(PS2) Amplitude (Frequency 2) drops 3/25 - early thoughts
03-24-03, 01:59 PM
#1
Admin Emeritus
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Texas, our Texas! All hail the mighty state!
Posts: 12,842
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
(PS2) Amplitude (Frequency 2) drops 3/25 - early thoughts
I know I'm not the only one picking this up... who else is heading to the store tomorrow for this? Gamespot had the release date for this as today, but since stores don't get their shipments in until Tuesday, then I guess it's dropping tomorrow. I'm curious to see what Frequency fans, as well as people new to the series, think about this one. It looks like the inactive tracks are a little harder to see, which will make it harder to switch and not lose your multiplier.
03-24-03, 02:02 PM
#2
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I'm interested in it, but won't be picking it up this week. Zelda gets all my attention for at least this week. In some cases big name titles can come into stores night of release (like Zelda today). I doubt Amplitude would be considered big ticket, so I would expect it tomorrow.
03-24-03, 05:00 PM
#5
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Played the online demo with the Network Adapter. Unfortunately I traded in my Frequency game at gamestop before I knew I was going to get a NA. some of the guys online are fraeakin' insane!! It's like they have the dexterity of a meercat and the reflexes of a mongoose.
03-24-03, 08:26 PM
#7
Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I loved Frequency, and I will be picking up Amplitude along with Zelda tomorrow. I played the demo, and it was awesome. It does play just like Freq. but is that a bad thing? I think not.
I am not all that great at the game, so if anyone who isn't great would like to get together for a game, lemme know.
I am not all that great at the game, so if anyone who isn't great would like to get together for a game, lemme know.
03-24-03, 10:37 PM
#9
Admin Emeritus
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Texas, our Texas! All hail the mighty state!
Posts: 12,842
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Originally posted by DiabolicalBunny
It does play just like Freq. but is that a bad thing? I think not.
It does play just like Freq. but is that a bad thing? I think not.
03-24-03, 10:43 PM
#10
Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 246
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It looks like the ratings are good so far as expected. By the way, can anyone with IGN Insider post the review? I wanna see if they mention any new songs besides the ones that everyone knows (Slipknot, Papa Roach, Herbie Hancock, etc.). Gamespy's review revealed that Korn was in the game. :-o
03-24-03, 11:07 PM
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 858
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My question is, will this game be a cinch for somebody that can beat expert mode without breaking a sweat? Half of the difficulty of the first one was getting used to playing the game and working up to the harder songs. Seems like easy and normal modes would be a breeze for Freq vets.
03-25-03, 03:43 PM
#14
Member
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: California
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've played the demo of Amplitude, two songs on the demo, Garbage's "Cherry Lips" and Quarashi's "Baseline." I'm a Freq vet, I've beaten the game up and down, the only two songs I really have trouble with are the Insersect vs. Robotkid song and the second Symbion Project song.
As for Amplitude, they have four difficulty settings, Mellow, Normal, Brutal and Insane. Insane is not available on the demo, so, being a Frequency guy, I dove right in and played Brutal mode with very little problem dominating the song. I hope Insane is a little more challenging. I think the game will be MUCH easier for Freq vets because, as stated, part of the challenge of Frequency was getting used to the gameplay. Now, I can do some of the songs in Frequency on Expert in my sleep, I imagine that Amplitude will be much easier.
That's not to say I won't enjoy it. I still play Frequency all the time, trying to beat my high scores and so forth. Also, it's fun to make remixes.
My only problem with Amplitude isn't necesarily the highway style tracks. Although I do prefer the tunnel, it's because I like the ability of switching from the last track to the first seemlessly. If you could press right on the last track and have it take you to the first track, then it would be fine. Also, they ditched the freestyle tracks (at least in single player mode) and there are no bonus multipliers, only the multipliers you earn from streaks. However, you can get up to x8, which is pretty awesome.
Honestly, Harmonix could have just taken the same exact game, thrown in 27 new songs and I would have been happy. I'm pleased to see that they are trying something new. Although I balk at the inclusion of so many mainstream artists. One of the charms of Frequency was all of the underground music that was on the disc. Granted, they had a No Doubt track, but also Roni Size, QBert, Dub Pistols and Sugarcore. One or two mainstream artists isn't a bad idea, but it seems to be the focus of the new game. I guess I'll just be playing the Freezepop track over and over.
Anyway, I'm super pumped for this game, it's been a tough wait, but come tomorrow, I'll be rocking out with the new tunes.
