Audica
- November 5, 2019
- Harmonix Music Systems, Inc
- 47h median play time
Audica is a single-player VR rhythm shooter with excellent mechanics and stunning graphics. Players shoot color-coded targets to the beat of popular music, aiming for precision and timing to earn higher scores and a spot on the leaderboard. The game offers an immersive and challenging experience, especially on expert difficulty, where it becomes a precise choreography of beat-blasting brilliance.
Reviews
- Audica offers a unique blend of rhythm and shooting mechanics, providing a satisfying experience for players who enjoy precision and timing.
- The game features a decent selection of songs, with the potential for more through community mods and custom tracks, enhancing replayability.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback, regularly updating the game and adding new features, which shows a commitment to improving the player experience.
- The learning curve is steep, making it challenging for new players to pick up, especially when compared to more accessible rhythm games like Beat Saber.
- Some players find the visual clutter and off-screen targets frustrating, as it can be difficult to track notes that appear outside of the player's field of view.
- The current song selection is limited, and while the game has potential, it may not satisfy players looking for a larger variety of music.
- music962 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in Audica has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the decent selection of 33 songs and the ability to add custom tracks through modding, while others criticize the original soundtrack as lacking depth and variety. Many users enjoy the integration of gameplay mechanics with music, noting that hitting notes enhances the audio experience, but the game's tendency to mute music upon missing notes disrupts the flow and immersion. Overall, while the base soundtrack may not appeal to everyone, the potential for custom songs and ongoing updates keeps the experience engaging for many players.
“The music in Audica is relatively varied, offering 33 songs plus an additional 4 songs - album versions.”
“They know how to nail the emphasis on the music with invigorating gameplay with an attention to detail that others fail to implement.”
“The base game has a solid mix of songs and a campaign that throws in modifiers which make revisiting songs for different high score chases exciting and rewarding.”
“Sadly the developers left the game and are no longer updating and adding more music packs & content.”
“Uncomfortable to play, awful selection of songs, and it seems to be abandoned as there hasn't been any new songs added in over a year.”
“The music selection did not grab me either and the combination of not feeling great with shooting and not hearing great, inspiring music kind of killed the experience for me.”
- gameplay200 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Audica is praised for its unique mechanics and complexity, offering a challenging experience that contrasts with simpler rhythm games like Beat Saber. Players appreciate the fluidity and integration of various mechanics, although some find the learning curve steep and the initial experience less enjoyable until they master the game. Overall, while the gameplay is engaging and rewarding, it may not appeal to those seeking a more physically intense rhythm game experience.
“The mechanics flow together well and take advantage of VR effectively.”
“The gameplay feels awesome, there's a solid variety of targets (single hits, hold fire, hold+follow trail, shoot with pistol upright/sideways, etc.) and it's definitely very challenging.”
“In terms of gameplay, it is a bit harder to pick up and get used to than other games in the genre (Beat Saber), but after an hour or two of gameplay, it really picks up to be a greatly satisfying and enjoyable experience.”
“The gameplay is pretty bland and I hate it when you miss a note; instead of a text, it slows the music and it kind of ruins the music for you.”
“With Audica, the difficulty seems to come from poor mapping and odd mechanics, and so far I have only enjoyed one song on the list.”
“It is a lot of fun, but isn't easily accessible and the mechanics are a bit too crowded on higher difficulties.”
- graphics58 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their quality, featuring stunning visuals, futuristic environments, and impressive particle effects that enhance the overall experience. While many players appreciate the crispness and polish of the graphics, some critiques mention issues with cluttered visuals at higher difficulties and a few instances of overly simplistic designs. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point of the game, contributing significantly to its immersive feel.
“I love the graphics in this game too, more than other rhythm games I've played, and enjoy the firework style particle effects as well as the futuristic environments and guns.”
“Really fun game, the visuals are stunning and you feel like you are in space.”
“It already feels polished and graphically offers more than Beat Saber.”
“The only downside is the graphics.”
“The game is really dark and the graphics kind of gritty, but not in a Diablo II kind of way... more like if you put a mesh cloth on the screen kind of way.”
