them. While it is possible to destroy certain enemies without having the best abilities used, it sure does prevent you from using alot of healing items and makes the game much more difficult.
Getting back to abilities, there is a chart similar to Final Fantasy X's system which allows each character to be levelled up, though in this case, it depends on what items are found whether its after enemies are defeated or in treasure chests. This system works pretty well and is less complicated the FFX's. In fact, this game is not as deep by way of battle system, story or even skills... though each category is done rather well and suits the game comfortably.
Visually, Rogue Galaxy excells in cell-shaded appearance with character models looking clean as well as the environments... and the details for each are just as crisp!
There is even a side-incentive while progressing in the game! Being a space pirate (of sorts), Jaster is on a list of the top hunters in the game, so in order to climb this listing, the player must meet a certain demand such as defeating 30 enemies of a particular type. It may not seem like much, but it adds to fun ultimately. There is also a bug catching game where the player can leave a trap to catch an insect, and depending on the bait used and the location where the trap is left, it is possible to ensnare on of the creatures. It is then possible to raise the bug for battle to compete against others (think Pokemon) or even mate them to get a new bug (unlike Pokemon). Another nice diversion... and there may be more!
"Please remember to save often," is the advice I can give those who invest in RG, because it take a little while for the "game over" screen to pass and the title screen to surface after meeting ones demise in this game. Not a major issue, but a feature to allow ones to restart at last save-point would have been helpful.
While Rogue Galaxy has its share of humor (a frog that can combine items by eating them being just one of the oddities of this title...), the game itself is a whopping 100+ hours and the humor does not distract much from the game itself (think Dragon Quest). Presentation-wise, RG is as pleasant as the visuals and is fun to play (I find it as addictive as Zelda:TP was).
Finer points:
-Visuals (very clean visuals!)
-Audio (characters blurt out sentences every now and then...)
-Price-point (it's only $40 or $39.99+ tax...)
-Not much loading in the main game
Improvements/inclusions:
-A quicker way to restart
-Audio (those sentences can get annoying after a while)
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
-
soloist
- Commanding Knight
- Posts: 13697
- Location: no single region (specified or otherwise) permanently captivates this apparition...
- Contact:
ALSO...
NEGLECTED TO ADD....
I failed to mention that it is possible to set up team strategies such as attack any enemy, battle every opponent, focus on one in particular or even stand back to avoid taking damage. Also, there are special incidents that occur randomly where the player must defeat creatures in a certain manner such as defeating 25 enemies without being injured or without using items in the battle (restorative or otherwise).
I failed to mention that it is possible to set up team strategies such as attack any enemy, battle every opponent, focus on one in particular or even stand back to avoid taking damage. Also, there are special incidents that occur randomly where the player must defeat creatures in a certain manner such as defeating 25 enemies without being injured or without using items in the battle (restorative or otherwise).
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
-
soloist
- Commanding Knight
- Posts: 13697
- Location: no single region (specified or otherwise) permanently captivates this apparition...
- Contact:
ANOTHER TIDBIT...
Another factor which I am not too fond of in Rogue Galaxy is that the text for the NPC's and in general are usually not that long (which in a way could be a blessing depending on how you view this). Conversations with characters in the game tend to be a single line of text with rather basic dialog. The quest is a light-hearted one... similar to how Kingdom Hearts was not a tragic tale inspite of its depictions of good and evil... but t hat does not take much away from the enjoyment of progressing through the story.
I have just recently entered the Insect-battle dome location and very well may get this stag-beetle that I managed to capture to power up for future battles with other insects. There is a battle recorder which proves to those running the pirate-placement chart that you actually defeated the creature which you did. This in turn gets you the money for claiming to have bested an opponent or boss character. And while I know not if it is essential for every large boss character, I do know that I have overtaken 3 boss characters so far and only the first one is registered as one I actually defeated. My hope is that I did not miss the opportunity to claim the kills of the other two bosses (sigh...).
More on Rogue Galaxy later...
I have just recently entered the Insect-battle dome location and very well may get this stag-beetle that I managed to capture to power up for future battles with other insects. There is a battle recorder which proves to those running the pirate-placement chart that you actually defeated the creature which you did. This in turn gets you the money for claiming to have bested an opponent or boss character. And while I know not if it is essential for every large boss character, I do know that I have overtaken 3 boss characters so far and only the first one is registered as one I actually defeated. My hope is that I did not miss the opportunity to claim the kills of the other two bosses (sigh...).
