Review: SSX

The 2012 reboot of the SSX franchise is, to put it simply, a good ole fashioned thrill ride, and also my first foray into the series. Developed by EA Canada, SSX really puts your reflexes to the test in a number of nightmarish and physics defying ways… the snowpocalypse will crush you if you’re not careful.

SSX is loosely based around the story of two rivalling teams (I wonder how many of you sighed at the word “story”). The single player aspect basically breaks down to Team SSX Vs Griff Simmons in a race to overcome the nine Deadly Descents of the world. However, before you can even dream of setting foot on the likes of Mont Blanc, EA Canada requires you to build yourself up to the task, practice if you will. Each location, the Alps, Siberia, Himalayas, Africa, Alaska, New Zealand, the Rockies, Patagonia and Antarctica, requires you to participate in at least four smaller events before throwing you to the snow leopards (the lions don’t like the cold). You’ll be tasked with completing a Trick It course, a Race It and finally a Survive It; the Deadly Descent itself. One event in particular will introduce a new piece of Gear that will allow you to survive the descents, each new location introducing its own.  To name a few, you’ll have to master the Wing Suit (arguably the most fun), Oxygen Tank, Pulse Goggles, Armour, Headlamp, Ice Axes and a Solar Panel.

While something like a character creator is sorely missed in this game, one good thing about SSX is its abundance of characters. Upon meeting, each individual character is introduced by a comic strip, each providing a brief back story and a glimpse of their personalities. Outside of the introductions however, each character seems very two dimensional, it almost makes the effort put into those comic book strips redundant. Sure, you’ll hear a snippet “boy ya!” or “right on!” but at the end of the day all that is just stereotypical boarder speak. Putting all that aside, the choice of character and their different perks is nice.

If you’re a veteran of the SSX franchise then it’s safe to say that you will be at an advantage. The controls aren’t too difficult to get used to but, depending on whether you side with Sticks or Buttons, they can take some time to master. This will become evident when tackling the Trick It courses. As with the beginning of most games, SSX provides a tutorial. Said tutorial gives you the choice of learning the Button tricks or the Stick tricks. In essence all the tricks are the same except for how they are input. The Buttons seem to be the easiest method of performing tricks, with A, B, X, and Y (or the PlayStation equivalent) assigned with their own individual trick. You can string together decent combos as well as perform more impressive tricks by combining button presses. On the other side of the proverbial scale are the Stick tricks. Slightly more complex, this method of controlling your snow loving avatar is unadvisable. It would have you swivelling your thumb sticks left, right and every which way.

While it’s true that SSX doesn’t have a typical head-to-head multiplayer, it is still very competitive. How you ask? Two words, leaderboards and ghosts. Through EA’s RiderNet you can track the times, scores, medals and badges that your friends have earned on any and all course in the game. The Badge system in SSX encourages players to challenge their friends and beat their scores and times.  You also gain Badges for completing certain tasks throughout a race, like for successfully performing particular tricks or beating certain characters within the single player courses. You can also earn additional Badges through SSX’s Explore mode. Essentially it is a free race mode that gives you access to all the course. As well as this there are the Global Events. This is a place where you compete for in-game credits with riders from across the globe. You’re rated and ranked, with your scores then put on display for other to challenge and beat. Each event has a time window in which you can compete so if this sounds like your sort of thing then it’s recommended that you keep an eye on the timer.

While it could be argued that the addition of a competitive head-to-head multiplayer in a game like SSX would be greatly beneficial, it’s not one hundred per cent necessary. For the type of game SSX is, it would never be able to hold an audience down with its multiplayer like games such as Call of Duty. So, when it comes down to it, EA Canada made the right choice by featuring a smaller, low level multiplayer, its perfect for a snowboarding game.

Over the last few years, EA titles have a gained certain reputation. To put it simply, EA make games with good music. Of course, this is subjective to what sort of genres of music you may be interested in, but it’s hard to deny the effort EA puts into their track lists when the majority of gamers have seem satisfied. In SSX’s case, it’s all over the place. The game generally incorporates a wide variety of bass music, dubstep as well as drum & bass, a few recognisable artists on the track list would be the likes of Nero and Skrillex. If SSX’s musical offering isn’t cool enough for you (see what I did there?) then you’ll also have the option to implement your own personal music into the game via songs and playlists stored on your console. In a bid to appease the ‘old school’ fans, SSX also features Run-D.M.C’s Tricky (remixed by Pretty Lights). You’ll be gifted with those famous lyrics only if you’re good enough to achieve a high enough combo.

In closing, SSX is a great game. It does requires some patience and a lot of practice but, most importantly, it’s so worth it!

8/10