“On higher difficulties, not to say they are too hard, but poorly mapped as the visuals get really cluttered on some songs.”
- optimization22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed feedback. While some users report solid performance and no issues on their systems, others note that the game could benefit from better optimization, particularly in terms of control responsiveness and aim-assist functionality. Additionally, the game provides useful performance metrics, allowing players to make quick adjustments to enhance their experience.
“I want graphics that are crisp, run smoothly, and relay the information that I need without clutter.”
“The game also gives you detailed metrics of your performance on the results screen, so I was able to calibrate my gun angle/timing offset in less than fifteen minutes.”
“People have complained about performance issues; however, it runs fine on my laptop with an i5 and GTX 1060.”
“Game could be optimized better but is ok.”
“Performance seems to be hit and miss.”
“To compensate for poor control/performance, the game comes with aim-assist on by default; it's still not fantastic - for example: without even moving the controller, the trigger-firing seems randomly scattered on a laser weapon.”
- story20 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players finding the addition of a narrative about an ancient civilization unnecessary and detracting from the overall experience. Others express a desire for a more engaging story mode that could enhance their immersion and interest in the gameplay. Overall, while the game runs well across various hardware, the current storyline seems to lack depth and connection to the core gameplay.
“Though I feel somehow if they added a story mode to this game, it would make me more interested.”
“Going through the story as a performer of some sort possibly?”
“For some stupid reason they added some dumb story about finding an ancient destroyed civilization.”
“You get 'one' track of immersion in the entire game, I'm talking story-line, moving background, complete synergy.”
“Though I feel somehow if they added a story mode to this game it would make me more interested.”
- stability10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, "Audica" is praised for its stability, with many users reporting a smooth experience free of significant bugs or glitches across various hardware. While some mention occasional framerate issues and minor glitches, the game's performance has improved since its earlier releases, leading to a generally positive reception regarding stability.
“It runs great on all hardware I've tried it on, and it's coming to Quest, so hopefully that will drive more map makers.”
“Runs great on my PC at 120Hz, Valve Index used.”
“It runs great on all hardware I've tried it on, and it's coming to Quest, so hopefully that will drive more map makers.”
“Framerate feels weird; you can see glitches sometimes.”
“Earlier negative reviews were when maybe the game was more buggy, but I just got it and have had nothing but fun.”
“Audica is one of the few I've found, other than Beat Saber, which can be played free of bugs or glitches.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers a decent selection of songs and supports modding, which significantly enhances its replayability, especially with community-created content. However, some players feel that at higher price points, the base game lacks sufficient replay value, leading to mixed opinions on its overall worth.
“The game has a decent selection of songs, some DLC songs, and you can mod in songs, so there is a lot of replayability.”
“The game offers a variety of songs and modding options, enhancing its replayability significantly.”
“I'd say for $10 it's probably worth picking up if you like rhythm games, but I refunded it at $25 just because of the sheer lack of replayability.”
“There's also community mods which add a lot of replayability.”
“The game has a decent selection of songs, some DLC songs, and you can mod in songs, but overall it lacks replayability.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by clever easter eggs and amusing interactions, such as performing hand tricks with guns and discovering hidden jokes that require some thought. Players appreciate the lightheartedness and comedic elements woven into the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.
“There are also some cool hand tricks you can do with the guns and a funny easter egg if you shoot the right place (use your brain).”
“Funny number”
“The funny thing is though, I've never really bothered looking into mods or custom songs for this.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mixed emotional response to the game, noting that missing notes can dull the music and diminish their connection to the rhythm, leading to frustration. Conversely, successfully hitting notes enhances the experience by providing a clearer version of the song, which boosts their confidence and enjoyment. Overall, the emotional impact of the game is heavily influenced by the player's performance.
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the high placement of melee orbs that become frustrating when encountered in sequences. Additionally, the scoring system is perceived as unfulfilling, contributing to the overall sense of monotony in the grinding experience.
“The melee orbs you have to smack are too high; it's not terrible when it's just one or two of them, but when they come at you in sequence, it feels really tedious to hit them.”
“The scoring system is pretty tedious and unrewarding.”