More on Rogue Galaxy later...
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
-
soloist
- Commanding Knight
- Posts: 13697
- Location: no single region (specified or otherwise) permanently captivates this apparition...
- Contact:
SOLOIST'S MINI-REVIEW FOR EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 2017 (360)
SOLOIST'S MINI-REVIEW FOR EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 2017 (360)
From what I have played so far, Earth Defense Force is primarily a low-budget X-box 360 title ($40) and it shows (even navigating through the menu's feel dated), however, underneath the highly limited finances that the developer had to work with is a mindless yet fun shooter (which is obviously inspired by Starship Troopers and Independence Day).
Starting out with an AF14 (Assault Rifle) and a Stingray M1 (Rocket Launcher) you are thrusted into the action after a textual introduction. The goal is simply to destroy all of the enemies which so happen to be over-sized ants. With the M1 in hand, these creatures can be eliminated with a single shot. In later missions, the enemies become more aggressive in their attacks, and numbers. Sniper Rifles and Flamethrowers are but a few other weapons that players will come across, though the M1 and the AF14 have carried me deep into the game already. Each weapon has infinite ammo, so no need to release the trigger, though a slight pause for reloading ensues after a new clip is given. A few vehicles are even available during certain stages such as a helicopter, a tank and even a hoverbike.
There are over 50 stages, some being simple and short, and for the most part, each one features a small squad of team mates who are quite vocal and do their share of work in fending off the swarms of bugs and mechinations that populate the stages (which are nearly 100% destructible). The low-res environments are probably lacking visually when compared to the average 360 title because of the fact that everything can be destroyed. Items are found this way, and they help to increase the players armor and health bar. Collecting these items are not essential for easier difficulties, but are imperative to obtain in harder settings. There are five difficulty settings by the way, and completing each one grants the player an achievement point (there are only 6 of them).
The sound effects are weak, and several effects get overused way too often. After eliminating the 50th ant, you'll see what I mean (laughs). The orchestrated music in my opinion should have been replaced with a rock/metal soundtrack since it seems to fit the vibe more... but that is my opnion. The music is ok though. Nothing really memerable.
After each mission, the player can adjust the difficulty setting, select the next mission, choose which weapons to take (only two weapons each mission) and saving can be performed too.
Slowdown occurs when too much is happening on-screen simultaneously, but oftentimes, this game handles numerous enemies pretty well for a low-budget game, and these enemies (while low-res) are well made and animated considering the modest finances to create this game.
There is a Co-op campaign and a battle mode, but aside from that, nothing much else to bring players back after unlocking the achievements aside from the "start-and-shoot" style of the missions. It helps that there are few loading screens, and the few present are not long at all. Quite certain am I that if D3 Publisher had more to work with, they could have created a greater game, but as it stands, Earth Defense Force 2017 seems more like a last generation game, but an enjoyable one if you like mindless shooters and get a kick of just blowing stuff up. For 40 dollars, though... EDF is worth the price of admission. Just don't expect it to be the next Gears of War or Halo (laughs)
Positives:
-only 40 dollars
-pick-up-and-play action
-co-op mode
Negatives:
-slowdown during intense battles
-no online play
-co-op is split-screen only
-low-res visuals
From what I have played so far, Earth Defense Force is primarily a low-budget X-box 360 title ($40) and it shows (even navigating through the menu's feel dated), however, underneath the highly limited finances that the developer had to work with is a mindless yet fun shooter (which is obviously inspired by Starship Troopers and Independence Day).
Starting out with an AF14 (Assault Rifle) and a Stingray M1 (Rocket Launcher) you are thrusted into the action after a textual introduction. The goal is simply to destroy all of the enemies which so happen to be over-sized ants. With the M1 in hand, these creatures can be eliminated with a single shot. In later missions, the enemies become more aggressive in their attacks, and numbers. Sniper Rifles and Flamethrowers are but a few other weapons that players will come across, though the M1 and the AF14 have carried me deep into the game already. Each weapon has infinite ammo, so no need to release the trigger, though a slight pause for reloading ensues after a new clip is given. A few vehicles are even available during certain stages such as a helicopter, a tank and even a hoverbike.
