Great game for kids, good for teens, and simple fun for the adults...
You play the part of an unknown snowboarder, who roles with one of the oddest crews I've ever seen. You and your buddies are trying earn up enough cash for a crazy vacation to Chile, only one problem...you are apparently a thief. Your vacation funds are stolen, and who is to blame? You of course. You will venture your way through the game completing challenges in order to try to earn your money back, and hopefully redeem yourself.
I like Free Roam
The mountain is your playground, as a map screen allows you to pick wherever you would like to go, whenever you would like to go there. If you feel like sticking to the story line, special indicators on the map will let you know which lift to choose, and where to head once you hit the peak to get your story on. If you feel like completely ignoring the story, go right ahead my young boarder friend. Pick a lift, and just shred your way down the mountain doing insane tricks. Nobody is rushing you here; take the game at your own pace. On top of the sometimes annoying storyline, feel free to attempt a number of challengers you will see clearly marked on the mountain map. Slalom your way through gates, impress crowds with big jumps...some challenges can definitely put your skills to the test. Complete these for some pretty sweet rewards.
Unlockables
Competing specific challenges and progressing story wise will earn you lots of new toys to play with. You can snag new boards, sleds, a ski mobile, trophies... There's an arsenal of unlockable goodies in this one folks, and it makes you want to keep playing so you can catch em all...like Pokemon...only less dumb.
But wait a second? Did I say sleds? What the hell would I need a sled for in a snowboarding game? To crash of course! Should you choose to pull out your trusty sled, you are in for a wild ride. The object is basically to perform the most vicious wipe out you can think of (large jumps work well for this). Rack up points for nasty face plants and limb smashing landings, and try to beat your personal best.
If you happen to want to do a particular challenge, and you ski your dumb self right by it, no problem, snag the snowmobile in your back pocket and zoom your way back up the mountain. No need to board all the way to a lift, just hop on your Polaris looking thing and be on your merry way. Don't forget to do some tricks on the way, as the snowmobile boasts an array of tricks much like that snow-wrecking device attached to your feet.
Completing story line challenges will lead to new sections of the mountain being unlocked. This opens new trails, and allows you to hit the “real” peak, which is grayed out upon starting the game.
What the F ?
Okay, if you have played the game, you know what's coming...if you haven't, listen up. What is going on with the cut scenes? They have got this retro 70's, bad paper animation thing going on. Bear in mind it's clear these cut scenes weren't intended to be serious. They are so stupid that some are hilarious; you can't help but laugh, a nice touch to keep the game light hearted, and entertaining at the same time. I still however think the developers are wack-jobs.
On top of the crazy cut scenes, expect some serious bad voice acting in the rest of them. Granted this is not “Clear and Present Danger”, so I will let the lack of seriousness slide here. The game emits this “Dude” aura...that's the best I can describe it. Play the game; you will see what I mean.
Realism...Bueller?...Bueller?....
Short and sweet, this is VERY MUCH an arcade style game. Don't expect serious realism here people. 2 minutes into the game I was doing double back flips with grabs, and not even coming close to crashing. You can grind on trees, grinding poles, which would never exist in the real world, even the ski lift cable. Props to whoever makes it all the way down the ski lift cable...I could not seem to do it for the life of me. If you hit a tree, most of the time you will just bounce off; good thing or I would have been squirrel food more than once.
Pretty Snow
Graphically the game is not that impressive. Boasting a very “cartoon like” atmosphere, it's tough to get that real-life look we are all looking for in the graphics department. However, I will say the snow looks and responds great. You can clearly see your character cutting edges into the snow, which is especially cool in un-groomed regions of the mountain.
“Gnarly Dude”
Man the voices in this game can get REALLY annoying. There is only so much stoned surfer talk I can take, I have limits people. Aside from this, the sounds are very arcade like, throwing in lots of random goofy sounds just for the sake of having noise. You will hear dings and boops letting you know you have hit another slalom gate, or done something mildly cool, but don't expect too much realism here either. Does this help or hurt the game? Frankly, I'm not sure. If there is a big enough fan-base for a realistic snowboarding game then I guess it's a kick in the face...but is there?
Moves are Confusing
Let me start off by saying that I'm not the most knowledgeable in the snowboarding area, so I'm not too in tune with what move is what. For instance, a particular challenge forced me to do a “Hamburger Roll” off a jump...a WHAT? I am lucky I can remember how to do a 180, never mind some kind beef accessory. The controller scheme options will let you know what the basic buttons do, but the crazy combo tricks are just plain difficult. I wonder if somebody has put out a trick list online somewhere, that would be damn useful.
Where are my achievements
If you stick to the story line only, then you can have the game beat in a matter of a long day. However, if you like to go do your own thing and ignore the story line, don't expect many achievements. There are 15 total achievements, most of which require you to stick true to the storyline. There are a few easier ones like “Travel 10 km on a snowmobile” for 30 big points, but for the most part you big ones are for completing the four acts of the game.
Multiplayer
Want to go shred the mountain with your buddies on Xbox Live?! Too bad, not gonna happen, there's no multi player. The closest you are coming to crashing sleds with a buddy is to check out their score on the leader boards. Boooooo. The game would be infinitely more fun if I could run my girlfriend into a tree in some split screen action; granted she would not fall, but it's the principle of the thing.
20 Minutes or Bust
Amped is definitely a game best played in short bursts. Everyone raves about the Live Arcade games because you are able to pick it up, play for 10-15 minutes, and put it down just as quick. Amped is the same way, there is no hugely involved storyline you have to immerse yourself in to have fun with the game. Load it up, take a few runs down the mountain, maybe crash a sled or two, and be done with it. The game will get repetitive if played for too long in a single sitting, this I promise you. If you adhere to a strict Amped diet, then you will see the replay value skyrocket. If you gorge yourself, you're gonna kill the game.
Rent or Buy?
If you have not previously owned an Amped, then this one will definitely fly below your radar and fade into nothingness. The game does not have a niche which can catapult it up to the status of COD2 or Perfect Dark Zero. It's a decent game, and you will have some fun playing it. Is it worth 50-60 bucks? Eh, not really. A long-term rental from Gamefly or another site that lets you keep is as long as you like is more than sufficient for this one. Play it, laugh at it, do a few tricks, then send it back.