Laserlife

This game is good! The gameplay is simple but fun enough. The score gives an extra purpose and additional replay value to this otherwise short game. The visuals are very fascinating and certainly add to the experience. The music is very underrated in my opinion; it sounds pretty chill and smooth. I think it's worth playing overall and is definitely a fun time.

It took me a while to figure out the controls, despite the instructions on screen. After getting that sorted, it seems that playing well doesn’t matter that much. The game is brute-forceable: if you just spam the controls with no rhythm whatsoever, you can still pass the level.

I found the music rather repetitive, and your actions don’t really interact with the music. Picking up the molecules just makes a “tsch” sound but doesn’t add anything musically. Only in the harmonisation phase do your actions really seem to relate to the melody.

The story is just some generic stills and objects from human life. I got bored with it after 70 minutes, didn’t play through all of it. It’s not terrible but I wouldn’t recommend it. Maybe it’s more fun with motion controls. I played with a Switch pro controller.

Main gripe with this is the visuals. They use a bunch of random objects that don't fit with the trance theme. It just breaks the immersion. As if instead of paying someone to create assets that fit the theme, they chose to use random assets they had.
Imagine this, you get at the end of a run and a big brown teddy bear pops up.
They could of at least applied a filter to those object.

And all the assets could of used more polish honestly, it looks cheap.
Game is also very short.
Gameplay and music are good.
I recommend Rez instead.

Spectacular visuals, great music and controller breaking action. The story actually has depth which is surprising for what is ostensibly a rhythm game. Good for controller/screen tracking training. Play it with a friend so you can get a decent look at the pretty whilst they're having their turn.

While brief, it exudes a level of abstraction and oddity that feels like the creator was a fan of Rez.
There are four worlds (each with 4 stages) to re-ignite the memories of a deceased astronaut.
Each world begins with the same intro gameplay of hitting hexagonal beads.
This over time became a bit disappointing to me as it feels more like cutting corners instead of offering a new playlist of timed rhythm presses, though at least each new opening offers a new mechanic.

It is short, yes, but it is very focused in its message and it ends right when it should.
Pretty delicious for the price point.
Hard to say no if on sale.

I cant. I CAN'T DO IT.

I cannot in good conscious recommend this game. I want to, I really do but this doesn't feel like a game, it feels like a concept.

The visual and the story are engaging, however the story being told is of no one specific person. It's very generic and bland. It says not much about humanity, other than what a cookie cutter life should be. The visual metaphors are nice, but rarely succumb to being more than the sum of its parts.

The visuals can also impact the gameplay, as without a set track, or visual indicators of being on rails, often times the glyphs you have to pickup can blend into the stars and swooping graphical chatter that makes it confusing. Especially when the colors are so close to the elements your picking up, that's a problem.

The controls... *sigh* the controls, I used a Switch pro controller, however I have also read of many other struggling with a 360 controller. It's like QA'd was very brief for this game, because it's very difficult to pick up elements on the right and top right side of the screen. This happens throughout the whole experience

For being a music game, the actual beats are the vanilla flavored white toasted wonder bread of chill house, maybe occasionally rising above a standard 4/4 hi hat rhythm in the last level. It didn't do anything to make me feel like an alien race discovering a new species of humanity, or exploring the inner workings of the human psyche. It did minimal compliments to the story unfolding.

I've had this game on my wishlist for quite some time, and I'm really let down because Runner was so intriguing and groundbreaking. When this game is firing on all cylinders, it works well, but ultimately, this brief experiment feels rather incomplete.

Great game, but it gets boring over time. It's too repetetive, you just move buttons and sometimes pressing ones. It's worth only for the soundtrack and to just relax, competing against your friends it's also possible... Overall it's great game.

Now I love rhythm-based games, and Laserlife may be a great one - if you have the right controller. To me, this title seems clearly built for the Intel RealSense controller. Using the XBox360 feels quite awkward and I did not feel compelled to press on. Other than that, I thought the assets felt a bit dated and the music was surely competent but not mind blowing. The bar is high for this kind of stuff nowadays.

