Gaming Forums => General Gaming => Topic started by: Djunknown on February 21, 2008, 06:10:54 AM
Title: Audio Surf
Post by: Djunknown on February 21, 2008, 06:10:54 AM
Anyone checked this out on Steam?
Gave the demo a whirl, and I'm pleasantly surprised. Its one part racer, one part puzzler, with some REZ influence on it.
Essentially, you have ride a track based on an Mp3, Mp4, iTunes media, whatever music you have on your HD. Your goal is to match the same colored blocks as much as possible, divided into four lanes. How and what type of blocks depend on the vehicle you choose. The simplest racer gives you two colors, while avoiding a grey one. The standard one gives you more, but no grey (but still try to keep single color patterns). There are more 'advanced' vehicles, including one where you operate two at a time(Or have some on hand to help you out.! Its hard to describe unless you see it motion. Depending on the song, the speed picks up when it goes fast, slows down during the bridge/breakdown.
After going through the brief tutorial, I decided to try one of my tracks.The controls are relatively simple, you can use the mouse or keyboard and is quite responsive. I start with something slow and basic, Micheal Jackson's "Billie Jean." The course length was as long as the track length (4:54). Sure enough, the course was at a steady pace,due to the constant tempo. When I was done, I received my score, and gave a top 10 for this track! Apparently I wasn't alone in choosing Billie Jean.
After that, I chose a second track, one of those pre-loaded. It was a standard electronic music track, with its ups and downs which reflected on the course.
The visuals are pretty minmalmist, but are bright and vivid. The sound is whatever you make of it, so if its high quality, its high quality.
If you have Steam, try out the demo, though it only lets you try 4 times. Its 9.95, so it won't break the bank. As a bonus, you get the soundtrack for the Orange Box, including Portal's anthem "Still Alive."
Title: Re: Audio Surf
Post by: Smoke39 on February 21, 2008, 07:29:54 AM
I tried the demo on Steam a few days ago to Rob Zombie's "Dragula" but the framerate was unplayably bad for some reason. My computer's getting pretty old, but the game's requirements aren't very high. :/
Title: Re: Audio Surf
Post by: Djunknown on February 22, 2008, 07:16:39 AM
Damn. I believe Audio Surf is powered by Source. I remember one of the people I play regularly in TF2 said that if your computer can't run a 4 year old engine, its time for a new box. :-\ Good choice of music though.
Don't feel too bad. If it makes you feel better, I don't attempt to max out my settings when I'm playing the Orange Box... :'(
Title: Re: Audio Surf
Post by: Smoke39 on February 22, 2008, 07:24:21 AM
I can run Source. TF2 is barely playable, but HL2, Sin, and Episode 1 are fine. Audio Surf runs significantly worse than TF2, though, which doesn't seem right to me.
Title: Re: Audio Surf
Post by: Dirk Temporo on February 28, 2008, 10:00:23 PM
Did you turn the video settings down to Normal? I had to do that.
Audiosurf is awesome.
Title: Re: Audio Surf
Post by: Smoke39 on February 28, 2008, 11:03:41 PM
Come on now. Of course I tried that.
I wonder if it uses OpenGL. It might be falling back on a software implementation of something that my rusty old Radeon 9800 Pro lacks. Pixel shader model 3, maybe.
Title: Re: Audio Surf
Post by: Dirk Temporo on February 29, 2008, 10:23:34 PM
It's definitely not that, because I don't have Shader Model 3.0
Title: Re: Audio Surf
Post by: Smoke39 on February 29, 2008, 10:48:49 PM
Hah. I found the problem.
"If you're using the XBCD drivers for your xbox gamepad, please unplug the controller before playing Audiosurf. Otherwise you'll get a memory leak which quickly results in terrible performance."
Just tried it with Anything But Tangerines from Earthworm Jim 2. Pretty cool.
