Amped 2 review

Gamestyle would like to be able to review Amped 2 without making any reference to SSX 3. We'd truly love to. It would be wonderful to fight our way through the game - clunky controls and all - blissfully ignorant of the super-slick delights of EA's masterpiece. How marvellous life would be if it were possible to play Amped 2 without constantly longing for its superior opponent. The reality though is that this simply isn't possible.Perhaps aware that their game isn't able to match SSX 3 in several respects, Microsoft have taken steps to distance Amped 2 from the extreme gameplay of EA's title. Rather than gaining maximum points for trying to cram eight rotations and ten grabs into every jump, Amped 2 encourages the player to be gentle - awarding 'style' points for subtle manipulation of the controls. It's easier to score points by carefully holding the left stick steadily halfway in either direction (whilst gently pulling on one of the triggers) than by yanking everything as hard as you can and mashing the buttons. Theoretically it's a great idea. Unfortunately, Microsoft has failed to implement these disparate mechanics into a workable package.There are several things about Amped 2 that are really quite endearing. For starters, it looks great. The mountain previews are breathtaking - seeing the scenery smoothly fly by as the camera pans gently down one of the huge mountainous courses is a sight to behold, and makes you glad you've got an Xbox sitting snugly under your TV. Courses like Millicent offer a tremendous sense of scale, whilst the New Zealand tracks sport a more natural, rugged landscape (and both are very pleasing to the eye).In a deliberate snub to the self-promoting exuberance of SSX 3, Amped 2 focuses more on realism, with a greater emphasis on precise control and extras such as unlockable video interludes about the lives of real snowboarding pros (although the stereotypical 'extreme' banter begins to grate). You're severely punished for landing even remotely sideways, but equally rewarded when pulling off successful manoeuvres. The structure and career progression, which incidentally is very similar to (you guessed it) SSX 3, is also very rewarding. With each level having several objectives - such as high scoring, showing off for the media, competing against the pros, finding snowmen and the obligatory gap hunting - you'll always have several options open to you at any one time. It's just a shame that all of this counts for nil; most of your time will be spent wrestling with a poorly-implemented control scheme that is not only counter-intuitive, but at times plainly unfair. All too often a potentially great trick will fail because it was impossible to orientate yourself in mid-air, while at other times your player will rotate in the opposite direction you were telling them to. You can also never be sure whether you'll exit a rail grind successfully or slam ungraciously into the snow; then when something does go wrong, you'll often find yourself locked into a bail animation with no means of escape. Frustrating.There are also issues with the questionable collision detection, which often results in your character slamming into a nearby pole that you had apparently avoided. Getting yourself going from scratch is arduous at best, and it can take an age to build up speed again. More aggravating though is how difficult it can be to find the olleying sweet-spot when making a jump; all too often a combo is ruined when your character simply refuses to launch from a ramp. This is made far worse when you consider how tough it can be to chain a combo together. Although it's possible to link moves with a technique known as buttering - exactly the same as Tony Hawk's manuals or SSX 3's board-pressing - the increased level of 'realism' means that it's virtually impossible to keep your balance over any sort of distance. Equally annoying is when you're floored by an NPC who emerges from nowhere and cuts across your path. As a result, huge combos are hard to come by... realistic it may be, but fun it certainly isn't.Whilst cruising for high scores can be fun by default, other goals are far less enjoyable. Photo Shoot levels have you performing combos through a set course and you're punished for either failing to score sufficiently or deviating from the path. These levels reminded Gamestyle of Stuntman on the PS2 and were equally as frustrating. When goals are met you'll occasionally unlock more grab tricks, but rarely are these distinguishable from the uninspiring (yet undoubtedly very realistic) standard assortment. This lack of variety extends also to the levels - whilst many are beautiful, they simply offer the same assortment of ramps, rails and half-pipes etc.The flip side to this is that when you do land a big trick it's supremely rewarding, and if anything will keep you playing it's these moments. Certainly, there were times when Gamestyle punched the air with delight. While there is plenty worth considering for those stoic enough to work for it (or those needing to expand their online-enabled collection), there are greater pleasures to be had for a fraction of the friction. If you're the sort who believes that things can only be truly satisfying if you have earned them, then Amped 2 may well be what you're looking for. If however you simply want to kick back without investing several hours getting your character's skills to a playable level - before the game becomes any fun - Gamestyle knows where you should be looking