Beat Hazard Ultra is an arcade space shooter game by Cold Beam Games which can be played on many gaming platforms. It is a revamp of the original game, Beat Hazard. Its capability to make use of music from your library or the internet radio to dynamically create game levels separates it from your typical STG (Shoot Them up Games). In fact, do take caution in using this app. It will indulge your musical soul... aside from making your eyes feel pulsating strain afterwards.
Be the one to unleash colorful bullet hell
If you haven’t played the original game, it sort of acts like an interactive visualizer for your music collection. You select a track, Beat Hazard analyzes it for you and makes your shooting game out of it. The game actually describes how it works in this nifty screen.
Musical analysis at its most sadistic state
Like most shooter games, you’d be collecting power ups to upgrade your ship. In Beat Hazard Ultra, you’d be collecting stuff in the form of volume ups, multiplier modifiers, upgrades, bombs and money. Volume ups increase your shots; Multiplier modifiers help with your score; Upgrades give you a time limited weapon; Bombs clear your screen of space junk; and Money allows you to buy various perks, which, when activated make the game easier.
Punny perks for your playing pleasure
Noo! Ehdi, don’t go into the light!
| Graphics: 4/5 |
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If you don’t mind crazy sparkles and illuminations that can often trigger seizures, then you would love Beat Hazard Ultra’s visuals. The game’s graphics are composed mainly of strobing lights and techy ships of varying shapes and sizes. There ain’t much else to expect from its graphical allure except for its bedazzling feel. The good thing about this is you can set how much visual feedback you’re getting: Tone it down to 50% or pump it up to a maximum of 200%! Just don’t get addicted too much or you’d end up foaming at the mouth.
Loading up the ENTIRE library
| Audio: 4/5 |
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The sound effects for the game are quite generic. The lasers, explosions, congratulatory or derogatory sounds are in there for visual cues but are generally forgettable.
| Fun Factor: 5/5 |
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This game may not be up to the standard of bullet hell lovers but it picks up from the point that you can try new things with the music you obtain. That and Beat Hazard Ultra’s difficulty options are serious as their names indicate. One can go “Suicidal” or just chill and relax “Easy”.
Beat Hazard Ultra can be played on many modes as well. The player has the freedom to choose whether to use single or Twin-Stick controls; single player, competitive or co-op multiplayer; or a survival like Boss Rush. One thing to take note of is to use the multiplayer mode, it is required that players have a copy of a track they want to play with on their devices.
Why hello there Mr. Space Dragon thingy
| Replayability: 4/5 |
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The game can be fairly repetitive and can get old once you’ve mastered all the songs in your music library. It is a good thing though that there are lots of perks to try out and that you can still use other music files to challenge yourself. You can also try and compete with other people for a position in the leaderboards. There are also achievements that can be unlocked and bragged about.
Pure + Ownage = Pwnage!
| Overall: 4/5 |
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For a game treading both the music and shooting genre, this game is an overachiever.
- It is not too easy and not too hard because you decide the difficulty, yet it can still be competitive and challenging.
- It is very casual and does not need to be stressful.
- It can be played on a good lot of gaming platforms: PC, Playstation 3, XBlig, Mac and Apple Devices. News say that it’d soon be released for Android..
- It is as timeless as the music you so love.
Rocking out... Ultra style.
