Amplitude HD Reviews

Amplitude HD is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
6.5 / 10.0
Jan 1, 2016

So, overall the gameplay of Amplitude has been quickly and easily transported to the new generation, with some nice new touches added in by Harmonix. Gamers who loved the original will be re-addicted quite quickly, but one thing will nag at the back of their mind the whole time, and that is that the songs brought in the new version of Amplitude are simply not up to par with what we've seen before.

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B+
Jan 6, 2016

Amplitude is a good time whether you are playing alone or with friends, since the game adjusts to whoever's playing. Single-player is about being precise and focused, asking that you use your power-ups wisely and mantain your streak. Harmonix has also included a little treat — FreQ mode. In this mode, it's basically like you're playing Frequency again. You can't play online, but the options in the local play are robust. Four-player free-for-all quickplay encourages competition, using your power-ups to attack other players. Cooperative and team-based play offer further options for enjoying Amplitude with your friends, and it's really fun to feel like you and your friends are making your own music.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jan 5, 2016

Amplitude is a pseudo remake, funded through Kickstarter, of the title homonym of PS2 released in 2003, which laid the foundations for music and rhythm games to become massive in the West.

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8.4 / 10.0
Jun 8, 2016

Easy to pick up and play, Amplitude is a must-have for gamers who love rhythm/music games. Local multiplayer and various difficulty settings make Amplitude excellent value for money, though a lack of online multiplayer or additional DLC hurts long-term longevity.

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68 / 100
Jan 6, 2016

Amplitude offers fairly stock-standard rhythm gameplay and nice visuals, coupled with a rigid unlock system and a music genre of limited appeal.

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6.5 / 10.0
Jan 6, 2016

In the end, though, Amplitude is a bit of a disappointment. It plays well enough and it's awfully slick-looking, but the lack of a diverse array of songs really puts a damper on the experience. And this isn't merely subjective; as starkly different songs result in drastically different note patterns on the tracks, and even how the tracks are set up, this lack of music variety impacts the gameplay as well.

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7.5 / 10.0
Feb 1, 2016

In the end, Amplitude isn't quite the masterpiece that many had expected. The idea of a concept album for the Campaign mode is good, but the execution has too many interruptions that prevent the concept from being fully realized. Also, the idea for song unlocks is good considering the game only has 30+ to choose from, but some of the unlocking requirements aren't good incentives to keep playing. On the other hand, the gameplay is fun and interesting for the rhythm genre, and the song selection is very good for fans of electronic music. Fans of rhythm games should check it out.

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Unscored
Jan 7, 2016

The original Amplitude broke this ground over 10 years ago, but the world just wasn't ready. Maybe in 2016 people will be more open to the idea of finding the music inside themselves.

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7 / 10
Jan 4, 2016

In order to keep this already long-winded review from balooning further, I'll simply sum it up at this: while Amplitude doesn't do much in the way of innovation, it does offer the strongest gameplay in the franchise thus far in terms of challenge. However, the weak track selection, questionable visual design choices and semi-botched implementation of the franchise's best gameplay methods add up to a very lackluster experience. I would be upset if I backed this on Kickstarter, not because I didn't get a good game out of the deal — which Amplitude certainly is, for sure — but rather, that the game doesn't seem as inspired as the labors of love that preceded it, which causes this particular pony to look like it's not even capable of doing its one trick nearly as well as it used to.

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3.5 / 5.0
Dec 24, 2015

If you've wanted to play another Amplitude game for the past generation, then this is going to scratch your itch and then some.

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5.5 / 10.0
Jan 11, 2016

Amplitude could have been something special again; instead, it ended up falling flat.

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
8 / 10
Feb 2, 2016

A welcome return of a classic

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8 / 10.0
Jan 18, 2016

A unique concept album that challenges your mind and your dexterity

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7 / 10.0
Jan 8, 2016

Amplitude is a game trapped in the PS2's past but brought back through the developers' passion. There really isn't any innovation in this version, but it's not expensive so a lot can be overlooked. This game works best at a college dorm party or somewhere with lots of friends. But there's little more to do once everyone has gone home.

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6.8 / 10.0
Jan 5, 2016

Amplitude is a labor of love on its creator's part. What it has to offer is a testament to Harmonix's mastery of the genre: Its simple yet deeply challenging gameplay and psychedelic graphics have been honed to near-perfection, and each distinct part of every song carries its own, faithful patterns and challenges. The critical flaw is that there's simply not enough content to go around.

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Press Start
Top Critic
6 / 10
Jan 19, 2016

Amplitude has the potential to be a great game, but the lack of innovation of the formula and the rather lackluster tracklist keep the game from ever being more than simply ‘okay’. For its retail price there’s a decent amount of content, but there is simply no incentive to invest a lot of time into it in a single session. Perhaps if Harmonix ever decides to expand upon the experience with DLC or a potential sequel Amplitude could be what it aspires to be, but until then the game could be classified as a nice callback for the fans.

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Jan 17, 2016

This exclusive reboot for PlayStation features all-new music and visuals, but fails to live up to the original.

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Jan 2, 2016

Amplitude lacks both the visual and audible punch its predecessor delivered, but the gameplay still manages to be immersive, intense and often enjoyable.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 4, 2016

The plastic peripheral-slinging music game developers at Harmonix have returned to their roots with a modern remake of Amplitude.

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Daily Dot
Top Critic
Jan 8, 2016

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. Maybe this is one Kickstarter the gaming community should have passed on.

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