With the Intel RealSense controller this may be a blast, but unfortunately I cannot recommend to those with XBox360 controllers.

The Trippy End of 2001: A Space Odyssey In Musical Format with a Boring Ass Intro Sequence

Laserlife consists of 3 sets of 4 levels each with their own unique middle song area, which are the standouts of the game. Laserlife's levels have 3 sections to them: an introductory sequence which plays the same song and goes through the same setting for each 4 sets of levels, quickly becoming repetitive (and is unskippable) as the song starts, a middle section which have their own unique song and setting (which are the most diverse and enjoyable and replayable sequences of the game after its completion) and a 3rd repeated setting / effect where the player glides up (down?) in an afterlife-looking tube as they dodge barriers before a strange ending sequence.

STORY
Laserlife's story is very minimal and abstract and its claim of being a 'biography' in its description is giving it too much credit. While Laserlife's story alludes to an astronaut's journey into / through the afterlife, there is very little exposition beyond an abstract item being found at the end of each chapter and a brief line of dialog reflective of the previous level's 2nd section content i.e. "I remember the vastness of the open sea" and having a boat materialize in front of you at the level's conclusion after flying through a level with aquatic themes, for example.

GAMEPLAY
Describing Laserlife is a bit difficult, so looking up gameplay videos of a level or two is highly recommended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkH2xNBWUCQ
If you see the gameplay and think (as I did) that it looks simplistic, easy, and strange: that's because it is. Laserlife's levels progress in an on-rails fashion and the experience as a whole is a very casual, idle, yet immersive experience, more about enjoying the sights and sounds and listening to its excellent soundtrack than racking up some complex combo meter or having to scramble around the screen doing too much beyond idly aligning the 2 analog sticks with the proper positioning and pressing LT or RT at the correct time during the first section.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1564626094
Laserlife requires a controller to play, as its gameplay consists of aligning the analog sticks to precisely strike the icons that pass by which will allow you to progress to the next of the 3 sections. The 2nd section of each level involves simply lining up the two analog sticks either low, mid, or high as bizarre locales breeze by you including strange underwater areas, spaceships, docks that assemble as you cruise along and my personal favorite area which includes photographs of a family flying by as Chinese lanterns ascend to the sky in a poignant, touching sequence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw1kcgApXyg

Laserlife's closing 3rd section to each level involves dodging red barriers as you shoot down (or up??) an "afterlife" esque-looking tunnel before you complete the stage, where you then experience a somewhat bizarre sequence of rotating the two analogs as fast as you can to launch lasers into the spaceman and rack up your accumulated score from the preceding sections.

There is a combo multiplier for successful note strikes as the levels progress but I never found their intensity or difficulty all that enthralling during the level's first sections. The 2nd sections are definitely my favorite and the most varied from level to level, with some really cool-looking, for-lack-of-a-better-word: "trippy" effects that go across the screen.

SOUND
Laserlife will likely be a game that either immediately grabs your attention or puts you off. I don't imagine this game to be too appealing to those beyond a niche audience that enjoys ambient electronic music ala the O.R.B. or Crystal Method's earlier work, however as a rhythm / music game it does hits on familiar tropes for that genre, including aligning your path properly on a set on-rails sequence while having to time button presses to passing icons which are in sequence with the level's music.

GRAPHICS
Laserlife's main effects on-screen as you hit the icons to the notes of the music are neither over-the-top nor all that impressive, with simple geometric shapes being the order of the day for the pickups that represent the notes. They don't look bad, but you see the same 'pickup / hit' effects on each level. The highlight of the graphics are the middle section of the levels as they fly by, with each feeling unique from the last and with colors, effects, and overall moods matching the song of the level. Laserlife's design is neither entirely abstract or representational, and this fits the theme of a spaceman dying recounting the memories of his life and gives the game's locales somewhat of a euphoric feeling. Laserlife's graphics are not "realistic" but each of the surreal elements it portrays animate fluidly and with bright, vibrant colors that make for an enjoyable experience. The game's background concept reminds me of the strange sequence at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey...

