Jimmyfenix
Member
cogconnected - 91/100
Twinfinite - 4.5/5
GamingTrend - 80/100
Shack News - 8/10
Game Informer - 7.75/10
Push Square - 7/10
Destructoid - 6.5./10
It doesnt look like theres 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. Its extremely fun, and a great local multiplayer gang game. Its easy to pick up, and play, and satisfying to master.
Twinfinite - 4.5/5
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. Its 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 Im definitely pleased with the result of doing so this time around. I cant say for certain it will hold much appeal to those who arent 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.
GamingTrend - 80/100
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 theres plenty to love in both the original tracks and the indie game cameo tracks. It isnt quite a party experience like any other though, so if youre looking for a game to play with your less musically inclined friends, you likely wont 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 wont find in any other title.
Shack News - 8/10
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.
Game Informer - 7.75/10
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 its enormously fun to feel like youre crafting a song together as a group.
Its hard to overstate my enthusiasm for the original Amplitude. While I have reservations about some of the music selections and progression, that doesnt stop me from enjoying this revival. Amplitude is a taste of the past, but its far from outdated.
Push Square - 7/10
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.
Destructoid - 6.5./10
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.