Auditorium HD- The Game Journal Review

Title: Auditorium HD

Developed By: Cipher Prime

Published By: Zoo Games

Auditorium is a game with a simple premise. In the game, streams of light shoot forth. You need to guide the streams towards boxes suing directional discs. Things will get a bit more complicated as you progress. Some boxes will only accept streams of light of a specific color, for example, adding complexity to the game as you guide the stream through specific points in order to alter it before it gets to the box. As you move on more disc types are added that alter the streams in more ways than simply changing their direction. Okay, written out that actually does sound complicated. Thankfully, Auditorium HD is an intuitive experience. 

While the game supports the standard controller just fine, I found using the Playstation Move to control the game is a far more pleasant experience. With the Move controller, grabbing on to and moving the discs in the precise spot where you'd like them is a breeze. It's all very user friendly, which is great, because with puzzle games, interface is the last thing you want to worry about. 

There is quite a bit of content. There are two different tracklists. Auditorium Classic is made up of the levels available in the PC version of the game. Auditorium Modern are all brand new tracks designed specifically for the console release of the game. Each tracklst offers over 70 tracks, providing a good amount of gameplay. The game also supports 3D, though I was unable to test this myself, as I do not have a 3D television. 

Playing Auditorium HD, I found myself focused on little else than the experience itself. While moving discs and guiding light may not seem like the most compelling thing to do in a video game in explanation, in-game, I was constantly engaged. A lot of this has to do with the game's atmosphere. Sure, at first blush the game's presentation seems spartan, but once you have light streaming in various directions and colors on the screen, boxes emitting a tune, harmonizing with each other as the fill with light, it's hard not to be impressed and taken in by the experience. 

Audio is a big part of the presentation. This is one of those games where you feel that you are not only playing the game, but also contributing to the soundtrack in a small way. And the music is wonderful. Your sense of accomplishment for finishing a track is enhanced by the accompaniment of the fleshed out song you've been building towards as you progress.

Auditorium is a wonderful take on the puzzle game. The controls, especially with the Playsation Move controller, in concert with the visuals and soundtrack make it a unique and interesting title. The puzzles themselves are excellent, ramping up from the fairly simplistic in the beginning to significantly more complicated tracks as you progress, the increased challenge smoothed by the intuitiveness of the gameplay. It's a game I definitely recommend.