Amplitude

Amplitude is back after a successful Kickstarter campaign, which began in 2014! The original game’s code was used to faithfully create a sequel to the PS2 original that many have been waiting almost 13 years for. The original Guitar Hero was kind of like “Amplitude 2” (or “Frequency 3”), and the home music/ rhythm genre hasn’t gotten away from instrument-based peripherals, and gone back to the frantic controller-based gameplay of the original, until now. I played a lot of Insane-level Amplitude circa 2003, so when I found out that it was getting an official sequel in 2016, I was excited! And g...

Before the musical camaraderie of Rock Band and before the introduction of plastic instruments with Guitar Hero, Harmonix was making a very different kind of rhythm game. The developer has long been a master of this genre, with a history on PlayStation stretching back to 2001 with the release of FreQuency on PS2. Its 2003 follow-up Amplitude went on to become a cult classic thanks to its satisfying gameplay and catchy soundtrack. More than a decade later, and after a successful Kickstarter campaign, Amplitude is back – but has it still got its groove?

A major perk over the Rock Bands of the world is the lack of peripherals and external hardware. This game doesn't require anything more than a console and a standard controller, but still manages to make players feel like they are in control of a full band. The title seems like a perfect fit for the PS Vita, so we hope to see a port over to the handheld at some point. A slight downside of playing on the big screen, which will only impacts some gamers, is that the swirling backgrounds are very likely to make some people feel dizzy or disoriented.

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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