Impressions: Sound Shapes Car DLC and Community Milkcrate update

Sound Shapes launched back in August for the PlayStation 3 and Vita via the PlayStation Network. Developer Queasy Games put down a strong foundation for the game by delivering a single player mode that was simple, entertaining fun. Thanks to stellar tracks from artists such as Beck and I Am Robot and Proud, the game offered its fans a real musical treat. Seven months have passed, and Sound Shapes continues to thrive thanks to its level creation component and the very fan base that acts as the driving force behind it. Some new content has been released for the game in the form of both paid DLC and a free update. What can Sound Shapes fans expect from the Car Mini-Album and Community Milkcrate add-ons?

The latest DLC pack, the Car Mini-Album and Entity Pack, is priced at $1.99 and features a couple of new stages and level editor features. The big new addition, however, comes in the form of two cars. These vehicles allow you to jump off ramps, ride through loops, and drive at high speeds through levels. The first car introduced in the single player mode essentially turns Sound Shapes into a physics-based trials-esque experience. Meanwhile the second vehicle does the same, albeit with the added danger of exploding if it lands upside down, making for more challenging and pleasantly hectic moments.

Sadly, there are only two real Campaign stages and a quick tutorial level in the vehicle pack. These really only serve to get you acclimated to the driving mechanics. It's obvious that this paid DLC is intended to offer the fans of the level editor even more options for designing new challenges in what can already be considered a highly robust mode. While it's certainly a shame that there weren't more developer-created vehicle levels, at $1.99, the community of Sound Shapes lovers is definitely getting a great deal of awesome new tools to go crazy and toil away on brand new types of levels.

Speaking of the fan base, Queasy also released a free update that adds the Community Milkcrate. This feature consists of 35 user-generated levels spanning six entire albums put together by the developer. Each album has a different overarching theme ranging from short stages to highly challenging levels. The music put together by the fans in these creations is great for the most part, but it's the actual platforming that really stands out. Campaign mode featured lovely stages that weren't so much difficult as they were a sheer joy to play through. The Sound Shapes community has obviously tapped into its inner masochist, providing some truly daunting levels with joyously punishing platforming.

Rounding out the free Sound Shapes update is the new offline play option. You can now download fan-made content and play it without having to be connected to the internet. This is a great addition to the game, especially as far as Vita owners are concerned. If you've found yourself frustrated that you can't take community levels with you on the go, those days are long gone.

For Sound Shapes fans wanting to get even more out of the game, the new car DLC is definitely worth the $1.99. You get some cool vehicles that add a nice wrinkle to the gameplay, as well as more options to create your very own content with. The free update is absolutely worth checking out, too. Offline play is great, and the addition of 35 standout stages created by the Sound Shapes faithful are a blast to play through. If you've been meaning to jump back into this delightful music-powered platformer, or if you're a devoted fan just looking for more content to play, you'll get exactly that with the latest round of Sound Shapes add-ons.

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