As for Amplitude, they have four difficulty settings, Mellow, Normal, Brutal and Insane. Insane is not available on the demo, so, being a Frequency guy, I dove right in and played Brutal mode with very little problem dominating the song. I hope Insane is a little more challenging. I think the game will be MUCH easier for Freq vets because, as stated, part of the challenge of Frequency was getting used to the gameplay. Now, I can do some of the songs in Frequency on Expert in my sleep, I imagine that Amplitude will be much easier.
That's not to say I won't enjoy it. I still play Frequency all the time, trying to beat my high scores and so forth. Also, it's fun to make remixes.
My only problem with Amplitude isn't necesarily the highway style tracks. Although I do prefer the tunnel, it's because I like the ability of switching from the last track to the first seemlessly. If you could press right on the last track and have it take you to the first track, then it would be fine. Also, they ditched the freestyle tracks (at least in single player mode) and there are no bonus multipliers, only the multipliers you earn from streaks. However, you can get up to x8, which is pretty awesome.
Honestly, Harmonix could have just taken the same exact game, thrown in 27 new songs and I would have been happy. I'm pleased to see that they are trying something new. Although I balk at the inclusion of so many mainstream artists. One of the charms of Frequency was all of the underground music that was on the disc. Granted, they had a No Doubt track, but also Roni Size, QBert, Dub Pistols and Sugarcore. One or two mainstream artists isn't a bad idea, but it seems to be the focus of the new game. I guess I'll just be playing the Freezepop track over and over.
Anyway, I'm super pumped for this game, it's been a tough wait, but come tomorrow, I'll be rocking out with the new tunes.
03-26-03, 05:16 PM
#16
Member
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: California
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, it looks like I stand corrected on a few facts. #1 is my the misinformation I laid out that the focus was on mainstream artists. There are a few (Weezer, POD, Garbage, and Quarashi) but they still have underground goodies like Symbion Project, Akrobatik, Freezepop, DJ HMX and others.
The other good news is that this is actually challenging, even to a Freq vet like myself. It took me some effort to beat Brutal (by effort, I mean I had to replay a few songs) and Insane is looking like it's going to take me a while. I can't wait to try the online features, I'm sure they will be awesome once everyone gets the game.
Also, there are multipliers, but they function a little differently. Instead of giving you up to x6 for a bonus, it doubles the value of the line itself (so 8 lines are worth 16 times your multiplier, etc.).
There is also a freestyler, but it is a bonus capture like an auto-capture or a point-doubler.
I'm still disappointed that it's a highway style and not tunnel style. I really prefer that aspect of Frequency, it's very difficult to maintain your multiplier when your cursor is on one side of the screen and the only available track is on the opposite side.
So, for those curious to some random guy's thoughts, I'll break it down IGN-style in my own words:
Presentation- 9.0- Easy to navigate, and trippy to look at, the menus are crazy with the fun attitude.
Graphics: 8.0- Fun backgrounds that can actually co-exist with the game (Frequency's backgrounds made it near impossible to play, I always use "No Arena"), and a fun new Freq builder which allows to make your interactive little dude. The more songs you beat, the more options you get to tweak your Freq.
Sound- 10.0- Kick a$$ tracks up and down the line, from remixes of old school RUN-DMC to hard core thrash metal of Slipknot to the super happy Freezepop, the selection is superb.
Control- 7.0- Essentially the same as Frequency, shoulder buttons and the d-pad to move from track to track. The highway style track gets serious demerits as it's actually a regression from the superior tunnel style of Frequency
Lasting Appeal- 10.0- Really infinite replay value here. I still play Frequency, trying to beat my own high scores. Remix mode also eats hours of my life away. With the addition of Online mode, there is really no reason ever to stop playing this game ever. In fact, what the hell am I doing on the computer?
Overall (not an average)- 9.5
The other good news is that this is actually challenging, even to a Freq vet like myself. It took me some effort to beat Brutal (by effort, I mean I had to replay a few songs) and Insane is looking like it's going to take me a while. I can't wait to try the online features, I'm sure they will be awesome once everyone gets the game.
Also, there are multipliers, but they function a little differently. Instead of giving you up to x6 for a bonus, it doubles the value of the line itself (so 8 lines are worth 16 times your multiplier, etc.).
There is also a freestyler, but it is a bonus capture like an auto-capture or a point-doubler.
I'm still disappointed that it's a highway style and not tunnel style. I really prefer that aspect of Frequency, it's very difficult to maintain your multiplier when your cursor is on one side of the screen and the only available track is on the opposite side.
So, for those curious to some random guy's thoughts, I'll break it down IGN-style in my own words:
Presentation- 9.0- Easy to navigate, and trippy to look at, the menus are crazy with the fun attitude.
Graphics: 8.0- Fun backgrounds that can actually co-exist with the game (Frequency's backgrounds made it near impossible to play, I always use "No Arena"), and a fun new Freq builder which allows to make your interactive little dude. The more songs you beat, the more options you get to tweak your Freq.