There are over 50 stages, some being simple and short, and for the most part, each one features a small squad of team mates who are quite vocal and do their share of work in fending off the swarms of bugs and mechinations that populate the stages (which are nearly 100% destructible). The low-res environments are probably lacking visually when compared to the average 360 title because of the fact that everything can be destroyed. Items are found this way, and they help to increase the players armor and health bar. Collecting these items are not essential for easier difficulties, but are imperative to obtain in harder settings. There are five difficulty settings by the way, and completing each one grants the player an achievement point (there are only 6 of them).
The sound effects are weak, and several effects get overused way too often. After eliminating the 50th ant, you'll see what I mean (laughs). The orchestrated music in my opinion should have been replaced with a rock/metal soundtrack since it seems to fit the vibe more... but that is my opnion. The music is ok though. Nothing really memerable.
After each mission, the player can adjust the difficulty setting, select the next mission, choose which weapons to take (only two weapons each mission) and saving can be performed too.
Slowdown occurs when too much is happening on-screen simultaneously, but oftentimes, this game handles numerous enemies pretty well for a low-budget game, and these enemies (while low-res) are well made and animated considering the modest finances to create this game.
There is a Co-op campaign and a battle mode, but aside from that, nothing much else to bring players back after unlocking the achievements aside from the "start-and-shoot" style of the missions. It helps that there are few loading screens, and the few present are not long at all. Quite certain am I that if D3 Publisher had more to work with, they could have created a greater game, but as it stands, Earth Defense Force 2017 seems more like a last generation game, but an enjoyable one if you like mindless shooters and get a kick of just blowing stuff up. For 40 dollars, though... EDF is worth the price of admission. Just don't expect it to be the next Gears of War or Halo (laughs)
Positives:
-only 40 dollars
-pick-up-and-play action
-co-op mode
Negatives:
-slowdown during intense battles
-no online play
-co-op is split-screen only
-low-res visuals
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
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soloist
- Commanding Knight
- Posts: 13697
- Location: no single region (specified or otherwise) permanently captivates this apparition...
- Contact:
UPDATE FOR EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 2017 (360)...
After spending more than 6 hours playing Earth Defense Force 2017, surprisingly, I find it to be addictive. The variations of creatures the player faces and their different attacks help out considerably. The visuals of the enemies are actually better than I initially mentioned, though bear in mind that I am running it on a high definition television at 1080i. These large creatures are animated well for their sizes and the fact that they come in huge numbers is with slowdown only appearing during really intense sessions (which is not as often as initially reported). I have been on levels where there were more than 10 enemies on the screen as well as my party of 8 and no slowdown, yet other moments when fewer numbers are present and slowdown occurs. Odd. I still have not tried the co-op mode, but my opinion of EDF is more favorable... and I would recommend 360 owners to give it a try or a rental. This definitely is a long game, and an addictive one at that.
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
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soloist
- Commanding Knight
- Posts: 13697
- Location: no single region (specified or otherwise) permanently captivates this apparition...
- Contact:
ANOTHER UPDATE FOR EDF 2017 (360)...
Something else I have noticed with this game is that as the player progresses, the other weapons will become VERY useful depending on the mission, and that vehicles can be used at any moment later on in the game. The problem I have is that vehicular control (namely on the tank and helicoptor) are difficult and are best avoided in my opinion. I still recommend this game for those who have extra revenue and want a little something to fill the 360 void for the rest of this month.
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
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soloist
- Commanding Knight
- Posts: 13697
- Location: no single region (specified or otherwise) permanently captivates this apparition...
- Contact:
SOLOIST'S FINAL WORD ON EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 2017!
SOLOIST'S FINAL WORD ON EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 2017 (360)!
This game is definitely worth investing in... especially since it sells for only $40! But cost aside, what I find impressive about this game is how addictive it becomes and the number of large animated creatures that appear on-screen along with numerous troops aiding the player, and mostly done without too much slow is many cases! With crisp visuals (despite them being low-res).
