Review of "Osu!" (indie)

"Osu!" is a rhythm game designed for the pc (Windows) and has been ported to various phones. This review will be based on the pc version.
Osu! seems to be quite clearly based on Japanese rhythm arcade games.
It contains 4 game modes, each one with a completely different style.

Grade:
Since the game varies widely on which songs and which game modes you play, I can not give a definitive grade.

Gameplay:
The standard game mode requires the use of a touchpad, a touchscreen, or a mouse. In this game mode, you have to click on circles in order and follow trails on the rhythm of the music.

The second game mode is "Osu! Mania". This game mode only requires a keyboard and it simulates a piano. Hit or hold the keys when a note hits it to proceed. Fantastic for when you are traveling.

Osu! Mania can have 4 keys, 5 keys, 6 keys, or 7 keys to play with, scaling up the difficulty with each addition. Below you can see an example of a 7 keys Mania level.

If moving is more your forte, rather than pressing, you can try "Catch the beat". This game mode has you play as a catcher with a plate, who moves sideways at the bottom of the screen to catch the fruit that is falling in the rhythm of the music. This game mode requires only the keyboard.

The last game mode is "Taiko". This game mode is based on drums and also only requires the keyboard. The notes come from the right and you have to hit the right key when they reach the left side.

Additional features:

The charm and flexibility of this game does not come only from its game modes. There are a couple extra features that can enhance your playing pleasure.

The first of which is the options. The options allows you to change the skin of your game, making it look completely different and sometimes enhancing your gameplay. It can also change certain game modes to come at you with the notes at a set speed. Experience with the options yourself to see all it has to offer.

The second feature is replays. You can watch a replay of the run you just did on a song and you can always watch the replay of your best run for every song. If you are online, you can even watch the top player's runs on the song you want to try.

The third feature is online play. You can play solo and have your best runs stored on the Osu! server, so that you can replay them later. Online play also keeps track of your progress, by giving you a level based on the amount of songs you have played and the skill you have displayed during play. Additionally, you can receive badges if you hit certain milestones.

Online play is not the only thing you can do online, though, as there is a multiplayer feature in place as well. There is a chatroom you can open up at any time (even while being in a run, but that is not recommended) to chat with anyone you like. You can decide to play together with a group of people, trying to get the best score out of the group on the selected song.

Last, but certainly not least, you can add and create beatmaps. Beatmaps are the "levels" you play through and you can add them whenever you want. This is where the real versatility comes in, as you can probably find a beatmap of your favorite song and play that by yourself or with your friends. Even if there is no beatmap available for your favorite song, you can simply create one and share it with the community.

You can install a beatmap by copying or dragging it into your Songs folder or by dragging it directly onto the Osu! icon in your taskbar. Keep in mind that you may have to refresh the game (F5) to get the new beatmaps to load.

Graphics:

The base graphics are nice enough, but I would still recommend getting a skin. Especially since some songs are very hard to play because of the standard color scheme.

There is a wide variety of skins available and some of them even change your gameplay, to an extend. As an example, there is a skin that turns the 5 key levels of Osu! Mania upside-down, so be very careful when selecting a skin.

Tips and tricks:

• This is very much a skill based game, so start easy and slowly make your way into more difficult territory. There is a rating system to help you distinguish between easier and more difficult songs.
• Getting overwhelmed? Try to find an easier level with the same sequence of notes to get you used to the sequence.
• Want some beatmaps? You can find the vast majority here. Keep in mind that you have to be logged in to use the search function (yes, I do not know why either).
• Like a particular game mode? You can find beatmaps specifically made for that mode on the beatmap listing site (in the options at the top after logging in)
• Want to cheat? There is a cheat menu available at the bottom of the screen when in the song menu. I would not recommend using it, not because it is bad (it isn't), but it kinda destroys the purpose of the game.

Good points:

• A rhythm game like the arcade games some of us have been longing for
• Beatmap creation
• The community-driven system
• The 4 different game modes
• Can be played quite easily during travel (except for the standard game mode)

Bad points:

• Your account and progress not being updated when you do not play online
• Finding intermediate beatmaps to help you get used to more difficult ones
• The difficulty spikes because of the point above
• Having to log in to search for beatmaps

Conclusion:

Osu! is a game that anyone who likes music and/or skill-based games would most likely enjoy. I recommend you at least give it a try, as it is free and light-weight. Personally, I have nearly 40 beatmaps and the game itself on a single 15GB USB, with 10GB to spare.