It doesn’t look like there’s going to be any extra DLC for Amplitude. I love the idea of getting a complete game, but after the age of Rock Band, it seems anticlimactic to not have any more songs to look forward to. But this is a $20 game, with enough base content for a $70 game, and this gripe is more of a wish, than a “something wrong”.

So there you have it, Amplitude is a dream come true. It is the near perfection of the music/ rhythm genre. It’s extremely fun, and a great local multiplayer gang game. It’s easy to pick up, and play, and satisfying to master.

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Suffice it to say, Amplitude may not be a perfect game that includes every single thing a fan of the previous games could want, but it certainly met my high overall expectations. It’s not often that I find myself “buying in” to a crowdsourced project, and rarer still that I would spend more than the typical cost of a game on one, but I’m definitely pleased with the result of doing so this time around. I can’t say for certain it will hold much appeal to those who aren’t interested in the genre, but for anyone that is, I consider this a nearly essential purchase when the game releases on January 5th for both PS4 and PS3.

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Amplitude is a great rhythm game, with a ton of content for score attack fiends who need their fix. The difficulty ramps up to astronomical levels on Expert and higher, and there’s plenty to love in both the original tracks and the indie game cameo tracks. It isn’t quite a party experience like any other though, so if you’re looking for a game to play with your less musically inclined friends, you likely won’t find that here. But as a revival of the blueprint that started it all, Amplitude is still a blast to play and an experience you won’t find in any other title.

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As a faithful fan of both FreQuency and Amplitude, I'm satisfied with the reboot Harmonix has so lovingly crafted, but as a much different product than the loud, raucous Amplitude I fell in love with as a teenager. I won't keep returning to this Amplitude like I do the 2004 version despite enjoying the soundtrack because it lacks the same kind of replay value for me, but as its own being it absolutely stands on its own feet as a music title evocative of games like Rez or Child of Eden. If you're looking for the next evolution of classic rhythm gaming, this is it...let's just get some additional tracks added into the fold in the future.

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Amplitude is engaging in both solo and multiplayer, since the game adjusts its formula to suit. Single-player is all about precision and focus, demanding a careful attention to power-up usage and streak maintenance. Harmonix has also included the unlockable FreQ Mode for solo players, in which players can alter the display into the circular format seen in the original Frequency. Multiplayer lacks online play, but its local options are robust. Four-player free-for-all quickplay encourages competition, using power-ups to bounce your opponents off their tracks or screw with their visuals. Cooperative and team-based play offer further ways to enjoy with friends, and it’s enormously fun to feel like you’re crafting a song together as a group.

It’s hard to overstate my enthusiasm for the original Amplitude. While I have reservations about some of the music selections and progression, that doesn’t stop me from enjoying this revival. Amplitude is a taste of the past, but it’s far from outdated.

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This is a game clearly made for long-standing fans, and made by a passionate team that strived to recreate the gameplay experience of the original on modern hardware. In that sense, Amplitude is a total success. The way that the game draws you in with its psychedelic visuals, how your brain switches off and your fingers become one with your DualShock, the satisfying way that the tracks disintegrate when you clear them – it's all here. If you can forgive the game's problems, you're left with a very solid rhythm game, and an experience that's as fresh today as it was 13 years ago.

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The original games weren't afraid to get out of their comfort zone with songs like "Dope Nose" from Weezer and "King of Rock" by Run-DMC, and the lack of risk-taking really shows with this new iteration. Another general issue I have is the way songs are doled out while playing. Tracks are locked behind the campaign as previously mentioned, but others require players to complete a ton of songs to access them. One even takes 60 plays to unlock! Why did Harmonix feel the need to do this? To gate the experience and ensure it lasts longer? It goes against the party-like nature of the game, and feels like a relic of the past. I wouldn't mind doing this if the reward were greater (like the original), but it isn't.

Amplitude is a competent rhythm game that should provide lots of fun at parties, but the hamstrung tracklist is a severe detriment to its longevity. Harmonix was able to preserve the classic experience, but may have gone overboard in its effort to do so.

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Robert at Zeboyd Games said:

Anyone know when KS codes are supposed to go out?

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Song choices are woefully inadequate.

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The issues here revolve around the fact that this game, perhaps more than any other rhythm title in memory, inspires players to crave DLC due to its relatively shallow track list and its content-light package

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The campaign feels empty.

Creating a concept album feels like a story device more in line with music games, since it delivers a story through the actual music rather than through cutscenes outside the songs themselves. But in practice, playing through this 15-song concept album didn’t feel too different from simply playing the album’s fifteen songs in a row on Quickplay. Because the story is in the songs themselves, you get the same tale about two people hoping to revive a comatose patient through a neural experiment either way. I don’t have a problem with this, but it makes separating the album through a separate option pointless.

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If it isn’t clear, Amplitude has some major problems with its presentation that keep it from being anywhere near as great as the game that inspired it. And yet, when you look at the part that matters most, the result is a title that deserves some attention.

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Otaku Coder said:

Yeah, the KS email says tomorrow. I hope they have their stuff together with regards to EU PSN keys though. I imagine that'll be Wednesday unless it runs afoul of SCEE'S QA process...

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Otaku Coder said:

Yeah, the KS email says tomorrow. I hope they have their stuff together with regards to EU PSN keys though. I imagine that'll be Wednesday unless it runs afoul of SCEE'S QA process...

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Amplitude is a labor of love, polished to a beautiful shine and put into fans’ hands by a developer that truly cares about the experience they are offering in revisiting this cult classic. Despite its clean exterior and simple, yet fun gameplay, I fear many will be rather quickly turned away by the steep difficulty curve and a track list that is only good, not great.

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eFKac said:

Surprisingly modest reviews. Heard a ton of high praise on Gaf from the high tier backers.

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Robert at Zeboyd Games said:

Anyone know when KS codes are supposed to go out?

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Robert at Zeboyd Games said:

Anyone know when KS codes are supposed to go out?

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eFKac said:

Surprisingly modest reviews. Heard a ton of high praise on Gaf from the high tier backers.

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eFKac said:

Surprisingly modest reviews. Heard a ton of high praise on Gaf from the high tier backers.

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besada said:

And, to be fair, high tier backers probably had a better idea of what they were getting into, and a strong affinity for the game in the first place. We knew the track list wasn't going to be like last time, and that it would mostly be internally produced tracks. And in terms of volume they've outdone the previous games, so it really just comes down to personal taste on the tracks. If EDM is your thing, you're going to like them more than if not.

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R_thanatos said:

Amplitude has 2 problems
-The divisive soundtrack
-One surprise at the end of the campaign

Other than that it's a solid game that i really enjoyed.

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kevin1025 said:

Did the Kinda Funny Let's Play ruin the surprise at the end of the campaign?

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Mr_Antimatter said:

Wait, no DLC planned? Then why did my backer kit have like $20 worth of PSN codes for future DLC?

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antitrop said:

Lookin' good. Cannot wait. Feels like some of the reviews are expecting a little bit too much out of a $20 game.

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OCDChewie said:

Loved Frequency and Amplitude (but more-so Frequency), so this has been on my radar. However, the tracklist and mixed reviews have me wondering if I should buy it.

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MrS said:

Is this supposed to be available on the PS store today? I can't find it anywhere

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