Audiosurf 2

About

Audiosurf 2 is a single player and multiplayer racing game. It was developed by Dylan Fitterer and was released on May 26, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

Audiosurf 2 is a rhythm-based puzzle game that allows players to use their own music libraries to generate unique, dynamic levels. Players guide a ship through these levels, collecting colored blocks and managing resources to achieve high scores. The game features improved graphics, additional game modes, and enhanced customization options compared to its predecessor.

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,817 reviews

music731 positive mentions

stability51 negative mentions

The game allows players to immerse themselves in their favorite music, providing endless replayability with the ability to play any song they want.
The graphics and visual effects are improved over the original, making the gameplay visually appealing and engaging.
The community support and modding options enhance the experience, allowing for customization and new game modes.

The removal of YouTube streaming significantly limits the music options, making it difficult for players who rely on streaming services.
The user interface is clunky and not user-friendly, making it hard to navigate and select songs.
The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks the depth and challenge found in the original Audiosurf.

music
3,408 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
77%
2%
The music aspect of Audiosurf 2 is highly praised for its ability to allow players to immerse themselves in their favorite tracks, with the game dynamically generating levels based on the music's tempo and intensity. Players appreciate the freedom to use their own music libraries, although the removal of YouTube streaming has limited accessibility for those who primarily rely on streaming services. Overall, the game is celebrated for its engaging visuals and the unique experience it offers in connecting gameplay with personal music choices, making it a must-try for music enthusiasts.
- “After 100 hours, I can confidently say there’s nothing quite like carving through your favorite songs while the track bends, twists, and reacts to every note.”
- “It’s not flashy or filled with gimmicks — it’s just you, your music, and the ride.”
- “The coolest thing about it is that each level is created based on the music that's playing, so every song gives you a unique experience.”
- “Shame the rhythm is terribly off, no matter what song I put in or which computer I tried it on.”
- “The blocks and spikes really don't match up to the music very well, and makes the experience of playing through a song pretty unsatisfying.”
- “The game has a well-designed system of leaderboards for each song, but the lack of meaningful feedback when you 'get' a note makes the whole thing limp and lifeless to play.”
graphics
382 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
67%
3%
The graphics in Audiosurf 2 have received significant upgrades compared to its predecessor, featuring vibrant visuals and customizable skins that enhance the overall aesthetic experience. While many players appreciate the improved graphics and the ability to mod visuals through the Steam Workshop, some critiques highlight that the flashy designs can be overwhelming or distracting during gameplay. Overall, the game is visually appealing, but opinions vary on whether the enhancements truly elevate the experience beyond the original.
- “The visuals are stunning, the gameplay is set to your own tastes, and the breakdown for each piece of this game is so masterfully built that it grows just as much as you do, or rather your taste in music.”
- “The graphics are enhanced, the UI is notably aesthetic and user-friendly, and the track analysis is precise and responsive!”
- “The graphics got a well-deserved update in Audiosurf 2, and the game’s appearance is both nice on the eyes and customizable to your liking.”
- “The biggest gripe I have with this game is the graphics.”
- “The visuals are downright ugly and the user interface is not as intuitive.”
- “The graphics are much improved, but there are some things I like less, like the shape of the blocks, but that only applies to some skins, and the community mods can make this game as beautiful and engaging or challenging as you should ever need.”
gameplay
337 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The gameplay of Audiosurf 2 is characterized by its simplicity and reliance on player-selected music, offering a unique experience with endless replayability through various game modes and community-created content. However, many players find the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with some modes feeling unsatisfying or poorly executed. While the game features improved graphics and mod support, opinions are divided on whether these enhancements compensate for the perceived decline in gameplay quality compared to its predecessor.
- “The gameplay is simple, but being able to play any song you want means that you have endless replayability.”
- “Having played other rhythm games such as Thumper or Beat Saber in previous years, it's just way more satisfying when the gameplay is intentionally designed to fit the music.”
- “Smooth gameplay and infinite possibilities through modding and your own music library, there is much fun to be had.”
