Audiosurf Game Review for Windows PC

Audiosurf Game Review (4 out of 5)

Audiosurf is music-based match-3 type puzzler. The basic premise behind this game is its ability to turn your favorite music into different playable levels. You select your favorite song and the game transforms the song into a highway, which synchronizes with the music’s rhythm and jumps, weaves and dips in accordance with the music. Your character, a futuristic airborne vehicle, flies down the rhythmic highway collecting different colored blocks. The blocks are collected on a “leaderboard” and when three or more blocks of the same color get stacked on the board, they get cleared away. You then score points for each successful match. The game is very unique and addictive due to its music-oriented theme. Let’s see how the Audiosurf game fares in gameplay, graphics and sound.

Gameplay (4 out of 5)

One of the key aspects of Audiosurf is that it allows players to select their favorite song and ride their music. The game depends on the mood and speed of the song. For example, if you select soothing lounge music, game play will be very slow and casual, but fast-paced if some speedy guitar-laden Metallica song is chosen.

The game has over 12 modes of play. The character you select determines the game modes. For example, if you choose a character named “Mono”, you will play a mode with only two types of blocks, grey and colored. The grey-colored blocks will not give you any points if matched up, thus making it more difficult for you to get a better score blocks.

The controls in Audiosurf are simple and easy. You can play levels with keyboard, mouse or even with an Xbox 360 controller. Playing with a keyboard won’t be very satisfying because the game is fast-paced, you may find it difficult to move your craft with the directional arrows or WASD keys. I would recommend playing with either a mouse or the X360 controller as you can maneuver your vehicle more swiftly and smoothly. There’s also a two-player single-screen cooperative mode where both players can ride their crafts on a four-track course on the same PC. One uses the mouse, while the other uses the keyboard. Both players can also use the right and the left thumbstick of an Xbox 360 controller to control their vehicles.

In terms of replayability, Audiosurf fits the bill. The song you choose determines the level and speed of the game. So, different genres of music decide your play level. Moreover, you can play it a repeated number of times to compete with your friend’s scores.

Audiosurf is one the best cheap games available on Steam with a modest $9.99 tag.

Graphics (4 out of 5)

Audiosurf is a budget puzzle game, so do not expect any groundbreaking graphics. The visuals in the game are simple, yet vibrant and colorful. The backgrounds have minimum effects letting you to concentrate on the game. You can tweak the resolution and detail, but you must have a higher-end machine to make it happen. The game has a good frame rate, but can struggle if you try to improve the quality too much on a laptop or low-power PC.

Sound (3 out of 5)

There’s nothing peculiar or unique about Audiosurf’s sound because it relies on your music to create playable levels. The game blends quite well with the music. Songs with very definite beats can guarantee good levels, whereas heavy metal songs can make your tide bumpy, fast and crazy. In a sense, it’s the best soundtrack ever, because it’s the one you make yourself.

Overall

The best part of the Audiosurf game is the low price and high replay value. For just ten bucks, you get to play a unique match-3 style puzzle game and hear your favorite songs simultaneously.