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Audition Online

Audition Online is a 3D rhythm MMO where players compete in dance competitions. By performing dozens of hip-hop and pop dance moves, players can live out their dreams of being a superstar.

Publisher: Redbana (T3Fun)
Playerbase: Low
Type: Rhythm
Release Date: April 2, 2007 (NA/EU)
Pros: +Tons of character customization. +Easy to learn, difficult to master. +Recognizable library of songs.
Cons: -Dated graphics. -Repetitive gameplay. -No custom or imported music.

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Overview

Audition Online Overview

In Audition Online, players dance to a variety of hip-hop and pop inspired music, performing button combinations to pull off moves with ever increasing difficulty. Unlike games like osu! and DDR, most of Audition’s gameplay stems from its social aspects, with most game modes requiring several players or Couples. Gameplay wise, It's very similar to 5Street from Snail Games and Osu! both of which also stem from the wildly popular Dance Dance Revolution games. Audition Online is called X-BEAT in Japan and AyoDance in Indonesia, it was originally released in 2004 in South Korea with localizations released at later dates.

Audition Online Key Features:

  • Varied Gameplay – dozens of game modes including Practice, Normal, Choreography, Freestyle, Story, and Beat Rush.
  • Socialize! – strong emphasis on social features like Couple dances and "Fam" areas (Guilds).
  • Competitive Play regularly scheduled tournaments and competitions.
  • Recognizable Tunes –  Good variety of musical tracks.
  • Customization – tons of character customization.

Audition Online Screenshots

Audition Online Featured Video

Audition Gameplay Trailer - Redbana US

Full Review

Audition Online Review

By Dimitri Jordan

Audition Online, commonly referred to as simply Audition, is a Rhythm MMO developed by T3 Entertainment and published in the US by Redbana US Corp. that was released on April 2, 2007. In Audition Online, players take on the persona of pop-stars, dancing in individual or group battles to pop-music. While some songs are from known artists in the US, most of the music from Audition Online comes from K-pop.

While similar to 5Street and osu!, Audition Online features more gameplay modes and a strong, though dated, anime aesthetic. There is a strong emphasis on community, with some game modes requiring several players, players who register as a couple or get married in-game, or players that are in the same Fam, Audition’s take on a guild. The game is available from its own website, but recently has also been added to Steam’s gaming catalog.

Starting Up

When first starting the game, players are prompted to create their character from a few options, including skin color and clothing. Players are then able to enter various servers. In the Free server, players can customize their avatar, practice dance move inputs, buy additional clothing and accessories, join Fams and couples, and dance against other players. In the Event server, players can participate in ongoing events happening, and in the Tournament server players can participate in any number of tournaments happening that day.

The controls to Audition Online are simple. Players will either need to use the arrow keys or the Numpad, depending on the game mode, and the space bar. Some game modes will only need the four cardinal directions of the arrow keys, while some modes will make use of diagonal arrows which correspond to 1, 3, 7, and 9 on the Numpad, in addition to the cardinal directions of 2, 4, 6, and 8. Players must use a Numpad for 8-key modes, as pressing the 1-0 keys will bring up the text box. After inputting a combination, players must press the spacebar on the fourth beat to correctly input the move. However, there are more traditional game modes where players must only press the arrow keys on beat, similar to DDR.

The First Few Levels

Leveling in Audition Online is slow, but levels do little more than show experience at playing the game. Because the game is based on skill and dexterity, rather than stats and gear, higher level players have no advantages.

However, Story mode and tournaments are dependent on level. Story mode is locked until players reach level 5, and tournaments are locked by game type or level, so players much reach the requisite level before participating. Furthermore, Fams can only be created by those over level 21.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Audition Online is intriguing, if repetitive. Those not looking to spend time mastering the 4-key and 8-key styles will find themselves constantly achieving lower scores. The scores are based on how perfectly the player times their presses,\ and there are five levels. Perfect is timed perfectly, Great is close, Cool is close enough, Bad is almost too late, and Miss is when players are too late, too early, or cannot enter all of the directions to complete the move.

As many fans are quick to say, much of the enjoyment comes from interacting with the community and from the strong referencing of famous K-pop stars and music. For those wanting to play alone or not familiar with K-pop, Audition Online may seem a little lacking.

Audition Online offers incentives for players to dive into the action with their Triple Mission Pack. Players are encouraged to add 10 friends, play 100 rounds, and log in for 21 days. Each mission awards players with discount cards for the Shopping Mall or exchange cards. These encourage players to try different game modes and make friends, in order to fully experience all the content Audition Online has to offer.

Social Features

In addition to the numerous dance modes, Fams and Couples are social features that unlock more content in Audition Online.

In Fams, players come together in guilds. The Fam Master is the head of the Fam, with other players being Fam Members. Each Fam has its own customizable Fam House, where players can decorate the page with different objects like clocks, bulletin boards, banks, and more. Fam Members can donate Beats to buy items from the Fam Shop.