- “This game is neat in theory, but the auto-generated levels aren't very satisfying in practice, the gameplay gets repetitive quickly, and the game is becoming more and more difficult to play at all due to the lack of source to purchase audio files.”
- “The gameplay itself is bizarre and seems to give inconsistent points through game modes which results in players scoring twice or more points than you without any explanations of how they can do that.”
- “I tried to like it, converted a handful of songs, and even after getting it working, the gameplay is just so mediocre and sad to even consider it remotely a rhythm game is sort of insulting to the genre.”
stability
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly after recent updates that altered key features. While some players have experienced a relatively stable gameplay experience, the overall consensus indicates that the game feels unfinished and is plagued by various technical flaws, including UI glitches and freezing during song selection. Despite these issues, a few users noted that it runs well on lower-end systems, suggesting potential for improvement as the developers continue to address these concerns.
- “Still runs bug free.”
- “At least this game isn't buggy at all though.”
- “It runs great, looks great, isn't ridiculously demanding or poorly optimized; I can run it on 'gaming PC' settings at the native resolution of my MacBook Air with an average of 70 FPS.”
- “All the technical flaws with this game continue to hurt its recommendation, as it's littered with bugs, memory leaks, bad optimization, and UI glitches.”
- “This game is a buggy, literally unplayable sometimes, mess.”
- “It often freezes when picking a song, which is not acceptable for a game that is not in early access.”
optimization
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The optimization of Audiosurf 2 has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant improvements over its predecessor in terms of performance and graphics, while others report persistent issues such as stuttering, bugs, and high system demands. While many appreciate the smoother gameplay and better performance on various hardware, others express frustration with the game's reliance on a problematic music streaming integration and ongoing technical flaws. Overall, the game shows potential for optimization but still suffers from inconsistencies that affect the user experience.
- “The game becomes an optimization problem around when it's correct to skip over a block that would cause you to score, and when it's correct to just pick it up and move on to future scoring opportunities, a problem without a clear solution, and one which has very little to do with which song you're playing.”
- “Audiosurf 2 also seems to put the blocks in at better places and has better performance than Audiosurf 1, so that is also a big plus.”
- “Great optimization, excellent playability and fun at the forefront of fashion with wakeboard modem, where the rhythm of music can do tricks.”
- “All the technical flaws with this game continue to hurt its recommendation, as it's littered with bugs, memory leaks, bad optimization, and UI glitches.”
- “Optimization sucks - you have to have a high-end computer to run at max and will still have frame drops.”
- “Currently, music streaming from YouTube is terrible; I get strange microstuttering that happens for a while, and the only way to fix it is to reinstall the game, but even that hasn't worked sometimes.”
replayability
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
Overall, "Audiosurf 2" is praised for its exceptional replayability, largely due to the ability to play any song from the user's music library, which offers an almost infinite variety of gameplay experiences. While some users note that this can lead to issues with meaningful leaderboards and high scores, the game's unique levels generated from each track and the continuous addition of community content keep the experience fresh and engaging. Despite some criticisms regarding its early access state, many players find it to be a highly enjoyable rhythm game with substantial replay value.
- “The gameplay is simple, but being able to play any song you want means that you have endless replayability.”
- “Like the first game, it offers pretty much unlimited replayability seeing as you can play your entire song collection, and it gives you a new way to experience songs you love.”
- “The replayability of this game is infinite - I guess only in the case people stop making music.”
- “I believe the changes they made were so significant that it killed the one thing a game like this should instead make its bread and butter - replayability.”
- “That's right ladies, gentlemen, and whomever you may identify as, this game had none, 0, zilch, no replayability whatsoever.”
- “While this improves replayability of an individual level somewhat, it can also lead to RNG deciding to ruin your run by creating long runs of unfavorable arrangements.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
63%
23%
The reviews indicate a stark divide in the game's storytelling aspect: some players note the absence of a narrative, emphasizing that the game focuses on visuals and music rather than a story, making it unsuitable for those seeking a story-driven experience. Conversely, others mention a basic plot set in ancient Japan involving betrayal and revenge, but criticize it for being shallow and filled with trivial tasks. Overall, the game is not recommended for players looking for a substantial story.