OVERALL
The game's opening sections become very tiresome the more you see them, forced to essentially replay and sift through that same-ass looking section with the same-ass song before you are granted to play the more enjoyable 2nd sections of the levels. It's undeniably a bit of a "grind" to slog through after you realize they repeat so much at the start of the levels.

Still, if you enjoy the beginning of Laserlife and find its minimalistic, sci-fi / cerebral / afterlife themes compelling (and can overlook its shallow overall gameplay) you will probably enjoy seeing all of the levels.

I kept hoping that the developers would patch in a later option to just replay certain sections of the songs (i.e. Intro Song to Set 1, Middle Section of Level 4, etc...) but it never came to be. I don't think the game was received all that prominently, nor do I think people knew how to categorize the game. If you are at all interested in the game I would recommend it on a slight discount as it is very experimental in nature, however I have bought the game on both Xbox One and PC and have played through about 3 times. Suffice to say I have enjoyed the game, but I do think that it will be a very split reception to whether you REALLY enjoy the game or couldn't care less for it and the option to not skip the repetitive opening sequences make its replay value tank a wee bit <3

EDIT 2: The problem has been solved. It's now playable.

EDIT: Two and half months later, and the devs have still not solved the issue or publicy addressed it in the forums to see who else is suffering from it. I'm sad.

I really wish I could recommend this game. Sadly, I cannot.

For a few months now, this game has been unplayable. Not in the "this is really glitchy" kind of sense. Not even in the "the latest patch makes X and Y annoying". No, it is much worse: this game doesn't start at all.

After selecting whether to play it with a keyboard ("space") or controller ("A"), the screen goes black and that's it. The rest is silence.

Trying to play it with all of the following has resulted in failure:

• an XBOX 360 Controller;
  
• a keyboard;
  
• a Steam Controller and
  
[*]my fists.

I am waiting for a response from the developers. Until this outrageous issue is fixed, this review is staying on depths of the "negative" sphere.

If you can make the game work, however, it is a ton of fun. Good luck with that, though.

(I wouldn't be writing this review if I was the only one with the issue.)

Important! Laserlife cannot be played without a controller. Its not that it has bad keyboard compatibility, it has none.
If you don't have a controller, Laserlife is 'Intel RealSense' compatible. See website for more details:http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/realsense-overview.html

Like any game on Steam, Laserlife has its ups and downs. Luckily the ups far outnumber the downs.
Laserlife has a story at its heart, as in the description, it is the story of a dead astronaut from childhood to death. And its a good one.
Telling a story without any words* is always a challenge, relying upon visuals**, sound and imagination. And let me tell you, Laserlife has all of the above. It delivers a beautifully crafted piece of storytelling with brilliant creativity that really does make you stop and think. Take it from me, I'm no sentimentalist.

There are three "Acts"; Childhood, Adulthood and Death.
Each Act has 4 levels, each leading to a different milestone in memory.
Each level in the game is made up of 4 phases and is set up as a kind of twin-stick runner, utilising 2 lasers.

1. The 'Collection' phase. Using the lasers, collect memory fragments. Numbers increase and decrease through levels, typically 150-200 fragments per run.
   
2. The 'Harmonising' phase. This time, the lasers must simply impact the fragments. Unlike the previous phase, lasers cannot move across the middle of the screen
   
3. The 'Warp' stage. This is somewhat easier than the last 2 phases but frustrating if it is done incorrectly. It is a tunnel runner, making sure the lasers do not hit the oncoming obstacles. Hitting once will lose whatever chain was amassed the previous phase, repeated hits will result in restarting the 'Harmonising' phase.
   
[*] The 'Power' phase. This phase lasts only a few seconds and has no lasers. Simply rotate the joysticks at speed.

