Dual Pixels
  • News
  • PlayStation
  • Xbox
  • Nintendo
  • PC
  • TV
  • Originals
  • Review
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • PlayStation
  • Xbox
  • Nintendo
  • PC
  • TV
  • Originals
  • Review
No Result
View All Result
Dual Pixels
No Result
View All Result
Home PlayStation

Let The Music Move You | Amplitude Review

Rob Hernandez by Rob Hernandez
December 28, 2015
in PlayStation, Review
0 0
0
Let The Music Move You | Amplitude Review
0
SHARES
27
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

I was introduced to the Amplitude series when I got my Network Adapter for my PS2. It had a few demos, but one grabbed my attention from the beginning, Frequency. It came at a time when I was enamored with music games and trying to find more. I immediately went out and bought the game proper when I could and I loved it. A few years later in 2003 a sequel was produced, Amplitude, and it too took me by storm. So I was excited when Harmonix was going to reintroduce the series for the Playstation 4 and Playstation 3. But is it what I expected?

Amplitude_20151226061640

Firstly, I’ve seen a lot of places online talk about how the new Amplitude is a remake and it’s not. It does take gameplay elements from the previous titles, but it is its own thing. The core gameplay is a beat matching game. You hit the notes as they come down the lanes, but the twist is that you have to manage several lanes slowly building up the song. You can select whatever lane you want and after clearing a few phrases, the lane is removed for a while. When it’s been cleared, you can move to the next lane and so forth. Chaining makes a bit deal in this game as you try to hit the first note of the next lane and keep going. If you don’t, you lose some energy and if all of the energy is gone. You also lose energy if you miss a note. To aid you in your journey, the game does have a variety of powerups that can be activated when clearing a certain phrases. The are some variety in the powerups, things like clearing the lane you’re currently on or slowing down the music to hit those tricky notes. The gameplay is phenomenal. It’s fast and frenetic, but not chaotic. The satisfaction of hitting a string of notes, clearing the lane and then jumping to the next lane works amazingly. One of my tenets of making a good rhythm game is having a variety of control choices, and Amplitude delivers in spades. Everything from right-hand dominant controls, to left-hand controls, to even playing with just one hand. The control choices help people get comfortable in whatever works best for them. That said, using the shoulder buttons feels better than you think it would.

Amplitude_20151226061926

My biggest issue with the game is how paltry the game modes selection feels. There is a campaign mode, a quickplay mode, and a local 4-player multiplayer mode. Campaign takes 15 songs from the game and overlays a story over 3 chapters. The story just comes in as dialogue between characters just before playing a song. It’s fairly minimal, but the acting isn’t particularly good. Quickplay is pretty much where I spent most of my time. My gripe comes with a lack of online multiplayer. Especially how decidedly focused the industry is going with online gameplay. What makes it worse is that the previous two titles were both at the forefront of the PS2’s online interactivity, so to have it stripped away kinda sucks. I know that it was intended as a Kickstarter stretch goal that it was unable to reach, but it should have been a focus of the development team.

Amplitude_20151226062415

Overall, I enjoyed my time with the game. While it didn’t quite live up to my expectations of the original, it is still an incredibly fun game to play. The soundtrack selection while inline with the amount in past games, doesn’t feature any licensed tracks. Well, it kinda does, but most of them are from other games like Crypt of the Necrodancer or from other studios like Insomniac. Several fan-favorite Harmonix bands do make reappearances in Amplitude 2015 like Freezepop and Symbion Project. The original compositions are toe-tappingly fun though. For $20, it scratches that music game itch with an infectious soundtrack, but lacks features that would have extended the game’s longevity.

Amplitude will be released digitally on January 5th, 2016 on Playstation 4 with a Playstation 3 available at a later time.

Tags: AmplitudeFrequencyharmonixMusic GamePlaystationplaystation 3Playstation 4PS3PS4Rhythm Game
Previous Post

Rise of the Tomb Raider Hitting Steam Next Month

Next Post

Mass Effect Andromeda Director Leaves Bioware

Rob Hernandez

Rob Hernandez

Rob's been gaming since he was a wee lad. It all started with a NES, and a Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt combo cart one Christmas morning. Since then, he's been an avid lover of all things video. He also likes comics, manga, movies, long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners and dogs. Rob is also quite adept at speaking in the third person.

Next Post
Mass Effect Andromeda Director Leaves Bioware

Mass Effect Andromeda Director Leaves Bioware

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Why the Steam Deck Hurts PS5, XBOX More than Switch

Why the Steam Deck Hurts PS5, XBOX More than Switch

July 15, 2021
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Lives Again Thanks to Mods

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Lives Again Thanks to Mods

January 23, 2022
Back 4 Blood Gameplay Showcase

Back 4 Blood Gameplay Showcase

December 17, 2020
Joey Ansah (Akuma) & Mike Moh (Ryu) Interviews and Behind-The-Scenes | Street Fighter Assassin’s Fist

Joey Ansah (Akuma) & Mike Moh (Ryu) Interviews and Behind-The-Scenes | Street Fighter Assassin’s Fist

May 23, 2014
Update: Nintendo NX Controller Leaked Photo

Update: Nintendo NX Controller Leaked Photo

98
Rumor: Information On Next Gen Pokemon Games, Dubbed “Pokemon Plus” & “Pokemon Minus”

Rumor: Information On Next Gen Pokemon Games, Dubbed “Pokemon Plus” & “Pokemon Minus”

72
Rumor: Next COD Dubbed “Bloodline”, Activision Entangled in Nintendo NX

Rumor: Next COD Dubbed “Bloodline”, Activision Entangled in Nintendo NX

67
Possible Leaked Super Smash Bros. Character Screen Reveals Full Roster

Possible Leaked Super Smash Bros. Character Screen Reveals Full Roster

64
The Last of Us Episode 1. Nico Parker and Pedro Pascal

The Last of Us Episode 1 Review

February 2, 2023
Hexware #1 cover with Jesminder/Which-Where with a pentagram on fire.

Comic Read of The Week: Hexware #1 | 12/7/22

December 20, 2022
Diablo IV title card.

Diablo IV Release Date Trailer – The Game Awards 2022

December 8, 2022
Dune characters looking out over Arrakis shaped like a crescent moon.

Dune: Awakening Teaser from The Game Awards 2022

December 8, 2022

Recommended

The Last of Us Episode 1. Nico Parker and Pedro Pascal

The Last of Us Episode 1 Review

February 2, 2023
Hexware #1 cover with Jesminder/Which-Where with a pentagram on fire.

Comic Read of The Week: Hexware #1 | 12/7/22

December 20, 2022
Diablo IV title card.

Diablo IV Release Date Trailer – The Game Awards 2022

December 8, 2022
Dune characters looking out over Arrakis shaped like a crescent moon.

Dune: Awakening Teaser from The Game Awards 2022

December 8, 2022

WHAT IS DUAL PIXELS?

Dual Pixels is more than just an organization, it's a culture. The interactive arts are our passion, this includes gaming and innovations brought forward with technology.

The beauty of being an independent organization is the fact that we have the opportunity to bring back the enthusiasm in a gaming industry. The Dual Pixels brand is full of perspective hence the reason why we also go by the appellation "The Digital Crossover".

  • Staff
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Copyright ©2023 Dual Pixels Entertainment LLC, All Rights Reserved. | Powered By LIT NYC

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • PlayStation
  • Xbox
  • Nintendo
  • PC
  • TV
  • Originals
  • Review

Copyright ©2023 Dual Pixels Entertainment LLC, All Rights Reserved. | Powered By LIT NYC

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.