Beat Hazard
A music-driven shoot 'em up with custom soundtracks.
Beat Hazard is a music-themed shoot 'em up video game developed and published by British studio Cold Beam Games on October 14, 2009 for Xbox Live Indie Games. The game combines rhythmic gameplay with a music visualizer, where the player controls a spaceship fighting enemies that spawn in time with the music. It is notable for allowing custom soundtracks and for its enhanced edition, Beat Hazard Ultra, which expanded the game to multiple platforms.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Beat Hazard
- Developer
- Cold Beam Games
- Genre
- Rhythm game
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android, Linux
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Beat Hazard was conceived by director Steve Hunt after he was made redundant at his previous employer. Choosing to go indie instead of working for another company, he combined his interest in music visualizers with video game design, influenced by the music game Audiosurf. A demo was produced over a few days. Hunt attempted to submit the game to Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360, but it was rejected twice.
The game was released on October 14, 2009 for Xbox Live Indie Games. Later, an enhanced edition called Beat Hazard Ultra was released for Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android, and PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360 version was re-released under this edition. Ultra added new weapon power-ups such as missiles, a perk system, and money that spawns from enemies and bosses to buy and upgrade perks. In April 2014, the Shadow Operations DLC was released exclusively for the Steam version, adding nine new ships, levels, scoreboards, and Steam Workshop support for custom ships.
Reader's Guide
Beat Hazard holds significance as an early indie title that successfully merged music visualization with shoot 'em up gameplay, allowing players to use their own music to shape enemy patterns and visual effects. Its release on Xbox Live Indie Games demonstrated the potential of small-scale digital distribution. The game's critical reception varied by platform: the PC version scored 70/100 on Metacritic, the PlayStation 3 version of Ultra scored 63/100, while the iOS version received a notably high 91/100. The game's legacy includes two sequels: Beat Hazard 2 (October 2019) with upgraded graphics and streaming music support, and Beat Hazard 3 (June 2024) featuring an explorable galaxy mapped by music. The Shadow Operations DLC also highlighted community engagement through Steam Workshop support.
Did You Know?
- Beat Hazard was developed by British studio Cold Beam Games and released on October 14, 2009 for Xbox Live Indie Games.
- Director Steve Hunt conceived the game after being made redundant, inspired by music visualizers and the game Audiosurf.
- The game was rejected twice when submitted to Xbox Live Arcade.
- The iOS version of Beat Hazard Ultra has a Metacritic rating of 89/100 based on 6 critic reviews.
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