Amplitude

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 59
  3. Negative: 1 out of 59
  1. The Daily Dot
    Jan 9, 2016
    40
    Amplitude is a let down. I really wasn’t sure what to expect when jumping in, but it did not live up to its PS2 predecessor. I’m genuinely a fan of rhythm games, and I have yet to play a rhythm game that I did not like. Amplitude sadly missed the mark. It feels bare, awkward, and incomplete. There isn’t a ton of content and the song selection won’t keep players hooked.
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  1. The A.V. Club
    Jan 7, 2016
    Amplitude may be explicitly about a medical procedure, but it also makes for an interesting depiction of the creative process.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 51
  3. Negative: 7 out of 51
  1. Bloomorte
    Jan 6, 2016
    9
    I am a big fan of the original, and I'm very happy with this new game. Although some reviewers claims that the soundtrack is lame, II am a big fan of the original, and I'm very happy with this new game. Although some reviewers claims that the soundtrack is lame, I particularly loved it, not only because the songs are good, but also because most of them are fun as hell to play.

    Visuals are very beautiful, gameplay is amazing and the charts - wich were one of my highest concerns - are creative and fun.

    I haven't given a 10 score because the original had an online multiplayer, and it was very good. This one only has leaderboards - wich still kept me playing after I got the platinum trophy - but it still feels like this game needs the old online multiplayer back.

    Also, although I have enjoyed most songs, the setlist is short.

    Overall, it is a very fun game with very addictive gameplay and nice visuals, but the lack of online multiplayer leaves a huge taste of something missing.    … Full Review »
  2. Captiosus
    Jan 6, 2016
    7
    There was a time when the original Amplitude almost never left my PS2. I was hardcore about finishing all of the tracks on the hardestThere was a time when the original Amplitude almost never left my PS2. I was hardcore about finishing all of the tracks on the hardest difficulty. 100%'ing Robot Rockerz (Komputer Kontroller [aka Kasson Crooker, aka Symbion Project]) on Insane back in the day still makes me smirk - that track wasn't for the meek. That said, having now finished all 15 of the campaign songs on Intermediate difficulty I give the game a solid 7. My biggest issues with the game are:

    The soundtrack is hit-or-miss and since there very little deviation in the types of EDM presented, it all starts to blur together. The original had good remixes of then popular tracks that fit with the futuristic theme and still made sense. For instance, I really enjoyed tracks like Run-DMC, Herbie Hancock, and David Bowie on the original as the mixes fit with the style but helped keep everything from feeling too similar. Even the in-house offerings in the original were more diverse; compare Cooker's DJ HMX 'Cool Baby' track to his later, more difficult tracks in the original. Unfortunately, by the third 'lobe' in this new version, I was pretty tired of the electronic dub, house, and drum-and-bass tracks (and I usually REALLY enjoy EDM). I don't know what MozartBananas is talking about but I do very much "get it" and Harmonix wasn't scared to add tracks outside of EDM back in the original Amplitude and it was better off for it. Go listen to the Crystal Method remix of P.O.D.'s "Boom", one of the first tracks in the original game. It fit the style just fine while offering diversity of songs throughout the game. I get that this game probably didn't have the budget for a bunch of licensed track remixes and that's a bit of a shame, IMO.

    Why do I have to replay the entire campaign instead of being able to select specific lobes and replay them like the original Amplitude did with the beat factory locations? This is a step backward and makes me not want to play campaign again. I can just as easily play the tracks on harder difficulties in quick play. Meanwhile, some of the best songs aren't in the campaign (looking at you, Synthesized 2.0). While the concept album design of the campaign is interesting, there's no compelling reason to do it again as it doesn't change nor does it offer tracks unique to campaign alone.

    The difficulty curve is a bit nutso this time around. I remember moving up from normal to brutal to insane on the original game and feeling challenged but not overwhelmed as I gradually stepped up. This time though, the step up from Intermediate to Advanced is painful. I'd argue that Advanced is almost as hard as Insane was on the original Amplitude, especially given the tracklist and its overuse of 130bpm and higher tracks. There's very little to gradually ease you into the increase.

    And finally: I have now tried on three different TVs and, try as I might I simply cannot get the damn thing synced right. Thankfully the game has a small bit of forgiveness in the timing so it doesn't impede gameplay TOO much (though it's not as forgiving on Advanced or Expert). That said, I still find myself losing streaks because the A/V sync is just a few milliseconds off no matter how I try to calibrate the timing with the in game options.

    Multiplayer is pretty fun but suffers the same limitations due to the tracklist and difficulty curve.

    Overall it's a decent game, solid, but not as solid as the original. I just don't feel the same need to go back and really nail these tracks like I did with the first game due to the issues above.    … Full Review »
  3. MozartBananas
    Jan 5, 2016
    10
    First off I played the original Amplitude back in the day and am familiar with the gameplay. The original games were $40 and this one is oddlyFirst off I played the original Amplitude back in the day and am familiar with the gameplay. The original games were $40 and this one is oddly $20. If you aren't a music rhythm game person, or only listen to one genre of music...this game probably isn't for you. If you like music, especially electronic music, and like music rhythm games... THIS GAME IS FOR YOU!

    It seems like Harmonix really focused on nailing the gameplay. Streaking is emphasized from the get go, and is the only real way to rack up points. There's new multiplayer modes (team play!). The ships are color coded better to tell each player apart. There's a new concept of "Boss Songs" where you have to maintain a streak to get through the gates without receiving damage. Really Fun!!

    Then there's the soundtrack. I am an electronic music fan, and I love it! I see a lot of reviewers complain about not having any Weezer, or POD, or whatever but A. I don't think the reviewers "get it" - they don't get the cyber vibe of the game(I don't think that top 40 music would fit this game at all), and B. If I wanted to play those songs, I would go play Rock Band. I'd rather hear something new and refreshing that was created for the experience!!!

    There are "campaign" songs and 15 unlocks. It seemed like they made the campaign songs about a narrative(more on that later). Each song has different genres infused into, like Electro,Breakcore, Drum n Bass, Techno, Dubstep, and even some that feel like Steve Reich, Rock, and Fleet Foxes. There's a ton of variation in here. As you progress through each world, it seems like the tempo gets faster and faster.

    As you play through the campaign you unlock songs by Symbion Project (Concept is one of my favs), Freezepop, George and Jonathan, C418, etc.. a bunch of awesome indie electronic musicians which is really cool and un expected.

    Amplitude feels like a work of art, visually and audibly. It's a game focused around a crazy narrative about what I think is inducing synesthesia into someone, and have it go horribly wrong. You can tell the amount of work that went into crafting each world and song. It's really cool to see a company like Harmonix release a title like this in a time that most game company's don't want to take risks.

    I can't really complain much for a $20 game, but my minor annoyances are-
    No online multiplayer
    No Remix mode
    A little grindy to unlock songs    … Full Review »
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