Sound- 10.0- Kick a$$ tracks up and down the line, from remixes of old school RUN-DMC to hard core thrash metal of Slipknot to the super happy Freezepop, the selection is superb.
Control- 7.0- Essentially the same as Frequency, shoulder buttons and the d-pad to move from track to track. The highway style track gets serious demerits as it's actually a regression from the superior tunnel style of Frequency
Lasting Appeal- 10.0- Really infinite replay value here. I still play Frequency, trying to beat my own high scores. Remix mode also eats hours of my life away. With the addition of Online mode, there is really no reason ever to stop playing this game ever. In fact, what the hell am I doing on the computer?
Overall (not an average)- 9.5
03-26-03, 09:12 PM
#18
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Seriously, bcelmins, that was a great review. Can't they fire some of those morons at IGNPS2 and hire you instead? Great job! I might have to pick this one up too.
03-27-03, 12:41 AM
#20
Admin Emeritus
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Texas, our Texas! All hail the mighty state!
Posts: 12,842
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
I think around 25 tracks.
I got through about 4 on normal difficulty before turning it off for the night. I hate to be a wet blanket, but I almost feel like the game is a step backwards. The "highway" setup is not as functional as the "tunnel" setup from the first game... it's really frustrating to get done with a track on one side of the highway, come back over, and realize that you lost your bonus because there was this track on the other side of the highway that you didn't even see until now. Also, just audio-wise, I feel like the first game worked my subwoofer more. I had to turn down the volume on the first game... this game, I feel like I need to turn up the volume, and turn up my sub while I was at it.
Okay, now the positives... the graphics and general presentation are head, shoulders, and torso above Frequency. And I love watching my Freq bop along to the music with the appropriate instrument... and he grooves in time with the music, a really cool touch that I wasn't expecting.
In the end, I feel like the game developers took two steps forward and one back.
I got through about 4 on normal difficulty before turning it off for the night. I hate to be a wet blanket, but I almost feel like the game is a step backwards. The "highway" setup is not as functional as the "tunnel" setup from the first game... it's really frustrating to get done with a track on one side of the highway, come back over, and realize that you lost your bonus because there was this track on the other side of the highway that you didn't even see until now. Also, just audio-wise, I feel like the first game worked my subwoofer more. I had to turn down the volume on the first game... this game, I feel like I need to turn up the volume, and turn up my sub while I was at it.
Okay, now the positives... the graphics and general presentation are head, shoulders, and torso above Frequency. And I love watching my Freq bop along to the music with the appropriate instrument... and he grooves in time with the music, a really cool touch that I wasn't expecting.
In the end, I feel like the game developers took two steps forward and one back.
03-27-03, 05:31 AM
#21
Banned
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: PA
Posts: 4,001
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
But don't forget, they DID add the arrow to let you know which track to go to so you can continue your combo...I think this makes up for the highway tracks, and makes it easier to find where to go to next!
FS
FS
03-27-03, 08:12 AM
#22
Admin Emeritus
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Texas, our Texas! All hail the mighty state!
Posts: 12,842
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
The arrows are nice... but still, if they're all the way on the other end of the screen, you can't see them. At least, I can't, especially with all the other visual input from the "arena" background. Maybe I just need to work on looking waaaaay ahead. I just hate it when game sequels "fix" what isn't broken, and break it.
03-27-03, 01:50 PM
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 680
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Besides the restricted movement, I'm having a blast with Amplitude.
Has anyone tried out the online mode, yet? I logged on yesterday, but didn't play anyone. When I checked out the rankings, the leader had already played 55 games.
He (or she) is probably up to around 300 by now.
Has anyone tried out the online mode, yet? I logged on yesterday, but didn't play anyone. When I checked out the rankings, the leader had already played 55 games.
He (or she) is probably up to around 300 by now.
03-27-03, 07:59 PM
#25
Member
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: California
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I got to try to online mode today, and I was glued to the PS2 for like 4 hours playing against various people. Someone had to pry me away from the TV.
Anyway, I love the online mode. I played around 50 sessions, and lost most of them. I'm ranked like 175 or something. But, I'm slowly making my way up the ladder.
The highway system is fine for multiplayer, I think. It still sucks for solo, though. I think that Harmonix is trying to feature the online mode this time around.
Anyway, I love the online mode. I played around 50 sessions, and lost most of them. I'm ranked like 175 or something. But, I'm slowly making my way up the ladder.
The highway system is fine for multiplayer, I think. It still sucks for solo, though. I think that Harmonix is trying to feature the online mode this time around.