Snow dudes with attitude
Although this is all great stuff, Amped 3 seems to have a much easier learning curve than the previous games. The board actually feels glued to your feet - in 2 hours of gameplay I fell over only twice. In the previous games I’d spend most of my time on my arse. Snowboarding enthusiasts may be a tad disappointed at this shift to an easier style, but for the casual gamer it’s a welcome change.
Click for larger imageFar too much emphasis is placed on developing your snowboarder avatar and gaining rewards in the game that don't translate into rewarding accomplishments. If online multiplayer were a possibility, then there might be a good reason to dress up your snowboarder in the cutest apparel. Likewise, if I got to rendezvous with my friends at my mountain condo, then there might be a reason to earn it. As is, I don't get much of a thrill by earning the "bling" rewards Amped 3 offers.
Click for larger imagePossibly the main problem with Amped 3 is the map system and challenge text. The map icons and text are barely legible and hurt your eyes immensely. The text is so small I almost grabbed those theatre binoculars that I stole a few years back in order to find my next location. I conquered the eye squinting by sitting virtually 12 inches away from the TV. The map is a huge part of the game and could have been dealt with more appropriately.
The graphics in Amped 3 are, on the whole, excellent, but perhaps not as much as we would have hoped. While the character models are great and the clothing now blows in the wind appropriately, the snow has yet to really come to life. Trees, rocks and snowboarding furniture sit on top of the snow rather than sink into it. It's a complicated problem of subtlety to simulate snow, so we can forgive this small shortcoming. In general, the graphics are very sharp and technically flawless. There are times in the game where you’ll appear to board straight through a static object such as rails. It doesn’t affect the game much but it’s one of those things that bugs the hell out of me.
Of course, Amped 3 also has a great sound: There are still dozens of tracks from a wide variety of independent musicians, which makes Amped 3 a great place to discover new music.
Pros
Fun storyline
Good learning curve
Freedom to explore
Great music
Cons
Annoying glitches
Camera angles can be annoying
Repetitive
No online play
Map System
Overall, Amped 3 delivers a decent snowboarding experience, and a great deal of repetitive fun. Think Tony Hawk’s Underground for chilled out people, albeit with snow. There are only so many ways you can disguise boarding down a slope with a new challenge title, but personally, I still love the game.