The environment of the 'Collection' phase is the same over the Act, therefore there are only 3 'Collection' environments in the game.
They are a kind of pseudo-psychadelic representation of that certain stage in life. They are meant to stimulate thought, emotion and - most importantly - your imagination.

The environment of the 'Harmonising' phase is where the story really comes into play. Using the same kind of style as the previous phase, only much clearer, they tell a certain aspect of the story - a significant part in the astronauts' life.

The 'Warp' phase has a tunnel environment, nothing other than that. Various obstacles block your path, easily navigable...mostly.

The 'Power' phase revolves around the captured astronaut as the memory is vigorously extracted.

The music is a fine example of techno done right and complements the gameplay fantastically. It is also really quite helpful with timing.

Overall this is a triumph of modern day storytelling, employing original and highly creative means.

However, I did mention downsides.
The primary downside is that this game is far too short! I completed it within 2 hours and that includes a few repeats. The only way to make it longer is to aim for perfect scores.
I implore the devs to add some more content, another story, anything!

This leads me onto the second point which is that the price tag is, for the gameplay time, pretty excessive. When you play, you can see where the money has gone and I, for one, can understand that but charging £11.00 (~$16.00) for just a few hours isn't something many can commend.
As such, I can't recommend full price for this game, brilliant as it is - buy it on sale.

*The only words in the entire game come from random excerpts of real dialogue between NASA astronauts and ground control (added for effect) and the poignant explanation at the end of a level.

**The visuals are truly great, however if you are playing properly you will only see them in your peripheral vision. I honestly recommend you to start up a Phase 1 or 2 and not play it, instead focus on the exquisite background.

This game is exactly as cool as its premise. You are assembling a dead astronaut's memories in a very alien way through a really neat rhythm game.

Pros:
+Visually impressive and well optimized (except right after level completion, occasionally)
+Really fun and unique gameplay. I haven't played a rhythm game like this before (although I have seen comparisons made). If you could somehow put in your own music, this would replace Audiosurf 2 for me.
+Futuristic and alien music. The music is easy to "feel," which is obviously important in a rhythm game.
+Again, the premise and concept are just really cool. You'll be fascinated by the story and visuals by the time the menu screen shows up.

Neutral:
=Some of the fragments that you have to push an analog stick just partially to get are nearly impossible with the first person moving forward setup. You'll see what I mean in later levels.
=You'll hear the same songs over several times in the first and third stages of each memory in a group.
=The game is <2.5 hours. Concise, yes. But you'll probably want more!

Cons:
-You have no idea what the camera/your trajectory will do, causing you to miss some fragments.
-Your lasers move much too slowly for some of the fragments in later levels. I know it's possible, but it just feels unfair and clunky.

As you can see, my issues are mostly just minor gameplay complaints that can be overcome by getting good. If you have doubts about the game, I recommend just tossing it on your wishlist and waiting for a sale, as the game is short.

Difficult to recommend but an interesting game overall.

I'm really conflicted whether to put thumbs up or thumbs down.

The gameplay is quite weak and the controls are difficult, when finally you get the hang of it the game is over. I would have prefered some sort of analog input instead of digital input of controller analog sticks. In short the controlls definitely affected my gemplay negatively. I've started out with xbox 360 controller which was terrible, switched to wii u pro controller and it definitely made the controlls more bearable.

The presentation is superb though that might be because I'm a huge sucker for ambient kind of entertainment. The music is great as well as are the visuals, animation. The store is pretty barebones but I think that's actually a plus in this case.

I've finished the whole game in 80 minutes as a casual run, meaning I did every level once with no resets.
Would I recommend it for 15€ ? No.
For 5€? Probably, but only if the trailer caught your eye because the whole game is pretty much extended trailer with uncomfy gameplay tacked on.
At the end of the day the game just feels nice if you are into ambient elektronika.

