G4TV

Platform: Xbox 360
Developer: Indie Built Inc.
Publisher: 2K Games
ESRB Rating: Teen

Pros: Just about anyone can play it; huge mountains to conquer; impressive soundtrack; lots to do; offbeat sense of humor
Cons: Incredibly simplistic gameplay; ho-hum graphics; has nothing in common with the previous two Amped games

VIDEO: X-Play - Amped 3 Review (Xbox 360)

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The Amped series of snowboarding games didn’t manage to steal too much thunder from EA Sports’ SSX, but the original was at least an attempt at a more realistic alternative to the flashy and commercialized series. The franchise's problem in the past was that it favored realism over fun. Amped 3, however, takes the series on a completely different run down the mountain.

Amped Who?

A sequel in name only, Amped 3 is easily the weirdest winter sports game ever made. Oddly focusing almost entirely on its single-player game, it might not be the most cutting edge title of the Xbox 360 launch, but it’s definitely one of the most distinctive. You know straight off that this isn’t a normal game when the first shot of your character is of him/her in a giant pink bunny suit on the ski lift. Your first taste of snow is riding down the hill dressed as a bunny, after which you actually get to create a non-pink look for your character.

While virtually every technical aspect of Amped 3 is solidly done, what sets the game apart is the presentation. You and your motley group of boarder friends start out on Northstar mountain ready to shred, before going on a long-awaited trip to Chile to board there until the money runs out. From here, the story gets more and more bizarre. Truly odd characters, conversations, and cinematic sequences abound in this game.

Not Quite Live, but still Lively

While Amped 3 has some basic Live functionality, it very strangely misses the boat for actual multiplayer options. This means that the focus is almost entirely on its single-player game, which for an extreme sports game, can be a huge problem. Thankfully, Amped 3’s innate weirdness is supported by a surprisingly diverse and sizable game. There are seven huge mountain resorts to explore, each with hundreds of challenges and events to take part in.

In search of the elusive element of “awesomeness,” you’ll engage in events to impress bystanders (there’s a lot of traffic on these mountains), find photo ops, and try to beat other boarders at their own game. There are also snowmobiling and sled events, which add a nice departure from the standard boarding. If you run out of pre-planned things to do, you can even build your own parks.

Pulling tricks couldn’t be easier in Amped 3, as the controls are incredibly intuitive--almost to the point of being too simple. The main focus is on pulling crazy stunts and trick combos, and it’s so easy to pull off even complex tricks here that novice players will be shredding like a pro in no time. Far easier to play than earlier Amped games, Amped 3 is the everyman snowboarder game, and is by far, the most fun game in the series.

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Tunage

The wonky, gyroscopic physics of Amped 2 are gone, thankfully, and the use of the Havok physics engine keeps the animation constantly amusing and sometimes even lifelike. The characters look great as well, and the enormous mountains are detailed, shiny, and impressive. Just the same, the graphics aren’t a huge step up from an attractive Xbox game--sure, the textures and characters are a little more detailed, but other than that, snow is still snow.

The developer, Indie Games, has gone above and beyond in the audio department. Containing a massive 300-plus different tracks, the music in the game covers as much diverse ground as the story. While the soundtrack may lack the much bigger star power that EA can afford, the huge variety of indie rock, techno, grunge, and punk tunes is impressive. The sound effects are perfectly suited to the gameplay, and the voice acting is always engaging, although the talent varies considerably.

Shocking, Electrifying, and Tasty

While other extreme sports games are becoming mired down in mediocrity with each sequel, the Amped series has managed to go the other way. Although technically competent, the earlier Amped games lacked much in the way of personality and fun, which is definitely not a problem here. Easy playability, a solid presentation, and one of the most satisfyingly off-beat and engaging storylines in any game all make Amped 3 one of the more suprising Xbox 360 launch games.