If you haven't guessed from the title or image, I've been playing the new SSX game, which has an original soundtrack composed solely by blenders. I'm not a fan of dubstep, but I am a huge fan of SSX and invested ridiculous amounts of time into SSX Tricky on my PS2, so naturally I picked up SSX on my PS3, even if I rarely buy games at a price higher than $40.
For those who are not familiar with SSX, the whole series is about going fast on a mountain, and defying gravity. The games are known for their goofy presentation, over-the-top tricks and wacky characters. Tricky and SSX3, and often considered some of the best sports games ever made. The games often have a race mode and a trick mode, which are pretty self explanatory. Trick It is to get as much points as possible, and Race It is to win a race. The fun comes from the ways you can get down the mountain. There are tons of shortcuts and collectables on each of the mountains in the series. The other major factor are the often goofy and strange characters, such as the Eddie, the young afroman.
The game follows SSX tradition by being about break-neck speeds, and gravity-defying tricks. The game is the most faithful SSX game since SSX 3, but has still lost some of its "fun" side. The game is still a blast, but it's no longer as goofy as the original. It's trying too hard to appeal to the current generation of kids with it's dubstep soundtrack, "realistic" aesthetics, and edgy Survive It mode, the game only suffers slightly. The game also feels a bit loose, and easy. It is very difficult to miss a trick or fall off of a rail. The game is still good fun, but there are several problems that I have to look at in more detail.
My main gripe with the game is the difficulty. It's still somewhat difficult to get a gold on every mountain, but the controls feel much more game assisted. I rarely ever fell off my board while doing a trick, and when I did, it was always because I slammed into a wall for aiming my jump wrong. You don't really have to time your tricks anymore, you just have to let go before you reach the ground. It makes the races quicker, but it also kind of ruins the fun of the game. If I'm not timing a trick right, I expect to be punished, not rewarded. The same rule can be applied to the new grind system. It is impossible to fall off a rail in this game. It does make the races quicker, but I can't help but feel the game has become too easy to play for it. Once on a rail, you're on it until you choose to get off, there is no balance to manage. It makes the creation of long lines, and high combo's far too easy.
There is also the soundtrack, which has removed all electro, hip-hop and punk, and replaced it with dubstep. This is clearly a move to appeal to this generation of kids, but for my ears, it is just a terrible soundtrack. After I had a few listens I used the handy custom soundtrack option and made my own out of the soundtrack of previous SSX games and Jet Set Radio. The new interface, and character designs are no longer fun and goofy like they use to be. All of the character look pretty generic, and have colour swapped outfits. I believe this is again to appeal to this generation of "serious" gamers, but I can't help but feel the game suffers from the lack of wacky charm Tricky and 3 had. This a nitpick, but I do feel the game suffers slightly from it. If they went a more Amped 3 like route, where they embraced the insanity of the game, it would have benefited.
There are the same race and trick modes that I mentioned earlier, but the elephant in the room is the Survive It mode. Survive It mode is about getting down a slope alive. They discourage you from doing tricks or going to fast because you can die. Once you add death into an SSX game, you may as well call it quits. Besides the gliding suit, it just not fun. It's not fun having to manage a health bar, or your oxygen levels. It's just boring and frustrating when you have to restart a whole mountain because you crashed into a wall and died. It also goes against everything the series stands for. The series is supossed to be fast, crazy, and goofy, but Survive It is none of these things. Thankfully it does not come up in the game too often, but it really does hinder the experience.
The multiplayer is an odd thing. There is no tradtitional multiplayer, but oyu can race a friends ghost. I was hesitant at first, but it did grow on me and I found myself constantly racing for top spot on my leaderboard, trying to beat my friends current times, or defending my honour. The online is the saving grace of the game, and provides hours of entertainment, trying to stay at the top of ladder.
Overall the game is still fun to play, but it does feel subpar compared to the other games in the series. It would have benefited if they stuck with the old formula, instead of trying to appeal to people who never played the original games. I would recommend the game if you know people who are also playing it, because the online is what makes the game worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment