We want to give a huge thanks to Rowan Parker, Lead Designer of 4AM. He was super awesome and took some time out to give us an interview about the game. Check it out below and then take a peek at our review.
http://snd.sc/MrNHWI
Our Review
Over the years I've collected numerous games, spent hours traversing levels and killing bosses. Many of those games have gone by the wayside and into either the trade pile or the digital scrap heap. The few games I have kept are there because they are either artistically compelling, socially interactive or sensory feasts. 4AM from Pixeljunk hits all these notes beautifully. Powered by DJ Baiyon's eclectic mix of trance and house music, the game puts you in the seat of virtual DJ. Using the Playstation Move as your only tool, you are able to mix and remix the tracks in the game with both precision and style.
4AM is both music creation tool and audio visualizer. You can play tracks from your PS3's hard drive and delight in the gorgeous art the team put together, or you can go into the creator and get down to the nitty gritty. The aforementioned gritty takes place on what Lead Designer Rowan Parker calls the "Virtual Audio Canvas". This canvas is represented on screen by different "tapestries" that move in sync with both the music and your motions. Each of the move's four buttons correspond with each instrument of the different tracks. The square button might be a baseline while the circle might be a synth. Adding in solos and loops by holding a button or dragging in a instrument from the corners of your virtual space adds to the complexity or simplicity of the song you are performing.
[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWpS1WZ7SoA&feature=player_embedded ]
Everytime you launch into the create space your routine is being broadcast live to anyone who might be using the live viewer at that time. This is one of the reasons why I like this game so much: the ability to have what you are doing be heard by others in real-time adds a level of both excitement and a small bit of anxiety to the mix. People can follow you and also give you feedback in the form of "Kudos". If viewers are digging what you are doing a set of equalizer type bars will rise from the bottom of the screen. The instant feedback gave me an idea if a specific drum loop or one-hit loop was connecting with the crowd. I think I would have made Girl Talk or Tiesto proud.
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You can download the free viewer if you are curious or just want to be a voyeur, but if you want to gain international fame a price of $10 USD will get you a lot for your money: 10 tracks that you can manipulate, Twitter and Facebook integration so you can promote your performances, and a really sweet interactive audio visualizer that is way better than the vanilla one pre-installed with the PS3. I believe this should be a pack-in game with every PS Move. It showcases the precision you can get with the device, has lots of physical and visual feedback and great music. Let's hope that Pixeljunk continues to support games like this via DLC and other extensions of the social media hooks that work so well within the game.
4AM is a game that hits all the right beats and is something that any music lover should own. Bravo, Pixeljunk, bravo.
Related articles
- 4 A.M. Is When Everything Gets Interesting. (thespawnpointblog.com)
- 4 A.M. Is When Everything Gets Interesting (nerdgasmnoire.wordpress.com)
- PlayStation 3 Music Maker PixelJunk 4am Enters Beta (wired.com)