Amped 3 is a highly original take on a sports genre that needed a boost.
Although the graphics of the game are great, it's really the way the visuals work that make them so impressive. The cut-scenes use a mix of puppetry, anime, cut-and-paste, and scrap-booking, and it actually works quite well, especially with the manic tone of the story. The in-game visuals don't push many boundaries, but they do look good. However, certain issues do crop up with certain textures, especially when close to rocks or certain trees. At close range, these textures can look downright ugly.
The gameplay of Amped 3 has departed from its unforgiving forefathers, opting instead to focus less on realism and more on style. Tricks are relatively easy to pull off, although this gamer had a hard time figuring out how to use new tricks unlocked via different events throughout the game. That leads me to my major gripe with this game. The tutorials given teach you the basics of the game, but go little further than that. No explanation is given as to why you'd want to collect the game's "bling," or what money can do for you in the game. Other unlockables, such as new sleds, are not given an explanation either, instead leaving you to guess at how to use those unlockables.
Other than that minor gripe, the gameplay is fast, loose, and fun. It's also varied, which helps give the game some sustenance. Not only can you snowboard, but you'll also sled and snowmobile. While the sledding and snowmobiling aren't as fleshed out as the snowboarding, they are still amusing. In a nice touch, you can also use the snowmobile to quickly reach areas you might have missed with the snowboard.
There is a story in this game, but honestly, you'll be watching it more for the sheer amusement of the cut-scenes than anything. While the story itself is fairly weak, the individual cut-scenes are nothing if not brilliant.
Soundwise, the game is a mixed bag. The voice work here is great, given how crazy the game allows its characters to become. The sound effects sound good, but rarely stand out. The same goes with the music. With over a hundred tracks, there's bound to be something there that you'll enjoy, but you'll be hard-pressed to find it. The primarily indie music can be great one minute and horrible the next, but it really depends on your taste.
Give this game a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you'll become addicted to its gameplay and its crazy cut-scenes.