| Amplitude | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Harmonix |
| Publisher(s) | Harmonix |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 |
| Release | PlayStation 4 January 5, 2016 PlayStation 3 April 3, 2016 |
| Genre(s) | Music |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Amplitude is a 2016 music video game developed and published by Harmonix. As the reboot of Amplitude (2003), the game was released in 2016 for PlayStation 4 in January and for PlayStation 3 in April. The game received generally average reviews upon release.
The new game would keep the same style of gameplay from the original title, but would feature new songs, modern graphics, and integration of the modern hardware features of the PlayStation consoles and DualShock controller.
In addition to the original's features, the game includes team play mode, allowing for cooperative-competitive gameplay. [1] This mode, suggested by Harmonix' Pete Maguire and added late in the development period, allows two teams, either 2-on-2 or 3-on-1, to play through a song without failing, accounting for player difficulty levels between all players. [2] The game also includes a FreQuency mode, where the nearly-flat track layout can be switched to the tunnel approach that was used in the original FreQuency. [3] Harmonix developed a new game engine, Forge, which was also used for the development of Rock Band 4 , [4] for the reboot.
Harmonix launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise US$775,000 to fund a successor for Amplitude, which would be released digitally and physically for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in May 2014. [5] The campaign reached its target on May 22, within 24 hours of the funding period's deadline. [6] The Kickstarter completed with over $844,000 in funds from over 14,000 users. [7] Major funding backers included Insomniac Games' CEO Ted Price. [8]
Harmonix's Ryan Lesser stated the choice for using Kickstarter was based on knowing that demand was high for a sequel to Amplitude, and opted to use the crowd-funding mechanism to see if it was a viable vehicle for future projects for the company. [9] The company later said that they have also tried to obtain funding for this reboot by other means prior to using Kickstarter, and noted that the funds they seek were less than half of the amount needed, having planned to provide the other half from internal funding if the response was good. [10] Harmonix noted that the game would be exclusive to PlayStation platforms, as the Amplitude concepts and trademark remain property of Sony. [11]
Originally the game was planned to be released with music provided by in-house musicians from Harmonix with the possibility of licensed music by reaching various stretch goals. During the Kickstarter period they were able to secure offerings by groups like Freezepop and Kasson Crooker who have provided music before for the original Amplitude as well as other popular video game music groups including Anamanaguchi, Danny Baranowsky, and Jim Guthrie. [12] A total of 30 songs were expected to ship with the title on release.
Though originally slated to be released in March 2015, Harmonix said that due to their inexperience on working on the PlayStation 4 platform, they were aiming for an early 2016 release to assure the quality of the reboot. [13] The reboot was released in January 2016 for the PlayStation 4 with the PlayStation 3 version releasing on April 5. [14]
The game shipped with more than 30 songs, including 15 songs composed by Harmonix in the game's "concept album", used for the game's campaign mode. [15]
| Song title | Artist | Brain Region | Original/Remix track created for Amplitude? |
|---|---|---|---|
| "01 Perfect Brain" | Harmonix Music Systems | 1. Prefrontal Cortex | Yes |
| "02 Wetware" | Harmonix Music Systems | 1. Prefrontal Cortex | Yes |
| "03 Dreamer" | Harmonix Music Systems | 1. Prefrontal Cortex | Yes |
| "04 Recession" | Jeff Allen featuring Noelle LeBlanc & Naoko Takamoto | 1. Prefrontal Cortex | Yes |
| "05 Break For Me" | James Landino featuring Noelle LeBlanc | 1. Prefrontal Cortex | Yes |
| "06 Decode Me" | inter:sect featuring Noelle LeBlanc & Naoko Takamoto | 2. Temporal Lobe | Yes |
| "07 I.C.U." | Harmonix Music Systems | 2. Temporal Lobe | Yes |
| "08 Human Love" | Harmonix Music Systems | 2. Temporal Lobe | Yes |
| "09 Astrosight" | inter:sect featuring Noelle LeBlanc & Naoko Takamoto | 2. Temporal Lobe | Yes |
| "10 Magpie" | Harmonix Music Systems | 2. Temporal Lobe | Yes |
| "11 Supraspatial" | Jeff Allen featuring Naoko Takamoto | 3. Limbic System | Yes |
| "12 Digital Paralysis" | Harmonix Music Systems | 3. Limbic System | Yes |
| "13 Energize" | Harmonix Music Systems | 3. Limbic System | Yes |
| "14 Dalatecht" | Harmonix Music Systems | 3. Limbic System | Yes |
| "15 Wayfarer" | Harmonix Music Systems | 3. Limbic System | Yes |
| "All The Time" | C418 | Quickplay | Yes |
| "Assault on Psychofortress" | Single White Infidel | Quickplay | No |
| "Concept" | Symbion Project | Quickplay | No |
| "Crazy Ride" | Insomniac Games | Quickplay | No |
| "Crypteque (1-2)" | Danny Baranowsky | Quickplay | No |
| "Crystal" | George & Jonathan | Quickplay | Shortened |