Another feature which makes this game fun to play and addictive as heck is item collection. After eliminating creature, items appear in the form of weapons, health upgrades, health restores and armor. With each weapon icon obtained, a new weapon is issued. For every armor or health upgrade found, and increase in their respective categories is provided - making the character more durable and capable of withstanding heavy attacks without losing too much health.
Even after finishing the game, these upgrade carry over for the next difficulty you play it on... and believe me when I say that the higher difficulty setting prove to be VERY challenging, and those upgrades earned from playing earlier skill levels will be most useful here.
Enemies range from ants (wich scale buildings and climb on mountain-sides), winged ants, jumping spiders, flying mechines, an assortment of robots and even enhanced dinorsaur creatures! The bosses are HUGE, but with the right weapons, they can be bested without too much of a problem.
Earth Defense Force 2017 is a technical wonder and well made for a budget title. In fact, I believe that other developers need to learn a lesson or two from D3 Publisher.
FINAL WORD:
Earth Defense Force 2017 is a cheap yet fun and addictive shooter that should get much more recognition than it currently is. Tis a shame that games such as this oftentimes get overshadowed by bigger budget and better known titles.
Give it a try and I am certain you will enjoy it if you like shooter games and the movie Starship Troopers (the action, not the gore...)
This game is definitely worth investing in... especially since it sells for only $40! But cost aside, what I find impressive about this game is how addictive it becomes and the number of large animated creatures that appear on-screen along with numerous troops aiding the player, and mostly done without too much slow is many cases! With crisp visuals (despite them being low-res).
Another feature which makes this game fun to play and addictive as heck is item collection. After eliminating creature, items appear in the form of weapons, health upgrades, health restores and armor. With each weapon icon obtained, a new weapon is issued. For every armor or health upgrade found, and increase in their respective categories is provided - making the character more durable and capable of withstanding heavy attacks without losing too much health.
Even after finishing the game, these upgrade carry over for the next difficulty you play it on... and believe me when I say that the higher difficulty setting prove to be VERY challenging, and those upgrades earned from playing earlier skill levels will be most useful here.
Enemies range from ants (wich scale buildings and climb on mountain-sides), winged ants, jumping spiders, flying mechines, an assortment of robots and even enhanced dinorsaur creatures! The bosses are HUGE, but with the right weapons, they can be bested without too much of a problem.
Earth Defense Force 2017 is a technical wonder and well made for a budget title. In fact, I believe that other developers need to learn a lesson or two from D3 Publisher.
FINAL WORD:
Earth Defense Force 2017 is a cheap yet fun and addictive shooter that should get much more recognition than it currently is. Tis a shame that games such as this oftentimes get overshadowed by bigger budget and better known titles.
Give it a try and I am certain you will enjoy it if you like shooter games and the movie Starship Troopers (the action, not the gore...)
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
How come I have never seen this thread before? :P
Anyway, I have some reviews that I've made, but I need to link to them:
Midway Arcade Treasures - http://www.pixeltanker.com/classico/sho ... php?t=2332
Midway Arcade Treasures 2 - http://www.pixeltanker.com/classico/sho ... php?t=2339
Shadow The Hedgehog - http://www.pixeltanker.com/classico/sho ... php?t=2335
Air Zonk (VC) - http://www.pixeltanker.com/classico/sho ... php?t=3022
Anyway, I have some reviews that I've made, but I need to link to them:
Midway Arcade Treasures - http://www.pixeltanker.com/classico/sho ... php?t=2332
Midway Arcade Treasures 2 - http://www.pixeltanker.com/classico/sho ... php?t=2339
Shadow The Hedgehog - http://www.pixeltanker.com/classico/sho ... php?t=2335
Air Zonk (VC) - http://www.pixeltanker.com/classico/sho ... php?t=3022
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soloist
- Commanding Knight
- Posts: 13697
- Location: no single region (specified or otherwise) permanently captivates this apparition...
- Contact:
Nice reviews, Pelord! I wanted to created gaming re-
views in a similar fashion... I mean with the aid
of either gameplay movies or images. It seem-
s that these days, I have little time to spen-
d enough of it on a game so that I can gi-
ve a fully detailed review of a game,
and that is why I create these mi-
ni reviews with updates as I p-
rogress in them. The imag-
es help with presebtatio-
n, but ultimately, an
unbiased and deta-
iled review is w-
hat people wi-
sh to read.
