[#] Amplitude (Sony, PlayStation 2, 2003)
FreQuency might've given Harmonix a lot of good press, but it didn't make them millionaires. Its sequel, Amplitude, improved every single aspect of FreQuency and hasn't dated a day in 18 years...and still didn't make them millionaires. This may be the single best game in history no one bought. To date, I still staunchly shill it to everyone I know, because it deserves it. And that, my reader, means you now.
Amplitude plays roughly the same as FreQuency, juggling instruments track-by-track to rebuild a song's mix, except it's now on sonic highways rather than through tunnels. Compared to FreQuency, Amplitude features a gentler difficulty curve over four difficulties, Mellow, Normal, Brutal, and Insane. The latter two are apt names—you'll be chasing good scores on them for a long while. The timing window is much relaxed, similar to the first Guitar Hero, and Amplitude is still as playable as it's ever been, especially given the absolutely fantastic soundtrack that spans everything from blink-182 to Slipknot to P!nk to David fucking Bowie.
The graphics are much improved from FreQuency, featuring dizzying cityscapes and bubbling reactor cores you'll fly your Beat Blaster through, and the FreQs, formerly just icons, are now customizable 3D models that play along to the track you're on and whose bodies and heads you'll unlock as you play. You get ranked in songs by your score (1-4 bars), and there's nothing better than nailing the right path through a song and earning all four. While you can still get local multiplayer and even online going for extra fun, even solo, this game is bonkers fun. You need to play it.
| Reviewed | My favorite part | Recommended? |
|---|---|---|
| June 7, 2021 | A hard-won four bars | Strongly |