I had a sucky weekend in Valdez (nothing like Port Valdez like in BC2, though I didn't expect it to), and after having replayed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2's career mode over and over unlocking stuff, I needed something new before I got completely worn out. So looking around the web for recommendations, I came across this little indie title released on Steam about a week ago (and apparently been on 360 as well). The game? Beat Hazard.  
 
The most intruiguing part about this game I found was that your music makes up the bulk of the game. The frequencies and sound levels determined the strength of your weapons, enemy patterns, bosses, and some sweet pulsating visual effects. So, Geometry Wars meets Audiosurf, and this is what you get. And hey, guess what? It's fun, and you should try it out, too. 
 
So, when you start up the game, you choose your control setup. Either mouse and keyboard, or Xbox 360 controller. This is a twin stick shooter, and was originally on Xbox 360, so this would no doubt be the control setup everyone should use. Keyboard and Mouse work fine, though not necessarily ideal. 
There are two modes: Play, and Survival Mode. Play has you go through your music folders, pick out a file, one of 3 difficulty settings (a 4th one is unlocked), and start playing. The gameplay is very simple here on in with the left stick moving your ship, and right stick aiming and firing (does both) your lasers. Press the right trigger to launch a bomb, but use them wisely. You have a limited number of lives, and you lose them fast when you aren't paying attention. Pretty simple, yet still challenging. Blow stuff up and watch pretty colors, get your score, and try to improve on it towards a better rank. 
 
This game's ranking system is very interesting, with each level giving you a sort of performance boost. Think of it like a perks system, though you don't choose your perks before starting a game. They're just added on, such as power ups available at the start, initial score multiplyer, and final rank has your weapons all powered up right at the start. Although once you lose a life and respawn, you have to build up your weapons again. 
The way leaderboards are done are different than in Audiosurf. Rather than a leaderboard for each individual song, your score is judged based on the length of the song. There are categories that range from below 3 minutes, or 4-5 minutes, and so on. It's rather smart, so that no matter what the music file is named, your score can still be ranked and matched with other players. A good system. 
 
I've had a great time with this game since getting it on Monday, and while I will say it does not seem like a COMPLETE package, this being a one-man indie title is atleast excusible for some interface issues and MINOR frustrations, like loosing track of your ship amidst all the exploding colors and junk. 
 
Beat Hazard is a game that is already simple on fun as it is now, but it's one that will get better and better as more is added, which is what Steve Hunt, the man behind this game, is looking to do. 
 
Already on the Steam User's Forums, people have been making suggestions for patches and DLC for this game, and he's all open for that. They might not come instantly, but he's looking towards getting as much as he can in. Already the demo has been released, which there wasn't at the time I bought the game, so if you're curious but don't want to spend your money on it right away, check it out. 
 
I have two things that are already among the many suggestions already being made, but these are mostly top priority for me. 
1) AAC/iTunes support. Right now, the game only supports MP3 and OGG files. While most of my music files are MP3s, a few in my iTunes library can't be played because they are AAC. Steve's said he's looking towards getting it in, and even if it may need to be payed for due to high cost, I would not mind paying a buck for it as he mentioned (this thread is what I'm talking about) 
2? Controller support other than Xbox 360 controller. I don't own a 360, so likewise I don't have a 360 controller. I've had experience with making my PS3 controller work via its USB cable before in a few of my games, and I recently found an unofficial plugin of sorts that lets me use non-360 controllers on games that support it, stuff like Games for Windows and other things. It's not necessarily confirmed, but that and all the other suggestions people have made have been put in a sticky thread on the Beat Hazard forum. I would like official support for other controllers, but until then (if it ever comes around), this plugin has served me well. 
 
The low down. 
If you liked Audiosurf, you'll like this game. 
If you liked Geometry Wars, you'll like this game. 
If you're skeptical, try out the demo and see for yourself. 
 
And remember, there is more coming. Mr. Hunt is doing an awesome thing being an active developer, so have fun now and expect more fun in the future. 

Beat Hazard. Go check it out. You'll like it.