| "Do Not Retreat" † | Komputer Kontroller | Quickplay | No |
| "Entomophobia" | M-Cue | Quickplay | Remix |
| "Force Quit" | Jim Guthrie | Quickplay | Yes |
| "Impossible" | Darren Korb | Quickplay | No |
| "Lights" | Wolfgun | Quickplay | Shortened |
| "Muze (Amplitude Remix)" | Ingrid Lukas, Remix by Patrik Zosso and Nik Bärtsch | Quickplay | Remix |
| "Phantoms" | Freezepop | Quickplay | No |
| "Red Giant" | Kodomo | Quickplay | Shortened |
| "Synthesized (Inside Your Mind Remix)" | Symbion Project | Quickplay | Remix |
| "Unfinished Business" | Shiohito Taki & Junichi Kamiunten | Quickplay | Shortened |
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 74/100 [16] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Game Informer | 7.75/10 [17] |
| GameSpot | 7/10 [18] |
| IGN | 7/10 [19] |
| USgamer | 3.5/5 [20] |
| VentureBeat | 74/100 [21] |
| The Daily Telegraph |   [22] |
The PS4 version received "average" reviews, one point short of being "generally favorable", according to Metacritic. [16]
The Digital Fix gave it a score of eight out of ten, calling it "a unique concept album that challenges your mind and your dexterity". [23] Slant Magazine similarly gave it four stars out of five, saying that it was "so obviously a labor of love that it's difficult to criticize it, especially given all of the ways in which Harmonix has addressed the concerns for fans who funded them on Kickstarter". [24]
However, The Escapist gave it three-and-a-half stars out of five: "While some more star power in the soundtrack would have went a long way, and the way Harmonix artificially pads the game's length with its song unlock requirements is ridiculous, Amplitude remains an exciting blend of rhythm action and electronica that does well by its predecessors". [25] 411Mania gave it a score of seven out of ten: "Overall, Harmonix did a great job capturing the body of Amplitude again. The gameplay is good and easy to pick up, even if you haven't played the game in years. However, the soul of the game, the soundtrack, may have gamers looking elsewhere for their music game fix". [26] National Post gave it six out of ten, saying that it was "destined for most people to become that slightly off record from their favourite band. You spun it a few times the day you bought it, and you really did try to love it. But now it just sits there, rarely played, a reminder that even those you admire most are capable of mistakes". [27] The Daily Telegraph similarly gave it three stars out of five, saying that the game "has a thumping heart and soul, a timeless nucleus of gameplay that I hope Harmonix has the opportunity to build upon. A euphoric finger dance across a fizzing, abstract space". [22]
Frequency is a music video game developed by Harmonix and published by SCEA. It is the first major release from Harmonix. It was released in November 2001. A sequel, Amplitude, was released in 2003.
Amplitude is a music video game developed by Harmonix for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to Frequency. The game was released in 2003 for North America on March 25 and for Europe on September 26.
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., doing business as Harmonix, is an American video game developer company based in Boston, Massachusetts. The company was established in May 1995 by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy. Harmonix is perhaps best known as being the developer of music video games series Dance Central and Rock Band, as well as being the original developer and creator of the Guitar Hero series before development moved to Neversoft and Vicarious Visions.
Kasson Crooker is an American electronic musician, a composer, and the artist behind Symbion Project, his solo moniker. His past bands are Freezepop, Splashdown, Larkspur, and Sirensong. DJ HMX, Komputer Kontroller, and Cosmonaut Zero were alias bands of Crooker used only for the videogames FreQuency and Amplitude.
Street Fighter V is a 2.5D fighting game developed by Capcom and Dimps and published by Capcom for PlayStation 4 and Windows in 2016. An arcade version exclusive to Japan was released by Taito in 2019.
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in Europe, South America, and Australia, and on February 22, 2014, in Japan. A console of the eighth generation, it competes with Microsoft's Xbox One and Nintendo's Wii U and Switch.
Destiny is an online first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie. It was released worldwide on September 9, 2014, for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One consoles. Destiny marked Bungie's first new console franchise since the Halo series, and it was the first game in a ten-year agreement between Bungie and Activision. Set in a "mythological science fiction" world, the game features a multiplayer "shared-world" environment with elements of role-playing games. Activities in Destiny are divided among player versus environment (PvE) and player versus player (PvP) game types. In addition to normal story missions, PvE features three-player "strikes" and six-player raids. A free roam patrol mode is also available for each destination which feature public events. PvP features objective-based modes, as well as traditional deathmatch game modes.
