Amped 2 : Web Wombat : Games

Before you can say 'not another bloody snowboard game' and proceed to attack your body with a dusty copy of Cool Boarders, unfurrow those brows, readers, 'coz this ain't yer average snow-carving hoe-down.

While it is true that there are many snowboard games out there that are fun to play, few capture the essence of what snowboarding is - the vibe if you like - and manage to employ a truly satisfying and realistic gaming experience that both serious snowboarders newcomers to the sport can take pleasure in.

The original Amped game was quite well received as one of the Xbox's launch titles, and while some sequels are often more of the same with slightly better graphics, Amped 2 is what I would term a "fully-sick" sequel.

Why? Well, that's an easy question to answer Reginald. It brings new features to the table, such as snow skating, new objectives, more mountains, longer runs, new moves, more customisability and online play.

But before I get ahead of myself, let's start from the top. At the main menu, after watching a pulse-pounding intro made of up some impressive boarding footage, you can create a profile, and after this you can go to the options screen and customise the soundtrack, change the control scheme, enter cheats and tweak the Xbox Live experience.

From here you'll get to sample "The Five Flavours" as the manual describes them, which are Free Ride, Career, Just Ride, Session and XSN Sports.

Most are self explanatory, with Sessions allowing you to fully customise contests (solo or with multiple players), while the Career offers heaps of variety and is one of the better extreme sports versions on the theme, while also being very lengthy, which I liked.

The visuals are often mesmerising, with forests,
frozen rivers and deep valleys to get lost in

In this mode, you'll start the game ranked fairly low in the world, and by completing challenges and unlocking new levels and busting out high scores you'll increase in profile, with the ultimate aim being to nab the #1 spot.

From a completely aesthetic viewpoint, Amped 2 is a resounding success. To start with, the sound effects - while not pushing the envelope - do their job well.

The swooshy sounds the snowboards make as they glide through the snow can tell you whether you're riding on packed, groomed snow or the driest pow-pow you've never experienced.

Other notable sound bytes include the exhalation of air, or "urrrg--hoooooomph…" the boarders make when they hit the deck with force, crashing and rolling about, and the sound heard when you land a big aerial is also quite authentic. You'll also be taunted by cameramen and other boarders if you make mistakes within earshot.

The graphics engine used on Amped 2 rather spiffy too, with an enormous draw-in range combining with an impressive particle effects system and super-smooth frame rate to offer a solid sense of really being there. The snow on show has a really effective look as well, which should bring a smile to the face of many snowsports fans.

The attention to detail is surprisingly good, particularly on the boarders themselves - the way their clothes ripple at high speeds is a nice touch, and the way riders move their bodies while boarding is quite credible, both on the snow in while tricking through the air.

Level design is above par, and every triangulated object has been lovingly coated with high res texture maps, while bump mapping that is used on snow, rocks and wood, giving the gameworld a more convincing look when compared to other titles.

Go online and you can compete against
complete strangers. Hmmm... Strangers...

Most stages or runs also have the now-obligatory 'trick' areas that have been tailor-made for mammoth combos, involving a close-knit section of jumps, grinds and tasty half pipes with which to extract mondo points - if you can find them that is.

When you're carving through the snow at high speed however, it's often hard to marvel at your own gloriousness [Quite right - Ed], which is exactly where the high quality replays come in.

Not only do all your tricks look much cooler from new perspectives, but also it lets you also appreciate the faithfully recreated environs without having to worry about upsetting your jibs (rail balance).

The gameplay in Amped 2 could be likened to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater on a number of levels, but in my book it's a more intuitive setup, but one that takes longer become proficient with.

While you can butter (manual) and grind to string grab, spin and flip moves together like in Tony Hawk, the execution is a little different.

The right thumbstick is used to perform grabs (hexi-directional), while in mid-air the same controls used for steering (left thumbstick) are used also used to spin and flip, simply by pushing in that direction while airborne.

The end result is often a more flowing experience, and the game rewards players for their style and smoothness, rather than all-out trick mongering. For instance, you get more points for landing a smooth, medium-pace 540, rather than spinning a faster 720.

There's also a new mode not seen in the original Amped game called snowskate. In a nutshell, it's basically skateboarding on the snow (but without the trucks or wheels). While snowskating your feet are not strapped into bindings like a normal snowboard, which lets you perform kick flips and other street-inspired moves.

Snowskating adds depth and
variety to the Amped 2 experience

Also in the Neversoft vein, Amped 2 rewards players with stat points, allowing you to upgrade both your player and your board in areas like air time, jump and spin.

The online aspect offered through the Xbox Live service is uniformly impressive, like most other Live games sampled I've sampled so far.

With a fairly stock standard ADSL connection in Australia, I was able to enjoy many sessions with players from all over the Americas, Europe and Asia, and though it did get laggy every now and then, the overall experience was favourable, and adds even more longevity to an already deep game.

Some other points to note about Amped 2 include the music tracks that play continuously through all loading screens and menus, which works a treat and helps stymie boredom.

Creating your player could have been beefed up somewhat, and some of the challenges in the career mode can get repetitive, but on the whole Amped 2 is one helluva brilliant snowboarding game.

With all the game modes, the multitude of mountains to explore and all the tricks to unlock, there's a lot to like about Amped 2 - it's got more depth than any other snowboarding game on offer.

Hardened snowboarders will revel in the games realism - its many nuances and pro-riding influences, such as the photo shoots, comps and snowskating - while strangers to the sport will get hooked on the smooth gameplay and massive aerials on offer.

With well-paced gameplay, superlative visuals and a clever career mode, Microsoft's latest snow sports title is an interactive indulgence. Sure, it's no substitute for the real thing, but whichever way you look at it, Amped 2 is very tidy package.

Game: Amped 2
System: Xbox
Players: 1-2
Online: Yes
Developer: Microsoft
Distributor: Microsoft

Rating: 90%

(Ratings Key/Explanation)

Amped 2 is on the shelves now.

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