Aaero
DISCLOSURE: I checked product received for free because I received this game through a giveaway.
When I first started to play Aaero I was slightly disappointed initially due to my own misconceptions. I didn’t know much about it beforehand and had expected it to be a rhythm game. I even went back and read the Steam store description for the game, and in fact nowhere does it suggest Aaero is a rhythm game. Although the music plays a major role in Aaero, it’s first and foremost a twin-stick rail shooter.
– Real player with 21.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Controller Action Games.
A must-play for the rhythm game fan.
tl;dr
great wub wub soundtrack, fight a giant sand worm, tight controls, fun gameplay, fight a giant robot spider, worth buying
Trace ribbons of light with one stick, and shoot enemies with the other - all to the beat of an outstanding soundtrack - Aaero is an intensely exciting experience that is both accessible and has more than a bit of challenge to the dedicated player.
At the time of writing, I’m one of 5 people to have accessed and completed all difficulties in the game, having taken me 8 hours to achieve this.
– Real player with 15.4 hrs in game
Spin Rhythm XD
Summary
This is an amazing Rhythm game. I can’t really stress enough how fun this game is, and how it feels to play to the music. The key word I think that describes this game best is flow. There is an incredible feeling as you move the wheel, hit notes, hit beats, and match the colors. I don’t play very many Rhythm games, but SRXD has gotten me to take a closer look at the genre. It takes some gameplay mechanics from Vertically Scrolling Rhythm games, and makes them its own. As well as introducing entirely new sets of gameplay systems and mechanics, which I will try to explain below.
– Real player with 1922.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Controller Casual Games.
Finally a fresh concept for a rhythm game, and it’s executed extremely well. Some of the most fun in a rhythm game you can have. Songs and charts are good, community is good, and the dev team actually does a good job to maintain and improve their game. There’s a good amount of in-game customization to suit the player’s needs, it also supports MIDI controllers.
I have a small issue though, my issue is the game is trying to be a hybrid of a casual and competitive game. The reason this is an issue is they’re limiting the skill cap with the hardest songs. In it’s current state, there are a couple people who have a perfect score on every chart. If the game wants to be competitive they should influence players to improve more and more. High level leaderboards is only an accuracy battle of who can get a perfect score on the most songs. Don’t get me wrong, the hardest songs are definitely challenging and very intimidating when you’re new or a casual player of the game. But why hold back players skills when there’s a global leaderboard? This won’t be much of an issue for the average player, but if you spend a lot of time in it you’ll find yourself slowly getting worn out only playing for accuracy.
– Real player with 585.3 hrs in game
SEQUENCE STORM
Highly recommend that you give it a try. It’s got a high skill-ceiling (See: My time.) with an array of helpful options/tools to get you to those extreme charts. The editor takes a bit of time to learn (I’d say 5 to 10 hours to get the hang of it.), but has a fast workflow once you figure things out.
More than anything, I think this game has potential. Just sticking with the game for ~3 quarters of a year, I’ve seen the game change a lot, and for the better too. Despite being a single developer, they often work on the game and is very responsive to the (rather small) community. A new note-type (something you don’t see often in rhythm games), camera effects, a ton of world customization options in the editor, and many other things were added since I’ve started playing. It’s incredibly impressive and I hope it pays off.
– Real player with 849.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Controller Level Editor Games.
Intro
Let me start by saying that you should get this game. It’s fun, challenging, and offers lots of replayability. The tracks are your standard-fare EDM by largely unknown artists. They’re all pretty good (as are the beatmaps) and with the Workshop the track selection is only bound to improve. It’s F2P so there’s really no excuse not to try it out.
The Gameplay
Overall, the gameplay is incredibly fun. It’s similar to Amplitude’s but with a lot more inputs (9) and from what I can tell it’s almost a carbon copy of Sound Vortex. So if those games are your thing, this probably will be, too. Most of the beatmaps are stellar and really fun to play, with many complex and interesting patterns.
– Real player with 258.0 hrs in game
Boltzmann Brain
Love those space-arts at the background, looks atmospheric :)
I was an indepented beta-tester, and after release I can say with my honor that I can recommend this game.
Single-player is pretty hard, but I get a nice feeling when finally understand how to solve puzzles, also they seem like well-designed and each of them is like small (or sometimes big) task. And ending… Yeah, nice one :)
Versus mode becomes INCREDIBLY fun when you achieve a full control under your movements and ball, also it’s a nice choice to spent time when there’s 4 of you.
– Real player with 17.9 hrs in game
Nice little oldfag thing, really enjoyed it. No bugs so far, hope none will be in the future. The gameplay shows the guys have done a great job. Though I had to spend some time reapplying controls but it was worth. This game will be appreciated by those who like challenges because each level always requires a portion of thinking =)
– Real player with 7.2 hrs in game
PANORAMICAL
SUMMARY: A musical/visual game where you manipulate various settings to create your own visual/musical combinations. Worth purchasing if you enjoy experiential games, and like unusual musical and video experiences.
Panoramical is best summed up as an audio/visual toy. It’s a kind of spiritual lovechild of screensavers, Proteus, and the Atari C-240.
As you play (with minimal instruction) you enter various settings. In those you have nine factors you can maniuplate - there’s no directions, you have to find what they do. Each factor alters both the musical and the visual landscape - what could be a mysterious black and white swamp, with a few tweaks, becomes a strange mirrored plain with shooting stars flying about. Music could be dissonant, orchestral, whimsical, or something else.
– Real player with 41.1 hrs in game
A Stendhal Syndrome inducing piece of art, that becomes David Kanaga’s most ambitious work to date
I should start this review by saying that after the first 20 minutes I spent with Fernando Ramallo and David Kanaga’s new creation, I feel forced to stop in a state of anxiety while tears of emotion blurred my eyes.