This game tries to sell you on a premise right out of the gate. I think it does, the stages feel pretty nice, and getting the scores are part of the challenge. I like what i've played, however brief. It is a solid rhythm game that keeps you on the toes as it dances about. I don't know about the length, but the music, the graphics, and the whole approach just nabs you and doesnt let go. If its as short as other reviews say, I can see getting it on sale. But I'd get dlc for this in a heartbeat. Easily worth 5-10 bucks for what you are getting I would think, especially going back for challenges.

So, i hope that this review gives you a glimpse from a music fan. (And to give my hands a break on the constant movement that the stages demand.)

A future intelligence with no concept of what a human being is finds a dead astronaut and proceeds to reconstruct his memories to try and understand what he is and what happened: this translates into a game where you control two beams of light and collect memories accompanied by high tempo music and beautiful sights.
Laserlife is part rhythm game part trippy experience and, while brief, its fun gameplay, great music and dreamlike imagery make it an hidden gem.

PROS:

-good graphics, the various images appearing during levels are nicely done and in sync with the music

-great soundtrack, good sound design

-the gameplay is simple but quite fun and slowly ramps up in speed and difficulty

-tight and responsive controls

-different difficulty levels make the game as relaxing or as challenging as you want

-slowly uncovering memories is nice, while there's no real story discovering the astronaut's life and what happened on his last trip was intriguing

-leaderboards for each game level and difficulty setting for those so inclined

CONS:

-a few sections get a bit too crowded on the background, making memory pieces hard to see

-a slight framerate drop at the end of some levels ( no impact on gameplay, but was a bit annoying)

-short, it'll take you 1,5/2 hours to finish and, unless you want to go for an high score on certain levels, there's no replay value

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=547429090

I really liked Laserlife, the gameplay is fun and keeps you on your toes, the levels sport nice and trippy graphics, the soundtrack alternates between high tempo and slower tracks to mix things up a bit and the various memories were interesting enough to keep going for more.

It's a bit of a shame that it's so short, the 12 levels go by quickly (in fact the devs recommend playing through the game in one sitting) and once you're done there's not much else to do, they'd also have done a bit more with the story rather than just giving us bits and pieces of memories.

All things considered if you're a fan of the genre or just want something different Laserlife is an easy recommendation, just avoid getting it for full price since I feel it's too much for the amount of gameplay you get: thankfully it goes as low as 5$ when on sale.

Pair of headphones and an Xbox One controller...this purchase was the best decision I have made in WEEKS. The music gave me chills, the visuals are not too distracting while also being quite fun to "kinda" look at while you're playing. This game is my favorite in 2015 so far!

This game feels like a spiritual successor to Rez on the PS2 which was one of my favorites. Fairly short, but has great replay value. The environments are both bizarre and beautiful. The story is intriguing and told in an interesting manner, and while being simlpe it really drew me in.

As others have said this game requires a controller to play. Specifically an XInput compatible controller.

5/5

I’m stealing someone else's review "this caught me off guard!" in a very big way. Controller is not optional that just fine with me. I absolutely adore music games *not rhythm game specifically* but things like Beat Hazard, Beat Buddy, Kick Beat, Fract OCT, ect this one is very different and add a brand new charm to the idea of music in games it almost feels like a "runner game" I’m not very fall in as i just wanted to see what it was like before going back to the 100 hour commitment i have to Mad Max currently but as soon as i am done with that I’m going to spend some serious time with this gem.

Please beware: This game REQUIRES a controller to be played.
It's not a suggestion, it's a requirement. That's why I'm asking for a refund.
Going to recommend this game, music is beautiful, visuals and concept are very interesting.
IF you have a controller.

It's a pretty cool game, if you loved games like REZ (I'm a huge fan) on the Sega Dreamcast or PS2 you probably won't be dissappointed with this one.

Nothing much to say except that it's a bit short and a gamepad is STRONGLY recommended.

+ Great visuals
+ Nice music

- Too short unless you aim for perfect scores