Amplitude

PS2 review by Philip Morton - Thursday 2nd October 2003

What games do you like? is similar in some ways to what food do you like? I'm a typical meat (FPS), potatoes (racing) and veg. (action) kind of person - sticking to what I like, eating out occasionally. I'm not one for exotic spices (obscure Japanese RPGs) or black pudding (horror). Consider this though - what are bemani or rhythm action games? I consider them as a local delicacy; enjoyed frequently by few, but frowned on by others. I'm not really one for frogs' legs or monkey brains, so I usually stay away. However, just this once I'll dip in and try the snails, all in the name of gaming. This could get messy.



So, Amplitude, what have we here? In goes the disc and on goes the napkin. Music pumps out of the speakers and the widescreen is filled with flowing, hypnotic colour. Thick lines sweep across the screen with two racing spacecraft sliding above them. Various bands appear here and there masked by the graceful swirling patterns that accompany the beat. It's trademark Sony style; I haven't seen anything quite like it since Wipeout.

A neon city whizzes by, the music still playing, and we are presented with a tidy menu. Solo Play, Multiplayer, Online and the obligatory Options are the only items here. Off we go into Solo, where we're given the further choices of Game, Remix and Soundtrack. The first option sends you off through the full game, the second lets you create custom remixes (levels) and the latter lets you play any of the unlocked songs. We descend into the Game mode and choose a difficulty level (mellow to insane). Select an arena, then a song and you're in.



A swirling blue mist engulfs the screen and a spaceship appears. This is your point of control, a little craft that glides across several tracks which come into view. Each coloured track is a part of the song, such as drums, bass, guitar or vocals. As you slide from track to track, you'll notice sets of blue blobs on them. These are notes which can be played by blasting them with your spaceship's three guns as you pass over. Playing a series of notes - or phrase - indicated by a green line correctly results in that part of the track falling away, the music still playing, allowing you to switch over to attempt a different phrase. Hitting certain blobs earns you a powerup and completing successive phrases correctly results in combos. A power bar is constantly draining and can be increased by playing phrases. Let it get the the bottom and it's game over.

Control is kept simple, with L1, R1 and R2 for the left, center and right notes respectively. Alternatively, square, triangle and circle can also be used. The d-pad and left analogue stick allows you to change track and 'X' activates the powerups. The beat is also mirrored through the controller's vibrations to keep you in time with the music; a handy little feature. It may sound complicated at first, but even someone like me who prefers to listen to music rather than play it can get the hang of Amplitude in five minutes. If you're really stuck, then there's a few training levels to see you on your way.



Multiplayer offers frantic action for up to four players on a single screen. Using the Network Adapter, players can go online to access rankings, downloadable content and of course multiplayer. Online and offline, players compete in three modes names Duel, Remix and Multiplayer. The first allows two players to play a game of "Horse" by challenging each other to complete increasingly difficult sections of notes. Remix takes existing tracks and lets the players lay down notes and apply several effects to them, creating a new sound for a song using it's existing audio samples. finally, Multiplayer pits two to four players against each other in a battle for the track. Obviously if you don't have access to network play or rarely have the opportunity to unleash that Multitap then multiplayer is of no use, but if you do then it'll increase the replay value a great deal.

As a rhythm action game, graphics aren't such a vital component as they are in other games. Nevertheless, Harmonix (the developer) has gone beyond the call of duty with the visuals. Throughout, the screen is filled with flowing colour and detail, even though you'll be concentrating on the track so probably won't notice it anyway. Each song has a slightly different graphical style which is reflected through the walls of the 'tunnel' which the tracks travel through. The visuals are constantly fluid with no framerate loss whatsoever and no graphical glitches. My impression of music games has been that they always have average graphics, but Amplitude has definitely blown that perception apart.

Of course, the audio is the most important aspect of any music game. Amplitude features songs from P!nk, BT, The X-ecutioners, Slipknot, Game Boyz, Baldwin Brothers, blink 182, David Bowie, Dieselboy, Garbage, Herbie Hancock, Logan 7, Mekon, Papa Roach, P.O.D., Quarashi and Weezer. I hadn't even heard of half of them before I got the game and admittedly some of the music isn't what I'd normally listen to. However, it's all reasonably good and compliments the action well. If you can't stand the lyrics of a particular song, then just don't attempt the vocals phrase - simple. You'll soon be tapping your foot in time and turning up the volume until the neighbours appear at the window. Believe me, it's happened.



As far as lifespan goes, Amplitude mainly relies on its sheer number of songs, unlockables and difficulty levels. In total, there are over 100 variations to play through together with your own and downloaded remixes. Add on multiplayer, the online components and the addictive gameplay and you've got a package which is well worth dipping into time and time again. It's one of those games where you can play it for three minutes while the kettle boils or three hours trying to unlock that extra song. A word of caution though; Amplitude's visuals and audio is extremely hypnotic sometimes and before you know it you could end up buying oversized earphones, growing your hair and lowering your car windows while you drive through town with the stereo on full. You have been warned.

Amplitude is a journey through music, letting you see it in a different light. Instead of just one single output, you view it as the construction of several parts to make a whole. You don't just get to listen; here you're given the opportunity to play with sound and create it. It's also one of the few games that frequently relies on the player's pure human instinct to achieve goals. The gameplay is addictive, stimulating and heart-poundingly fast at some points. It's visually arresting, the audio is excellent and the lifespan is more than adequate.



It excels in one category that we don't score though. Not the audio, but in being downright cool. Many people refer to a game as 'cool' when actually meaning 'good', but how often can you say that the games you play are totally socially acceptable and fit in with popular culture? Not many I'd think. Sony's marketing targets those twenty-somethings who want to play games but not be laughed at while doing so. They want hip games that merge in with their lifestyle seamlessly and in this Amplitude stands out above all the rest.

Amplitude is one of those great games which you would never have played or even considered purchasing had the circumstances been different. Last week I wouldn't have given it a second glance but I'll be ready and waiting for the next one. So when you're looking for a game to buy, be open minded and look at what's available; there might just be a hidden gem lying amongst the shelves. Similarly, next time you're at a restaurant don't go straight for the pizza and chips, take a look around and pick something different.

Food for thought.

Thunderbolt score: nine out of ten

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