Players that want to enjoy extra content with a significant other can become a Couple. Couples must pass a dancing test to become married, unlocking many features. Couples have access to the Couples Garden, where they can buy seeds to grow plants, which reward players with Beats or Exp when fully grown. Couples also have access to a special Couples Shop where they can dress in matching costumes.

Game Modes

There are many game modes in Audition Online, with each mode having several variations to it. The main modes are Practice, Normal, Choreography, Freestyle, Story, and Beat Rush.

In Practice, players can get a feel for the controls, practicing 8-key (Numpad) dancing. As players successfully perform moves, the skill level will increase, up to level 9, where nine directions must be entered for each bar. Players are able to choose any songs to practice.

Normal mode contains a mix of Freestyle and Choreography. Players will enter specific commands from level 1 to 7, before having a Freestyle round where players enter commands and choose their own dance moves. After the first Freestyle round, players proceed to level 8 and 9, followed by a second Freestyle round. Players are able to switch between playing in 4-key and 8-key during the round by pressing Tab.

In Choreography, players enter the same commands, attempting to dance the same moves in unison. There is no Freestyle section, and upon missing a measure players are penalized and cannot dance the next move, lowering their chances for a high score.

In Freestyle, players input commands of their own choice to choose dance moves, or even a whole routine for those who put in the effort to choreograph a whole set. This can be played in 4-key and 8-key, and every move is available. Players progress in levels by getting Perfects, while Bads or Misses will leave the player on the level they are on.

Story presents players with different stories involving NPCs, broken up by dancing rounds with specific goals. Goals range from achieving a certain score, performing a certain amount of Perfects, or achieving a chain of Perfects. Story mode is one of the best ways to accumulate Exp and Beats.

In Beat Rush, players press arrows in time with the beat, filling up the Rush Bar. When the Rush Bar is filled, players repeatedly press the Ctrl key for an easy Perfect. Beat Rush is available in both 4-key and 8-key modes.

Many game modes are also available with Crazy or Expert variations. With the Crazy variation, players must play using the 8-key style, and the level goes to 11, or 11 key directions to be pressed per measure. In Expert, game modes are restricted to 8-key use, significantly increasing the difficulty. Modes like Choreography also have group variations, where teams dance off against each other for the highest scores.

Cash Shop

The Cash Shop in Audition Online is essential for character customizations. Players can buy clothing, accessories, faces, hair, instruments, turntables, and more. While many of the items are only available through purchasing Banacash, there is enough variety in the items available using the in-game currency, Beats. Items also have no impact on gameplay, which negates the possibility of pay-to-win abuse through the Cash Shop.

Final Verdict - Good

For those looking for a traditional Rhythm game more in line with Dance Dance Revolution, Audition Online has that. The game also has so many more game modes, a fun emphasis on forming friendships, Fams, Couples, and so many items for character customization from three different Cash Shops. Its graphics are dated and there is a definite catering to K-pop fans, but anyone looking for a fun rhythm game that isn’t afraid to invest some time and effort into learning 8-key modes will have a blast with Audition Online.

Screenshots

Audition Online Screenshots

Videos

Audition Online Videos

Audition Gameplay Trailer #1 - Redbana US

System Requirements

Audition Online System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows 2K or later
CPU: Pentium 4 1.4 GHz+
Video Card: GeForce FX 5200 or better
RAM: 512 MB
Hard Disk Space: 5 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP / 7 / 8 / 10
CPU: Dual Core (Athlon 2 / Core 2 Duo) 2 GHz or better
Video Card: Any PCI or PCI-E GPU
RAM: 1 GB
Hard Disk Space: 5 GB

Music

Audition Online Music & Soundtrack

Coming Soon!

Additional Info

Audition Online Additional Information

Developer: T3 Entertainment
Publisher: Redbana

Closed Beta Date: November 26, 2007
Open Beta Date: December 18, 2007
Release Date: December 24, 2007

Foreign Release:

South Korea: 2004 (Published by HanbitOn as Club Audition)
Southeast Asia: September 1, 2006 (Published by AsiaSoft Online as AuditionSEA)
United Kingdom: May 31, 2007
Europe: June 25, 2007
Latin America: June 20, 2008

Development History / Background:

Audition Online was developed by South Korean game developer T3 Entertainment, which later became T3Fun. The game originally launched in its home country of South Korea in 2004 and its success there led to a quick international rollout. The game quickly became popular in Asia and South America, with U.S. and European operations lagging behind. It originally launched in the U.S. through Nexon, but after Nexon shut down the service, it was picked up by its developer, T3, through its Redbana game portal. The game launched onto Valve's Steam service on June 5, 2015. A sequel to the game, Audition 2, launched into beta in 2010, but shut down for good in 2013. A third iteration of the game, Audition 3, began closed beta testing in late 2013.