SSX Review

SSX Review
SSX, extreme snowboarding title, is proposed as a new benchmark for the category, offering a menu of all to conquer rugged mountain ranges to the sound of tricks! The peculiar characteristic of the series has always been the spectacle of extreme stunts performed by snowboarders, and this new SSX is proof that there was still room for improvement, allowing them to bring back, in this early 2012, a type of game that some time is not overlooked on our console.

Apparently it must be time to reboot at Electronic Arts, because after Syndicate here is another historical game emerge from the mists of the past, but all in all others. The last true SSX appeared only in 2005 (without taking into account Blur, not too convincingly edition released in 2007 for the Wii). On closer inspection, however, we are talking about a geological era when we consider the pace of the current market. It is probably for this reason that the EA Canada team has thought of starting from scratch: no subtitles, no reference to the past. As the first SSX conquered the early adopters of the PlayStation 2 back in 2000, so the new SSX is ready to enthrall gamers of today with a healthy dose of magic snow made in EA!

The storyline is a mere pretext for forcing you to skip footer of snowboarding, winning nine of the most impressive of the massive snow-covered world. From lethal descent of Siberia, through Patagonia, South Africa, the U.S. Rocky Mountains and a series of wonderful places to visit at full speed! The challenge for the SSX team has to be the first to tame the most daring descents of these mountains, in direct competition with a former member of the same team that launched the gauntlet. The cast of characters, including new and old favorites coming back to ride the snowy slopes, is introduced gradually during the World Tour mode, starting in the role of the eccentric Zoe. From time to time there scontrerete with athletes who, if defeated, will become part of the range of playable characters.

The main game mode is the aforementioned World Tour, which will put you in front of three types of competitions: Trick Race Events and Survival. Starting to play this mode you will be welcomed by the in-game tutorial that before, will instruct you step by step on how to take full advantage of satisfying the control system, that with the pressure sequentially and / or combination of keys will allow you to create an inordinate amount of stunts and holds. All of choosing between two types of approach, one classical and the other based on using the right analog stick. The choice is yours, because both provide the best results.

Also during the tutorial you will be introduced to use the Rewind feature that allows you to correct many errors of assessment of the trajectory. The cost you pay to rewind the time will be a good portion of the score is slightly accumulated, not to mention the fact that the time for the other participants will continue to flow easily. Familiarize yourself with the control system is essential to put down the snow board and go exactly where you want, because the tracks are much larger than previous editions, allowing great freedom of choice on the paths to follow (unless, of course, the restrictions will be imposed for reasons of gameplay). Store tracks will be a practice often necessary, but also experiment with new roads will be profitable, especially in view of the Geotag collecting, collectibles in the form of snow crystals.

The mechanism of realization of the points is admirably balanced and designed to trick you into a reckless gambling behavior and always at the limit! You assume that the points that totals concatenating vaulting, grab and grind, and more stunts able to score, the more boost you get. Just the boost you need to jump higher, increasing the inlet velocity on the ramps and concatenating them even more acrobatics in the air! The speed with which manage to score points is related to the activation of Tricky mode, which provides for its entire duration of a reserve of infinite boost and a multiplier of the score is always higher. Learn to exploit the environment to your advantage and remember that help keep the grind up the multiplier.

One of the innovative features of this new equipment SSX is customizable, based on a variable amount of slots to which you can assign upgrades or real gadgets such as staples from ice to further tighten the curves, bib and wing surfaces to planar Long after a jump, even strengthened protections for out unscathed from the inevitable and fatal collision with tree trunks in the most extreme slopes! Obviously, one of the customizations, were also included those that are purely aesthetic, involving combinations of colors of the suit. Much more useful, if not indispensable, new snowboards that differ according to the values ​​of Speed, Boost and Tricks, rilevandosi more or less appropriate depending on the type of race.

Some of the more challenging descents will necessarily be addressed with the right equipment, that will change the value for your survival rate, always reported in the lower left of the screen pre-race. Some tracks can also be addressed with a low survival rate, but the right equipment is essential to getting the best scores. The most demanding races in the world are those defined Survive it!, Whose name says it all. During these down can fall into ravines, or be swept away by avalanches! Crucial to remember the Rewind function, that on such occasions, however, is limited in the number of uses, obbligandovi not to abuse it.

Emerge victorious from competition Survive it! and the conquest of the mighty snow-covered will be complete. You will unlock new mountains around the planet and will only lead you to your intuition in the next zone. The challenge for the conquest of the nine mountain ranges will strive for a while 'time and you can still get at will, via the Explore mode, to compete for the leadership of the highest score or fastest descent. Each milestone will be stored on your servers thanks to EA RiderNet, which also will track the results of your buddies, as well as all snowboarders worldwide. The operation is comparable to that dell'Autolog of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.

As for the multiplayer mode is not a classically recognizable as such, but you can vent your desire for direct comparison with Global Events: a wide range of challenges, constantly proposed, where you have to beat your best time or highest score . As you get off at full speed along the walls of a snowy mountain, other players participate simultaneously in the same event! Overall, the challenges constantly thrown by your friends via RiderNet, combined with the wide range of Global Events, are largely a buffer for those who are always looking for excitement online.

Technically we are faced with a dilemma, because SSX, despite being a well made game, has fashioned something inherently characterizing the graphics. Just look at the character models to realize that, despite the smooth animations and good polygon count, lack sophisticated graphic effects such as physics applied to clothing or hair. Here, the graphics of SSX appears crude by the standards of today's high-end products. This, I repeat, does not mean it's a bad game to watch, indeed! The snowy slopes of SSX and the views are breathtaking and the game shows no signs of slowing down in any case. The fact remains that the stylistic EA Canada proves to have something old in January

The accompanying sound, on the other hand, is absolutely flawless, with an enviable track listing of license, as befits a team game of Electronic Arts. Renowned artists alternate, creating a bubble diverse sound that ranges between different sound. The icing on the cake mix is ​​offered by the system in real time, called Harmony, which is responsible to remix the audio tracks (both standard and custom) in tune with the action on screen! For all fans of old date, then, was incorporated in the list of songs including "It's Tricky" by Run-DMC, appropriately revised by Pretty Lights.

Ultimately SSX is a powerful way, just as the mountains that you propose to win, well balanced and rewarding to play. A perfect reboot of the series that lays itself open to criticism only aesthetic, but that does not have a valid reason to not end up directly in your playroom.


SSX PLAYSTATION 3
SSX Xbox 360