Sportsfriends is a party video game created by the Danish independent developer collective Die Gute Fabrik. It consists of four games: Johann Sebastian Joust, Super Pole Riders, BaraBariBall, and Hokra. Planned for release on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Mac, and Linux, the game was funded through Kickstarter and received over US$150,000 from backers.
EA Sports UFC is a mixed martial arts fighting video game developed in a collaboration between EA Canada and SkyBox Labs, and published by EA Sports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brand and was released on June 17, 2014. A playable demo was released on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Marketplace on June 3, 2014, with cover athletes Jon "Bones" Jones and Alexander "The Mauler" Gustafsson as playable fighters. It is the first UFC game since THQ sold the license to Electronic Arts.
Galak-Z: The Dimensional is a shooter video game developed and published by 17-Bit. It was released in August 2015 for the PlayStation 4 and October 2015 for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux. A Nintendo Switch port, subtitled Deluxe Edition, was released in March 2019 by Golem Entertainment. It was announced during Sony's pre-E3 2013 press conference in June 2013. 17-Bit CEO Jake Kazdal describes it as "modern Halo and Far Cry 3 combat in a 2-dimensional shell." Reflecting its inspiration in part by Japanese anime, the game is also known officially by the Japanese title of Uchuu Senshi Galak-Z.
TowerFall is an action indie video game created by Maddy Thorson through her company Maddy Makes Games. In the game, players control up to four archers in a multiplayer platform fighter. It was released on the Ouya microconsole in June 2013 and was later ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, OS X, and Windows as TowerFall Ascension and to the Nintendo Switch under its original title of TowerFall.
H-Hour: World's Elite is a tactical shooter video game, currently being developed by SOF Studios. The game released in early access for Microsoft Windows via Steam in May 2015. A version for the PlayStation 4 is planned to be released at a later date.
Superhot is an independent first-person shooter (FPS) video game developed and published by Superhot Team. Though the game follows traditional first-person shooter gameplay mechanics, with the player attempting to take out enemy targets using guns and other weapons, time within the game progresses at normal speed only when the player moves; this creates the opportunity for the player to assess their situation in slow motion and respond appropriately, making the gameplay similar to strategy video games. The game is presented in a minimalist art style, with enemies in red and weapons in black, in contrast to the otherwise white and grey environment.
Wreckfest is a racing video game developed by Bugbear Entertainment and published by THQ Nordic. Wreckfest is described as the spiritual successor to the FlatOut series and a cross between FlatOut, Destruction Derby and cult 1989 PC racer Street Rod. A notable feature of the game engine is the use of soft-body damage modelling, which enables location-based damage that affects the driving dynamics of vehicles in a realistic fashion.
Rock Band 4 is a 2015 music video game developed and published by Harmonix. Rock Band 4 allows players to simulate the playing of music across many different decades and genres using instrument controllers that mimic playing lead and bass guitar, drums, and vocals. As the fourth main installment and the 7th major console installment in the Rock Band franchise, it was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 6, 2015. Mad Catz, who also developed new instrument controllers for the game, marketed and distributed the title worldwide at launch; Performance Designed Products (PDP) took over manufacturing and distribution by the end of 2016. The game shipped with more than sixty licensed songs; additional songs are available as downloadable content, which includes a library of over 2000 existing songs from prior installments.
Super Mega Baseball is a baseball video game series developed by the independent studio Metalhead Software in Victoria, BC, Canada.
Dreams is a game creation system video game developed by Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 in February 2020. Players can create and play user-generated content in the forms of games, audiovisual experiences and game assets, which can be shared or remixed to be used in other players' creations.
There are four pieces of downloadable content (DLC) that were released for Bungie's 2014 first-person shooter video game Destiny. Each package of downloadable content added new player versus environment (PvE) missions and player versus player (PvP) modes, new locales to visit, and new items for the player to make use of. The first expansion was The Dark Below in December 2014, which was followed by House of Wolves in May 2015. The third, The Taken King, was released in September 2015 and had the largest effect on the game, as it changed much of the core gameplay. Upon the release of the third expansion, retailers issued Destiny: The Taken King Legendary Edition, which included Destiny and all DLC up to and including The Taken King. In December 2015, Destiny shifted to an event-based model, featuring more periodical limited-time events. The fourth and last expansion called Rise of Iron released in September 2016. Upon release of the fourth expansion, retailers issued Destiny: The Collection, which includes Destiny and all DLC up to and including Rise of Iron.
System Shock is a 2023 action-adventure game developed by Nightdive Studios and published by Prime Matter. It is a remake of the 1994 game System Shock by Looking Glass Studios. The game is set aboard a space station in a cyberpunk vision of the year 2072. Assuming the role of a nameless security hacker, the player attempts to hinder the plans of a malevolent artificial intelligence called SHODAN.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is the fourth entry in the ToeJam & Earl series of video games. The game was developed by HumaNature Studios, founded by series creator Greg Johnson, and published by the studio on March 1, 2019.