I had a sucky weekend in Valdez (nothing like Port Valdez like in BC2, though I didn't expect it to), and after having replayed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2's career mode over and over unlocking stuff, I needed something new before I got completely worn out. So looking around the web for recommendations, I came across this little indie title released on Steam about a week ago (and apparently been on 360 as well). The game? Beat Hazard.  
 
The most intruiguing part about this game I found was that your music makes up the bulk of the game. The frequencies and sound levels determined the strength of your weapons, enemy patterns, bosses, and some sweet pulsating visual effects. So, Geometry Wars meets Audiosurf, and this is what you get. And hey, guess what? It's fun, and you should try it out, too. 
 
So, when you start up the game, you choose your control setup. Either mouse and keyboard, or Xbox 360 controller. This is a twin stick shooter, and was originally on Xbox 360, so this would no doubt be the control setup everyone should use. Keyboard and Mouse work fine, though not necessarily ideal. 
There are two modes: Play, and Survival Mode. Play has you go through your music folders, pick out a file, one of 3 difficulty settings (a 4th one is unlocked), and start playing. The gameplay is very simple here on in with the left stick moving your ship, and right stick aiming and firing (does both) your lasers. Press the right trigger to launch a bomb, but use them wisely. You have a limited number of lives, and you lose them fast when you aren't paying attention. Pretty simple, yet still challenging. Blow stuff up and watch pretty colors, get your score, and try to improve on it towards a better rank. 
 
This game's ranking system is very interesting, with each level giving you a sort of performance boost. Think of it like a perks system, though you don't choose your perks before starting a game. They're just added on, such as power ups available at the start, initial score multiplyer, and final rank has your weapons all powered up right at the start. Although once you lose a life and respawn, you have to build up your weapons again. 
The way leaderboards are done are different than in Audiosurf. Rather than a leaderboard for each individual song, your score is judged based on the length of the song. There are categories that range from below 3 minutes, or 4-5 minutes, and so on. It's rather smart, so that no matter what the music file is named, your score can still be ranked and matched with other players. A good system. 
 
I've had a great time with this game since getting it on Monday, and while I will say it does not seem like a COMPLETE package, this being a one-man indie title is atleast excusible for some interface issues and MINOR frustrations, like loosing track of your ship amidst all the exploding colors and junk. 
 
Beat Hazard is a game that is already simple on fun as it is now, but it's one that will get better and better as more is added, which is what Steve Hunt, the man behind this game, is looking to do. 
 
Already on the Steam User's Forums, people have been making suggestions for patches and DLC for this game, and he's all open for that. They might not come instantly, but he's looking towards getting as much as he can in. Already the demo has been released, which there wasn't at the time I bought the game, so if you're curious but don't want to spend your money on it right away, check it out. 
 
I have two things that are already among the many suggestions already being made, but these are mostly top priority for me. 
1) AAC/iTunes support. Right now, the game only supports MP3 and OGG files. While most of my music files are MP3s, a few in my iTunes library can't be played because they are AAC. Steve's said he's looking towards getting it in, and even if it may need to be payed for due to high cost, I would not mind paying a buck for it as he mentioned (this thread is what I'm talking about) 
2? Controller support other than Xbox 360 controller. I don't own a 360, so likewise I don't have a 360 controller. I've had experience with making my PS3 controller work via its USB cable before in a few of my games, and I recently found an unofficial plugin of sorts that lets me use non-360 controllers on games that support it, stuff like Games for Windows and other things. It's not necessarily confirmed, but that and all the other suggestions people have made have been put in a sticky thread on the Beat Hazard forum. I would like official support for other controllers, but until then (if it ever comes around), this plugin has served me well. 
 
The low down. 
If you liked Audiosurf, you'll like this game. 
If you liked Geometry Wars, you'll like this game. 
If you're skeptical, try out the demo and see for yourself. 
 
And remember, there is more coming. Mr. Hunt is doing an awesome thing being an active developer, so have fun now and expect more fun in the future. 

Beat Hazard. Go check it out. You'll like it.

I second this.

I agree. After recently picking this game up, I've had a blast with it.