(nice reviews, Pelord!)
views in a similar fashion... I mean with the aid
of either gameplay movies or images. It seem-
s that these days, I have little time to spen-
d enough of it on a game so that I can gi-
ve a fully detailed review of a game,
and that is why I create these mi-
ni reviews with updates as I p-
rogress in them. The imag-
es help with presebtatio-
n, but ultimately, an
unbiased and deta-
iled review is w-
hat people wi-
sh to read.
(nice reviews, Pelord!)
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
Re: The Official Game Reviews thread...
AUDIOSURF
Early Review by Narkralaronthar!
Audiosurf mixes the racing, puzzle and rhythm genres together to make a very new experience. Audiosurf can design a track out of any music file on your computer, and covers the major non-DRM encrypted formats (MP3, CD Audio, OGG, FLAC, and WMA). Based on the speed and intensity of the song, and on the pace and beat, a track is designed with uphills at the slow parts, downhills where the music is fast, bumps on deep beats, and so forth.
The basics of the game are that your vehicle flies along a track, on which there are several coloured blocks, timed to the music. When you touch one of the blocks, it falls onto a board of 7 rows by 3 columns underneath the vehicle. If you match three of the same colour, those pieces disappear after a few seconds, and you score points. If a column overfills, then your car is damaged, and you can't touch any further blocks until you "respawn."
The game also has several vehicles, each of which is basically a different mode of playing the game. Eraser, which deletes all blocks of a colour, if you hold the mouse button when picking up that colour of block; Vegas, which reshuffles the pieces already on your board if you hug the shoulder of the road for a few seconds; Pusher, which allows you to knock a block left or right a column when picking it up, by holding the appropriate mouse button; and Pointman, who can pick up and hold a block or power up for future use. For co-op play (or for those who like to challenge their reflexes single player), Double Vision puts two cars on the course, with four lanes instead of three. Most significant is Mono, which feels like a totally different mode of game—when playing as Mono, there are only two types of blocks: grey and coloured. You dodge the greys, and collect the coloured ones. Mono, in my opinion, is often more intense than the other modes, and makes for a great ride. These are then split into difficulties Easy, Pro, and Elite. Easy modes tend to have easier tracks and less congestion. In the case of Mono, the vehicles abilities change as well. Mono (Easy) has no abilities, but does have shoulders on the road where there are no blocks. Mono Pro can jump (right click), and can pick up blocks beside it (left-click). Mono Elite has the same left-click to grab blocks from the side, but loses the jump. Instead, its right click destroys any grey blocks it collects, giving it the ability to set up combos.
When it comes to the timing, it's very well done on most songs, but you find the occasional song where the timing doesn't seem as great, and it's more like just racing, with music playing in the background. For the most part though, it's very good. The game also comes with the complete The Orange Box soundtrack in unencrypted MP3 form. In the mono modes, it's clear the blocks sync up with the beat very well, while in the other modes, the track and flow of blocks fits well, but not individual blocks (as there are so many).
This is also the first game to be released using Steam Works, a development kit released specifically for making games on Steam, and allowing them to incorporate the Steam-style achievements system. They've come up with a pretty good selection of challenges that would apply well to whatever song you choose to challenge them on, ranging from pretty easy (Royal Ride: Earn a gold rank without overfilling a column) to mid-range (Spotlight Finish: Get a gold score, with a clean finish on elite difficulty, picking up the last block on the track to make a combo) to downright evil (Stealth Master: Using Ninja Mono, on a song at least 11 minutes long, don't touch a single grey block.) In addition to this it features an online scoreboard, where you can see how others fared who played the same track as you.
As far as bugs and technical concerns, the game doesn't seem to take full advantage of a high-end setup (most people with such a box report getting about 30fps) but people with lower end or mid-range setups have reported also getting good (20-30fps) framerates. The games requirements include a video card with 32MB video RAM. Several users report no problems at all with a single-core processor. Vista users have reported issues with the mouse not appearing on the menus in-game, but that alt-tabbing out and back in fixes it. The dev team—which is really just a couple guys who got together and decided "to make the best game ever"—have been very responsive to the userbase, incorporating several features requested by beta-testers, and have already released one patch to the game based on user feedback after the official release. Keep in mind this game came out around 8 hours ago, and you realize that's a pretty good response time. The only issues I've seen with individual songs are those in my collection that are incorrectly encoded or just corrupt, but this is to be expected.
