Thoughts On: Audiosurf 2.

The original Audiosurf was one of the earliest rhythm puzzle games to capture my attention, it certainly wasn't the first of it's genre and it most certainly hasn't been the last, with many other games attempting to splice rhythmic musical interaction with a wide range of game genres ever since. But it was the most memorable for me and developer/creator Dylan Fitterer has been hard at work on it's sequel, Audiosurf 2.

Currently available through Steam Early Access, Audiosurf 2 is very much a direct sequel to the 2008 PC hit. However there's a few new tricks up it's sleeve that show real promise, even if things are a little rough around the edges right now. In some respects Dylan's decision to take Audiosurf 2 down the Early Access route is a smart one, after all the original Audiosurf was continually built upon with new features as the months and years went by and generally looked considerably different to how it did at launch. Of course with the game taking this warts and all method of release, Audiosurf 2 isn't without it's issues although rest assured it's still more than playable. But what is it about this sequel that's worth your attention.

In a single word: Mods. Yes we're talking modifications here and Audiosurf 2 opens up to all manner of mods that can dramatically change not just the look of the levels but also the game modes available. With Valve's Steam Workshop structure in play, you can mod Audiosurf 2 easily with a wide range of new visual styles and game modes created by Dylan Fitterer and the Audiosurf community. This is without a doubt the most striking difference in Audiosurf 2, allowing for a wide range of changes to the core game and one that currently gives the game an interesting twist, even if these mods mostly consist of visual changes rather than dramatic gameplay changes. That said, on the Steam Workshop you'll find a fun collection of early attempts at gameplay mods that have the potential to really spice up the familiar Audiosurf experience, even if the majority of the gameplay mods feel unpolished as of writing this.

The introduction of easily implemented mod support is without a doubt one of the more exciting features of Audiosurf 2, because no matter how I look at it, this is still Audiosurf. It doesn't look drastically different, though the visual mods currently available show real promise when it comes to changes modders can make to the cosmetics of the game. Still, this is Audiosurf and that feeling has been reinforced by the fact that many of the new features that have been added in Early Access are features that were found in the original Audiosurf. But maybe that's not the point, because fans of Audiosurf will be more than satisfied with what it's sequel is attempting to achieve and having the same familiar additions such as Audiosurf Radio and better song selection and searching will satisfy most players. It's just a shame that some of the more headline making features, such as the new wakeboard mode don't do a great deal for me.

Now of course it'd be wrong of me to criticise Audiosurf 2 for being more of the same, especially when one considers we're still in the Early Access stage here. The original Audiosurf was well supported even after it's release with new features so I still have high hopes. Plus we mustn't ignore the fact that Audiosurf 2 is more than playable with supported online leaderboards and a music search system that appeared to work well, though I don't have a large music collection so I can't be sure how well it handles those with a much greater collection than myself. Personally I've found myself using Soundcloud a great deal for a source of musical tracks/levels to play, plus it's implementation is trouble-free and easy to access, so there's always that option for those with small music collections.

There's clearly some potential in regards to mod support with Audiosurf 2, and it's clear that developer Dylan Fitterer is working closely with the community to provide tools and features that will only make modding the game easier as time goes by. There's already a fine selection of fun experiments such as a DDR inspired mode that provides one hell of a challenge. So if you found yourself smitten by Audiosurf's musically generated rollercoasters before, rest assured that there's still a great deal to enjoy within it's sequel. Let's hope that with the tools at hand, the modding community takes Audiosurf to it's heart and creates some truly fun and challenging modes for the community to play. We're already off to a decent start.