Amplitude

"It's like FreQuency, but a whole lot better."

Remember FreQuency? Probably not. It had a relatively silent release to the public, but it certainly made an impact on players and critics alike, making it a noteworthy game to try out.

Now there's Amplitude, and while it also had little to no advertaising to promote it, it has also made a huge impact, but one of much greater proportions.

Amplitude is the sequel of FreQuency, the first music game from Harmonix. The gameplay is just about the same as the original, but the sequel has enough tweaks to make it a new experience for returning FreQs.

For those of you new to the world of the FreQ (and I know that most of you probably are), the concept goes like this. You travel along a plane of assorted sections, and on each section are assorted crystals in different positions. The sections represent a part of the music (Guitar, Vocals, Drums, etc.), and the crystals represent notes & note combinations. You must travel through the plane and break each crystal for a set amount of measures. Not doing this (or not doing this WELL) will cause an energy bar of yours to lower every measure, and an empty bar means Game Over. If you can complete the measures successfully, you not only get points for your performance, but the section automatically plays by itself for a period of time. When this happens, you must move to another section to keep your energy full and your score high. Well maneuvered transfers can multiply your earnings, and assorted powerups can be obtained to help you through. You need to stay alive through the song you're playing to win.

Now, for those who have played the original, here's what's new. Rather than the tunnel setup in FreQuency, you glide across a relatively flat plane with each section in different colors. Your multiplier goes even higher by default (8x), and the original Multiplier powerup has become a ''Score Doubler'' that doubles the points you earn for a period of time, so your 8x performances are actually 16x for a while. There is no immediate access to the Freestyle track anymore; it is now a powerup. But it is a lot easier (and a lot more fun) to use. And the song isn't divided into assorted sectors (although there are ''checkpoints''); the sections just keep running through the song with no true divisions.

The music selection in Amplitude seems to span across more genres than FreQuency, and a lot more notable artists and songs are available as well. The game spans four difficulty levels rather than three, but each difficulty spans five stages, with only a few differences in song totals. Of course, like before, the highest difficulty has the most songs...

What else is there? Well, for starters, there's an improved Remix mode, where the songs are divided into different sections for easier access, and the final product is graded on its difficulty. They also feature a few new options for effects; one of the most notable ones I've come across is the ability to change the BPM (speed) of the song. Again, up to 4 players can remix. Also they have a new FreQ maker, where they are all in 3D rather than a collection of ''cut & paste'' icons. There is a default collection of FreQ parts to assemple, but you unlock even more as you play the Solo mode.

Then there's the multiplayer mode. Or modes. The first is only partially similar to the original FreQuency multiplayer mode, allowing up to 4 players to play at once and playing through the entire song. While the object of the game is still to get the highest score, the concept is more true to the Solo mode, where whole tracks can be captured. It's more fun to play, and a lot less nerve-wrecking than the original's, where you had to just keep breaking the crystals all the way through the track to really capture it in the section. The second mode, Duel, is for two players. The game basically plays like ''Horse:'' One player makes the beats, while the other has to copy them. Playing the beats perfectly will score you a letter for ''AMPLITUDE,'' but not playing them right will give the opponent a letter. The roles of ''maker'' and ''breaker'' then switch on the next set, until someone fully spells Amplitude.

Finally, there's the Online capabilities, allowing people to compete and remix through the Internet. This was a feature that was not implemented in the original FreQuency, and it will allow players to compete with others elsewhere, without the need of a multitap.

Are there downsides? Very few. Just the unusual selection of FreQ parts to choose from, and the inability to play the hard-exclusive songs in easier difficulties once they are cleared.

Everything else about this game is wonderful. The graphics are a giant step above FreQuency, with more to look at (or not look at, since you're concentrating on the game). The learning curve isn't at all steep, but it will require good skill to beat the entire game on the highest difficulty. The song selection is bigger and better, and you have a lot of new ways to play. The songs that are cleared will even show up in a ''Soundtrack'' option so that you can hear the song as it was originally recorded. And you can play against your friends online!

Whether or not it stacks up to, say, DDR is really up to the player. I like them both.

But Amplitude is definitely something to own if youre really big on music games, or really big on music. It is definitely worth a try if you're still not certain; you may be surprised. This game is so challenging, so fun, so addictive, it'll make anyone FreQ out!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/07/03