SSX (2012) Review

Every once in a while, a game leaves a lasting impression for years to come. SSX was one of those games that debuted in 2000. The game developed a cult-like following in the gaming community for being fun and different in an industry where games were starting to lean towards realism. Can SSX (2012) reclaim the glory of the originals, or will it get buried in the snow?

SSX: Deadly Descents was announced at the Spike Video Game Awards in 2010; the trailer featured a much darker turn and was criticized. A drop in the subtitle and a return to the lighter tone of past games turned skepticism into excitement. The SSX series debuted 12 years ago and is one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history. Admittedly, I had never tried an SSX game before and was curious to see if it would appeal to me, as I had never been a big fan of snowboarding games. You don’t need to be a fan. This is pure fun.

Story

SSX revolves around a central plot point for the World Tour mode (although I doubt you’ll pay much attention to it). Team SSX will attempt to master the nine Deadly Descents, each more difficult than the last. However, their former team member, Griff, wants to be the one to do it first. The story is simple enough.

SSX immerses you in the settings it’s trying to convey. So many of the different settings in this game take you out of your reality and into the game. The nine Deadly Descents are based on nine real-life mountain ranges from all over the world. Whether dodging trees in the Rockies, gasping for air in the Himalayas, or shredding in the darkness of Africa, there’s something different in every destination you visit. No matter how challenging the task is, every level is an exciting run-through of some fantastic drops.

Gameplay

The gameplay is as stellar as you could imagine. The one thing I noticed after about five hours of playing this game is that not one time did I feel as if I wasn’t in complete control of my character. The movement is fluid, and the player moves with pinpoint accuracy. This is an essential factor in a good snowboarding game; a slight miscue could mean your character’s death, and that’s a problem you don’t get with SSX. There is a classic control scheme for the series’ old-school fans. I played with both and found that I liked the modern controls a lot better. The option is nice to have, though.

Game Modes

There are three game types in the World Tour game mode: Race It, Trick It, and Survive It. As you can expect, these game modes still require you to pull off some tricks, which is where SSX (2012) shines. There’s nothing better than cruising through an entire level on one combo and watching the multiplier climb higher and higher as you do tricks off everything from helicopters to tree branches. Races make you think a little bit harder about your route. There are just so many ways to reach the finish line and so many ways to fall short.  

Survive It

And then there’s Survive It.

Get ready for the ride of your life because that’s what you’ll get each time you take on any of the Deadly Descents. Each of these nine powerhouses requires special gear to even attempt it (you can enter without it, but it’s an arduous task for even the best players). Here, you get to use things like a wingsuit, which is just brilliant and some of the most fun I’ve had in the game. Other equipment, such as a headlamp, oxygen tank, and armor, is much less exhilarating. The point of all this isn’t so much to add excitement as to add difficulty. The Deadly Descents are no walk in the park and test your precision as you fly down the hill faster than most vehicles. Oh yeah, did I mention the avalanche?!

RiderNet

RiderNet keeps track of all your progress throughout the game and your friends’ progress. Inspired by the Autolog from Need for Speed, RiderNet keeps you connected from the moment you log in to the game. For all players in constant competition with their friends, this is right up your alley, as the game will set challenges for you based on the information compiled from your friends who have the game. Multiplayer isn’t included in the most traditional form of SSX. Global Events are constantly being updated by EA, allowing you to pop in whenever you like and post a high score. The cool thing is that anyone else doing the same challenge will pop up on the mountain with you. You can still get all your buddies together for a custom event, so it’s not like SSX is missing anything. In fact, for a snowboarding game, I like how this multiplayer works better than the traditional sense.

Presentation

The music, in one word, is fantastic. A wide range of genres is represented, and it’s a great mix. There’s also a nice feature that isn’t widely publicized, which is the auto-remix feature. This feature remixes songs as you play the game and even works with your custom soundtracks, which is impressive. The graphics are equally outstanding, with great lighting and detail throughout.

Final Thoughts

SSX (2012) is a great experience, and I encourage anybody who is on the fence about it to go out and buy it. You will not regret it. You can load up the game on your console and thoroughly enjoy it.