In short, this is a game with great replay value, which can be played for a fast-paced rush, or throw on a slower song for a methodical, strategic run, comes with the entire The Orange Box soundtrack, and has as many tracks as you have MP3s (more, if you consider how different it feels playing the same track on mono, as opposed to the other modes). And all this costs you just $10.
For some people, this will be a great game to play a few rounds of at a time, and for others this will be an addiction, or a battle to reach the high score for your favourite song. Either way, it's got something for everyone—literally, when you consider the music selection available to you. For everything in it, $10 feels too cheap. This game gets an A in my book!
Early Review by Narkralaronthar!
Audiosurf mixes the racing, puzzle and rhythm genres together to make a very new experience. Audiosurf can design a track out of any music file on your computer, and covers the major non-DRM encrypted formats (MP3, CD Audio, OGG, FLAC, and WMA). Based on the speed and intensity of the song, and on the pace and beat, a track is designed with uphills at the slow parts, downhills where the music is fast, bumps on deep beats, and so forth.
The basics of the game are that your vehicle flies along a track, on which there are several coloured blocks, timed to the music. When you touch one of the blocks, it falls onto a board of 7 rows by 3 columns underneath the vehicle. If you match three of the same colour, those pieces disappear after a few seconds, and you score points. If a column overfills, then your car is damaged, and you can't touch any further blocks until you "respawn."
The game also has several vehicles, each of which is basically a different mode of playing the game. Eraser, which deletes all blocks of a colour, if you hold the mouse button when picking up that colour of block; Vegas, which reshuffles the pieces already on your board if you hug the shoulder of the road for a few seconds; Pusher, which allows you to knock a block left or right a column when picking it up, by holding the appropriate mouse button; and Pointman, who can pick up and hold a block or power up for future use. For co-op play (or for those who like to challenge their reflexes single player), Double Vision puts two cars on the course, with four lanes instead of three. Most significant is Mono, which feels like a totally different mode of game—when playing as Mono, there are only two types of blocks: grey and coloured. You dodge the greys, and collect the coloured ones. Mono, in my opinion, is often more intense than the other modes, and makes for a great ride. These are then split into difficulties Easy, Pro, and Elite. Easy modes tend to have easier tracks and less congestion. In the case of Mono, the vehicles abilities change as well. Mono (Easy) has no abilities, but does have shoulders on the road where there are no blocks. Mono Pro can jump (right click), and can pick up blocks beside it (left-click). Mono Elite has the same left-click to grab blocks from the side, but loses the jump. Instead, its right click destroys any grey blocks it collects, giving it the ability to set up combos.
When it comes to the timing, it's very well done on most songs, but you find the occasional song where the timing doesn't seem as great, and it's more like just racing, with music playing in the background. For the most part though, it's very good. The game also comes with the complete The Orange Box soundtrack in unencrypted MP3 form. In the mono modes, it's clear the blocks sync up with the beat very well, while in the other modes, the track and flow of blocks fits well, but not individual blocks (as there are so many).
This is also the first game to be released using Steam Works, a development kit released specifically for making games on Steam, and allowing them to incorporate the Steam-style achievements system. They've come up with a pretty good selection of challenges that would apply well to whatever song you choose to challenge them on, ranging from pretty easy (Royal Ride: Earn a gold rank without overfilling a column) to mid-range (Spotlight Finish: Get a gold score, with a clean finish on elite difficulty, picking up the last block on the track to make a combo) to downright evil (Stealth Master: Using Ninja Mono, on a song at least 11 minutes long, don't touch a single grey block.) In addition to this it features an online scoreboard, where you can see how others fared who played the same track as you.
