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Audiosurf II is in desperate need of a demo, as I suspect this one will be a little polarizing. The game takes the sublime music-riding puzzle experience that has captured so much of my attention over the years and adds an entirely new game mechanic—wakeboarding. It's fantastic, converting every audio track into a points-driven series of gambles. But it's also incredibly confusing, sapping away that particular exploratory charm that made the first game so wondrously unique.
Let's back up. If you've somehow missed out on the first Audiosurf, you should actually just go ahead and get it; it's on Steam for ten bucks and has a free demo. In brief: the game converts your MP3 files into rollercoaster-esque thrill rides, rivers of light and sound undulating in time with a music track. Colorful bricks sit in the "stream," and you'll pilot something like a rocket ship to line those bricks up inside a grid and rack up points. Actually, you'll mostly be firing up new tracks to try, giddy with wonder as old favorites you thought you knew so well take on a brilliant new form.
The original Audiosurf was a simple, elegant game that probably didn't need a sequel.
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