- “With a comic and a good story, it takes place in ancient Japan.”
- “The story begins on the battlefield, after General Akamoto (you) gets betrayed by one of his lieutenants.”
- “In the afterlife, your mission is to recover your name and get your revenge against the imposter.”
- “Do not purchase this game if you are looking for a game with a story, or any sort of leveling system.”
- “This game simply doesn't have a storyline or something.”
- “So far the quest line is just doing small, meaningless jobs for people such as collecting wood or delivering lunch to some bloke.”
humor
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding it both hilarious and entertaining, particularly in multiplayer settings. The randomness of the leaderboards and the quirky elements, such as funny animations and unexpected song choices, contribute to a lighthearted experience that often leads to genuine laughter. However, some players note that the humor can feel overwhelming or obnoxious when playing solo.
- “Hilariously, this also means that as a given track becomes more competitive (more people playing it) its leaderboards will become more dependent on RNG, rather than less.”
- “The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realize that they're not just funny - they say something deep about life.”
- “Honestly, I've had more fun, like legitimate laughing fun, with this game than I have with any $60+ game out there.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
14%
79%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mix of tedious and challenging, with some achievements requiring significant effort and time investment. While there are helpful guides available, many users recommend multitasking with music or audiobooks to alleviate the monotony of grinding. Overall, the experience can be frustrating due to slow navigation and the need for repetitive practice, but achieving leaderboard status can provide a rewarding sense of accomplishment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Even with perfect play, placing on the leaderboards still requires an element of grinding for well-balanced note placements, which are not common.”
- “If you still decide to install and possibly complete (god forbid) this game despite the horrors I've detailed above, make sure to mute the Audiosurf volume and check out some audiobooks or podcasts while you're grinding for the 'tres commas' achievement; I learned so much more about the world during my one hundred hours.”
- “As well, searching through your music library with the Audiosurf menu is tediously slow and unorganized.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique integration of music and gameplay, creating a euphoric experience that resonates with players, especially those who enjoy electronic music. The vibrant visuals and customizable elements enhance the immersive quality, although some feel that the original game's atmosphere was more compelling. Overall, the game successfully captures the rhythm and mood of players' favorite songs, making it a standout in its genre.
- “In 2020, this game is somehow still one of the only ones that does this kind of sound file to gameplay parsing for a comfy atmosphere.”
- “Audiosurf is an awesomely atmospheric game which connects with your music and makes a great path, syncing with drops, the beat, and everything else the song has to offer.”
- “Not to sound cliché, but really, the whole idea of Audiosurf is to 'ride' and feel the 'rhythm,' which gives you an atmospheric, or rather, somewhat euphoric feel of the songs with which you have grown to love or identified yourself with.”
- “This completely kills the atmosphere and mood of the game.”
- “There have been other games that did what Audiosurf is most famous for, but they just couldn't match up the beats and atmosphere of your favorite songs well.”
- “If you like music, surfing in a trippy atmosphere, or even testing yourself for epilepsy, this game is for you.”
monetization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism due to intrusive mid-game advertisements, including unskippable YouTube videos and persistent text-based ads that disrupt gameplay. Users express frustration over the lack of ad-blocking options and the poor user experience caused by ads overlapping with essential game functions. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as detrimental to player enjoyment.
- “Saul’s advertising mid-game.”
- “Moreover, the YouTube videos can have ads in them, and there is no way to turn them off, covering half of the YouTube player.”
- “They lined up the YouTube video playback with the settings menu close button, and when you try to click on the close button, it just opens up ads in your browser.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to Audiosurf 1, highlighting the addictive nature of hitting colorful blocks to music, which evokes strong feelings. However, the sequel's interface and gameplay changes have led to disappointment, with some feeling that the emotional impact has diminished, resulting in a heart-wrenching experience. Overall, the emotional resonance remains significant, but frustrations with gameplay mechanics have affected players' enjoyment.
- “10/10 would cry again.”
- “This is heart-wrenching for me.”
- “Just touching notes is no longer enough.”