Amped 3

"Amped 3 Exceeds Expectations"

Well, Amped 3 is one of the only actual sports games that I own on my 360. I got it as a totally unexpected gift, and had mixed feeling about it. I cracked it open, and started playing...

Graphics: The graphics in this game are beautiful. The snowy landscape flows well with the rest of the scenery, and at some points you can see the entire mountain from a birds eye view. It's an amazing sight. You can really appreciate the work put into this game in the graphics industry. The only complaint I have is when you snowboard, the trail of snow behind you is sorta off-set with your character.

Sounds: The sounds in this game are also very good. There are two different character voices to choose from, a laid-back voice and a cheeky, wiener-boy voice. There are several different variants of "Awesomeness" (the sound effects for your special moves, pretty much) with are each very diverse in their own regard, from arcade sounds to urban sounds, from fancy sounds to zen sounds. The soundtrack in the background isn't annoying and doesn't distract you from the game play. All in all, the sounds are amazing, very well delivered, and provide the nice effects that keep the repetitiveness down to a minimum.

Gameplay: This is the section where I could go all out on. Okay, well Amped 3 puts you in the body of your own custom snow-surfer, and you go around several different mountains, each with their own individual regions, completing challenges and story missions to earn money and respect, which will unlock new areas of each mountain. The Story is incredibly random and contains some of the funniest cutscenes I've ever seen. Some of the challenges you must complete include Snow Quests, which are basically just free-roaming try to get the highest score as possible challenges; Kitty Clean-Ups, where you have to collect a certain number of "kitty glitter" pickups that are usually in a row where you have to keep a string of tricks and timing to land perfectly to continue; and Magic Circles, where you have to jump through a series of gates and finish with a certain amount of points to pass the challenge. These are only a few examples. I could go on and on about this, but we have to move onto the next section. In conclusion, the gameplay for Amped 3 is a great example of what creativity and originality can do to a game.

Replay Value: To make this section quick... You could play Amped 3 for days without stopping. If you are after achievements you won't have to work for months to get all of them like in some other games *cough* gears of war *cough*. Of the people who I know who have played Amped, they all said they loved it. I can't count how many times I messed around with the Hang glider sled and flew as high as I wanted, then dropped to the ground screaming. Even if you aren't a big fan of snowboarding (like me), this game will appeal to you. Go out and buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/15/08

Game Release: Amped 3 (US, 11/16/05)