As far as bugs and technical concerns, the game doesn't seem to take full advantage of a high-end setup (most people with such a box report getting about 30fps) but people with lower end or mid-range setups have reported also getting good (20-30fps) framerates. The games requirements include a video card with 32MB video RAM. Several users report no problems at all with a single-core processor. Vista users have reported issues with the mouse not appearing on the menus in-game, but that alt-tabbing out and back in fixes it. The dev team—which is really just a couple guys who got together and decided "to make the best game ever"—have been very responsive to the userbase, incorporating several features requested by beta-testers, and have already released one patch to the game based on user feedback after the official release. Keep in mind this game came out around 8 hours ago, and you realize that's a pretty good response time. The only issues I've seen with individual songs are those in my collection that are incorrectly encoded or just corrupt, but this is to be expected.
In short, this is a game with great replay value, which can be played for a fast-paced rush, or throw on a slower song for a methodical, strategic run, comes with the entire The Orange Box soundtrack, and has as many tracks as you have MP3s (more, if you consider how different it feels playing the same track on mono, as opposed to the other modes). And all this costs you just $10.
For some people, this will be a great game to play a few rounds of at a time, and for others this will be an addiction, or a battle to reach the high score for your favourite song. Either way, it's got something for everyone—literally, when you consider the music selection available to you. For everything in it, $10 feels too cheap. This game gets an A in my book!
-
soloist
- Commanding Knight
- Posts: 13697
- Location: no single region (specified or otherwise) permanently captivates this apparition...
- Contact:
Re: The Official Game Reviews thread...
Nice review, Nakor! Audiosurf sounds like it runs along
the lines of Frequency aside from the puzzler ele-
ments in a way. Tis good that the dev team
is as responsive to bugs in the game s-
o one needs not suffer should the
game crash or runs at an ev-
en slower rate. Seems l-
ike it would make a
good official ti-
tle instea-
d of j-
us-
t Ste-
am, but
guess since
it parallels ma-
ny other rhythm b-
ased games, it may n-
ot be considered as one o-
f the better variations in the
genre. But the fact that it can u-
se music on your PC adds to the re-
play factor immensely; not to mention
the random nature of various genres of m-
usic, intensities and even formats. I would no-
t mind trying this game. A multiplayer mode woul-
d be great too, but the leaderboard helps in that depa-
rtment, so that is yet another bonus. Thanks for the revi-
ew, Nakor! What songs have you used while playing this game?
the lines of Frequency aside from the puzzler ele-
ments in a way. Tis good that the dev team
is as responsive to bugs in the game s-
o one needs not suffer should the
game crash or runs at an ev-
en slower rate. Seems l-
ike it would make a
good official ti-
tle instea-
d of j-
us-
t Ste-
am, but
guess since
it parallels ma-
ny other rhythm b-
ased games, it may n-
ot be considered as one o-
f the better variations in the
genre. But the fact that it can u-
se music on your PC adds to the re-
play factor immensely; not to mention
the random nature of various genres of m-
usic, intensities and even formats. I would no-
t mind trying this game. A multiplayer mode woul-
d be great too, but the leaderboard helps in that depa-
rtment, so that is yet another bonus. Thanks for the revi-
ew, Nakor! What songs have you used while playing this game?
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
Re: The Official Game Reviews thread...
Quite a few, but since my collection is mostly anime related, I haven't seen too many other names on the leader boards yet. BTO: Taking Care of Business made for quite the ride in particular! 
I've actually done fairly decently on the few songs I've tried so far from the packaged TOB soundtrack though, I scored 2nd on the elite difficulty for "You Can't Escape You Know" from Portal. Unfortunately the leaderboards are suffering a bit under the strain of the number of players, and have only been working on and off so far today (release day). I imagine that will be fixed as they shore them up, plus everybody will not be playing all at once after this.
It would not work so well on non-PC platforms, as while it's requirements are not intense, they are beyond portable devices like phones, PDAs, MP3 players, etc. The iPod would not be an option, since it can't play the encrypted music that makes up most of iTunes. Consoles would be a possibility, but then you would have to get the music to your console. However, I could see the possibility of putting it on PSP I suppose; the system can handle it, and easily gets the MP3s off your computer. Of course, then one has to wonder how many sales it would get on the portable, when they could not get away with the $10 price due to the physical components and shipping of the game. So, online distribution is where it's at for this game, and Steam is an excellent service through which to do so (especially since they got the rights to distribute that soundtrack with it).
