AniAko
08-30-2011, 07:34 PM
EA gave a taste of what their new SSX title would be like with a pre-alpha gameplay trailer just days ago, so I was surprised to get my hands on a playable demo at PAX. It wasn't a big booth, definitely smaller than I expected the re-emergence of a franchise due out within months. However, what they had was beautiful; it was fast, ran smooth, and felt like a polished product.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6192/6098637430_5c5f2f280e_m.jpg
One of the men working the booth was trying to explain how the controls worked as I shot down the mountain, but he couldn't explain fast enough. He was interrupting himself with "Just press this here to... you got it... nice", a testament to how sometimes leaving a good thing alone is best. The controls are familiar, if not entirely the same, which can be said about many aspects of the game. The response was tight and the hang-time felt just the same as I remember it. The demo on the whole was everything you'd expect it to be.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6088/6098630428_57a345188e_z.jpg
What is supposed to set this installment of SSX apart from its predecessors is the online capabilities, a first for SSX. The big difference in this SSX title is the permeation of ghost riders throughout the game. As I raced in the demo, I was able to see the previous ghosts from other runs. I found it helpful, not only in judging my time in the race, but also on my location on the mountain; all too often I was able to find those great lines I discovered and carved previously. The ghosting functionality is also meant to be a major component in online play. When racing in large events, the most relevant ghosts will be shown on your screen: gamers on your friends list, players closest to your position on the mountain, and leaders.
jE1y-4rTgf8
The idea behind "Survive-It" mode in SSX is to literally survive the elements and the mountain itself, so EA throws everything mother nature has at you: whiteouts, altitude sickness, avalanches, and the darkness of night. You don't have to face them alone though as progress in the game unlocks new equipment. Not only new boards, but actual equipment to battle the elements: infrared goggles for whiteouts, wingsuit for extending hang-time, oxygen mask for high altitude, and a head lamp for night boarding. All these things on top of a solid game base, SSX stands to best itself.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6192/6098637430_5c5f2f280e_m.jpg
One of the men working the booth was trying to explain how the controls worked as I shot down the mountain, but he couldn't explain fast enough. He was interrupting himself with "Just press this here to... you got it... nice", a testament to how sometimes leaving a good thing alone is best. The controls are familiar, if not entirely the same, which can be said about many aspects of the game. The response was tight and the hang-time felt just the same as I remember it. The demo on the whole was everything you'd expect it to be.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6088/6098630428_57a345188e_z.jpg
What is supposed to set this installment of SSX apart from its predecessors is the online capabilities, a first for SSX. The big difference in this SSX title is the permeation of ghost riders throughout the game. As I raced in the demo, I was able to see the previous ghosts from other runs. I found it helpful, not only in judging my time in the race, but also on my location on the mountain; all too often I was able to find those great lines I discovered and carved previously. The ghosting functionality is also meant to be a major component in online play. When racing in large events, the most relevant ghosts will be shown on your screen: gamers on your friends list, players closest to your position on the mountain, and leaders.
jE1y-4rTgf8
The idea behind "Survive-It" mode in SSX is to literally survive the elements and the mountain itself, so EA throws everything mother nature has at you: whiteouts, altitude sickness, avalanches, and the darkness of night. You don't have to face them alone though as progress in the game unlocks new equipment. Not only new boards, but actual equipment to battle the elements: infrared goggles for whiteouts, wingsuit for extending hang-time, oxygen mask for high altitude, and a head lamp for night boarding. All these things on top of a solid game base, SSX stands to best itself.