Audiosurf

Over the holidays I decided to grab another little indie title called Audiosurf. I couldn't resist the special they were having on Steam and decided to get it while the deal lasted. I had played the demo before and already knew I enjoyed the game, but having the full version's features made it that much better.

Audiosurf is an interesting hybrid of three different genres. Part music & rhythm game, part puzzle game, and part racing game, make for a very unique concept. Though it may sound like a bit of chaos when you think about putting those three play mechanics together, Audiosurf does manage to pull it off with surprising ease. The best part of this game, however, has got to be the personalization aspect of the play experience.

Audiosurf will use your computers music library to generate its tracks. We all have those songs that evoke specific memories or emotions, and when you combine your psychological associations with the visuals and mechanics of this game, the results are rather interesting. In faster paced songs, which are automatically more difficult, a high degree of concentration is required. This may in turn serve to override, or at least ammend, the mind's associated content with the music in question.

In the end, everyone will have a uniquely tailored experience with Audiosurf based on their music library. That is what makes this game immediately exciting, because of wanting to see how your favorite songs will "play." For those with sufficient levels of awareness, the mental effects of these experiences are also worth some consideration.