I've actually done fairly decently on the few songs I've tried so far from the packaged TOB soundtrack though, I scored 2nd on the elite difficulty for "You Can't Escape You Know" from Portal. Unfortunately the leaderboards are suffering a bit under the strain of the number of players, and have only been working on and off so far today (release day). I imagine that will be fixed as they shore them up, plus everybody will not be playing all at once after this.It would not work so well on non-PC platforms, as while it's requirements are not intense, they are beyond portable devices like phones, PDAs, MP3 players, etc. The iPod would not be an option, since it can't play the encrypted music that makes up most of iTunes. Consoles would be a possibility, but then you would have to get the music to your console. However, I could see the possibility of putting it on PSP I suppose; the system can handle it, and easily gets the MP3s off your computer. Of course, then one has to wonder how many sales it would get on the portable, when they could not get away with the $10 price due to the physical components and shipping of the game. So, online distribution is where it's at for this game, and Steam is an excellent service through which to do so (especially since they got the rights to distribute that soundtrack with it).
-
soloist
- Commanding Knight
- Posts: 13697
- Location: no single region (specified or otherwise) permanently captivates this apparition...
- Contact:
Re: The Official Game Reviews thread...
In other words, I REALLY need to invest in the soundtrack (laughs)! Actually, I
did plan on picking up the soundtrack out of curiosity before reading you-
r review since I can appreciate gaming soundtracks or those release-
d with games, but after learning of what accompanies the Orang-
e Box soundtrack, I very well may need to seek it upon leavi-
ng out today. I could see the PSP being the model unit to
support Audiosurf; rather a modified version of it. T-
he same can be done for 360 and PS3 since a dev-
ice which can store music and access it shoul-
d be workable for this game... but do not
quote me on this - for I lack the specs
to prove this claim (laughs). If I d-
id not own the systems that I d-
o, chances are that I would
be playing Warcraft, E-
M's or Steam. Was
there a song t-
hat you tri-
ed whic-
h pro-
ve-
d to b-
e too diff-
icult or awkw-
ard to play with
(any other I mean)?
I wonder how these g-
enre's of music will affe-
ct the the actual gameplay:
-Opera
-Country
-Hip Hop
-Raggae
Although there are numerous
varieties in each class of
music, I am more in-
terest in the pac-
e and melodi-
c pitches
actual-
ly!!
did plan on picking up the soundtrack out of curiosity before reading you-
r review since I can appreciate gaming soundtracks or those release-
d with games, but after learning of what accompanies the Orang-
e Box soundtrack, I very well may need to seek it upon leavi-
ng out today. I could see the PSP being the model unit to
support Audiosurf; rather a modified version of it. T-
he same can be done for 360 and PS3 since a dev-
ice which can store music and access it shoul-
d be workable for this game... but do not
quote me on this - for I lack the specs
to prove this claim (laughs). If I d-
id not own the systems that I d-
o, chances are that I would
be playing Warcraft, E-
M's or Steam. Was
there a song t-
hat you tri-
ed whic-
h pro-
ve-
d to b-
e too diff-
icult or awkw-
ard to play with
(any other I mean)?
I wonder how these g-
enre's of music will affe-
ct the the actual gameplay:
-Opera
-Country
-Hip Hop
-Raggae
Although there are numerous
varieties in each class of
music, I am more in-
terest in the pac-
e and melodi-
c pitches
actual-
ly!!
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
Re: The Official Game Reviews thread...
I don't have much in the way of opera, country, hip hop or reggae actually. So I can't really answer your question there. But songs (other than anime ones) with a really good and tough pace to them include:
Mambo No. 5 - Lou Vega
Taking Care of Business - BTO
It's All Been Done - Barenaked Ladies
Highway to Hell - ACDC
Links 2 3 4 - Rammstein
A few easier songs with a nice beat:
Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band
One Week - Barenaked Ladies
Still Alive - Portal
So I can't really answer your question there. But songs (other than anime ones) with a really good and tough pace to them include:Mambo No. 5 - Lou Vega
Taking Care of Business - BTO
It's All Been Done - Barenaked Ladies
Highway to Hell - ACDC
Links 2 3 4 - Rammstein
A few easier songs with a nice beat:
Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band
One Week - Barenaked Ladies
Still Alive - Portal