Panoramical puts me in the same state of euphoria that Stendhal felt visiting the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence for the first time, as he became overwhelmed by the dazzling beauty found in Giotto’s frescoes.
– Real player with 5.9 hrs in game
Beat Blast
Nice concept, but boring overall. There’s a few things that keep me from recommending this. First off, the music has virtually no impact on the game other than the speed at which you shoot. You’re going to spam notes in every cell as you unlock them, so there’s no point in finding creative layouts. It’s also clunky how you set up your notes in the bottom left corner of the screen while trying to dodge enemies.
The music is cute and bouncy, but the game visually is incredibly dark, which doesn’t match. There’s no reason to have the “fog of war” aspect, it doesn’t change anything gameplay wise except make it feel claustrophobic. The art would fit better if it was a white background, or if they removed the fog of war and made enemies glow brighter similar to Geometry Wars. The screen can become cluttered very quickly, and hostile and friendly projectiles share some of the same colours so it’s hard to tell what’s going on at points.
– Real player with 36.8 hrs in game
A fun roguelike, Beat Blast is one of those games that you throw a pair of headphones on and simply forget the concept of time, ‘least until you realize you lost track of it and today has become tomorrow… The music contrasts nicely with the dark atmospheric theme, the light of you, the player, pitted against your enemies; a quite literal display of light and dark (or this gal read too much into it, your call I suppose). I always dive back in when I see a new content release, albeit in the name of fairness one could probably get all the different items after fifteen hours or so (I like to take my time, or meander about, if you prefer). I’ve unlocked everything but still find myself going back in, and getting occasionally surprised by things like a new alternate boss.
– Real player with 19.9 hrs in game
Beat Souls
This game is super fun. Some of the early negative reviews got it wrong. TRY THE DEMO!
I do agree that Beat Souls isn’t a rhythm game. There are no judgement mechanics and the player’s input is separate from the music. The obstacles and collectibles of the stage match the music, the player’s input does not. This should be obvious from a quick glance at the gameplay trailer. Beat Souls is described as an “intense rhythm action game”, and that is a perfect description.
Most games that attempt to blend action game and music game fall short of my expectations (i.e. Thumper). Beat Souls is the first I’ve played that actually gets it right. The gameplay is solid and the rhythm elements aren’t extraneous. The game does a good job of easing players into the game by introducing new mechanics separately, and the gameplay doesn’t immediately fall apart once the difficulty increases.
– Real player with 12.1 hrs in game
Beat Souls is definitely a very fun rhythm game with much to offer and will definitely help you get better as long as you practice both Normal and Hard Stages several times over, you’ll eventually be able to master what the game has to offer, but even when you think you’ve mastered it all, the Infinite Hell Mode will keep you coming back for more and really push your skills to the test!
Overall, I’d definitely recommend this game for the cute and colorful graphics, characters, the catchy music, and the variety in stages that are offered to the player!
– Real player with 5.6 hrs in game
MODSORK
A very fun and addictive arcade-style game. The coordinate efforts to control both dots simultaneously and in inverted situations are challenging but it is what keeps you trying. The game is synchronized with the music which generates a very immersive experience. Love it!
– Real player with 8.8 hrs in game
Slay foul polygons
Master the twin stick movement
Or get smoked by square
– Real player with 4.3 hrs in game
The Forest Quartet
The Forest Quartet is a 3D narrative puzzler about a gone, but not forgotten, lead singer.
Play her spirit and travel through 3 acts unique to the members of her band for a final concert.
Face their emotions, solve puzzles and fight the corruption plaguing their souls.
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Something strange has taken over the once green and lush nature that Kirk would draw his inspiration from. The fungus slowly creeps and turns growth into decay.
Use the power of your voice to restore the forest.
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The forest has become an abyss of darkness.
Creatures have awoken from the depths of the underground, swarming JB’s house.
Find the light that once existed to reignite JB’s musical spark.
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A volcano has erupted, spitting lava out into the nearby forest causing fires and destruction.
Reestablish a system of water in the deep underground and reconnect lost pipes to stop the volcanic eruption.
- Sing to interact with objects, create light with your fingertips. Glide, float, and transform into butterflies to explore the band members’ psyches.
- Environments and objects add unique layers to the soundtrack. Whether it be crackling forest fires or the cold winds from the deep caverns.
- Live through heartbreak and loss. Recover from grief and restore the band’s musical spark.
- No written descriptions or instructions, progressively gain powers for your travels.
Note from the developer:
The Forest Quartet is a personal and family made project. The original jazz score is composed by Mads' father, Nina is voiced by his sister, the soundtrack is performed by select musicians from The Danish Radio Big Band based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
A Musical Story
A Musical Story is a rhythm game set against a 70s backdrop. Explore the memories of Gabriel, a young man trying to come to terms with his situation through the connections to his musical memory. Each correctly played melody opens a new chapter into Gabriel’s past, bringing him closer to the truth.
Key Features
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Rekindle Gabriel’s memories with rhythmic button presses in time with the music
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Storytelling without words – discover Gabriel’s journey through music and visuals alone
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Gabriel’s story comes to life through a beautifully crafted art style
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A unique original soundtrack featuring 26 songs
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Play every song perfectly to unlock a hidden chapter
A Musical Story is the debut game from independent French developer, Glee-Cheese Studio. They are: Charles Bardin (Game Design + Music), Maxime Constantinian (Programmer), Valentin Ducloux (Music + Integration), Alexandre Rey (Artistic Direction).