SSX 3 review

Conquer the mountain, then. Gamestyle has been awaiting the second sequel to SSX for some time now, and amid the huge avalanche of hype and 90% scores, the Xbox version has finally landed on our doorstep - to unmitigated applause from those of us that like our sports games just that little bit more extreme than FIFA. First impressions are positive: SSX 3 boasts the same level of presentation associated with the EA BIG series, and while it's not as hip as the menu system seen in NBA Street 2, at least it's easier to navigate than Tricky's bloated, graphics-heavy system.Speaking of navigation, it's here that the game starts to feel overbearing. Whether you choose the full-on Conquer The Mountain mode or the Single Event option, on first play you're given just one of three peaks of the mountain to assail. Though it might not sound like a lot, each peak has a number of runs, routes and game modes associated with it. Race mode is obvious, but there are others such as Big Air (a mini-competition down a few ramps) and Slope Style (more like the THPS school of discipline); fine in principle, but it's a somewhat messy interface having to 'board down the mountain following all the signs to find the event you want. Yet this is offset by an even more unintuitive 'Transport' menu after any particular event (even the sound, control and save game menu options are hidden away in the slope's Lodge).The sound though, is incredible. Boasting the first THX Certification yet heard in a game, the production is absolutely through the roof: board-to-snow sound samples are crisp, clear and well-spaced, the DJ sounds authentic and interested, and the character voices are varied and decently-acted. The very best fillip though, comes with the music. SSX 3 uses a similar style of music processing as that found in the last game (and other BIG titles such as NBA Street 2); the better the player is doing, the more of the soundtrack you'll hear. This isn't just an afterthought. There's nowt more thrilling than hearing the bass drop off Fat Boy Slim's "Don't Let The Man Get You Down" as you jump off the lip of a halfpipe - only to hear everything slam back in twice as hard when you hit the snow after a 900. Excellent stuff, and the music choice is consistent throughout.It's a step up graphically, too. Most areas of the mountain run at a lovely 60 frames per second (although the built-up city areas stutter like crazy during a race), and there's plenty of eye candy going on - fireworks explode around you, and the cloud effects are every bit as good as they were last time around. Thankfully, the texture quality has improved a little too; there's less obvious bump-mapping and the snow in general appears much more realistic (deep, light snow sprays up behind you and your board sparks little chips of ice on the shallow hard stuff). Characters look far better-modelled, they animate more convincingly, and there's just a better sense of contact between the board and the run. Essentially, then, SSX 3 looks great (given its PlayStation 2 roots).Sadly though, it's not all good. SSX 3 features somewhat confusing control mechanisms; the initial 'Default' mode plays in a similar fashion to Tricky's 'Pro' setting, but forces you to use both the analogue stick and the directional pad for both turning and spinning respectively (with pre-winding the tricks not nearly as necessary). SSX 3's 'Pro' mode turns this around completely though, moving jump to the right trigger and using all 4 face buttons for grabs; a strange choice for sure, and whilst Gamestyle appreciates the new manual-style board press moves (to link combos whence on snow), they're performed with the right thumbstick; and the new hand plant is assigned to the black and white buttons. In effect, then, this means every button on the controller is used, and that's not a good thing in a game like this. Rather than adapt the controls from the last game (which worked great) and work the new moves in - as Neversoft manage each iteration with the evolving Hawk engine - EA have just lazily used more buttons. You do adapt (eventually), but it's a clunky first couple of hours.The mountain runs can be somewhat bipolar in their approach, too - anyone expecting three versions of Tricky's Untracked level will be disappointed; there's just too much going on throughout each course to give a real feeling of open-ended design, and the sections of the game that require you to outrun or outscore your nemesis character might well show off some incredible data-streaming technology (and depth of vision), but the course is so busy that 10 minutes later your head will be in a spin as the bumps, ledges and jumps don't let up for a second. Praise must be given to the variety, though - despite there technically being only one mountain, the three various peaks and different runs do offer some exciting moments; massive plunges through deep fog being particular highlights. It's just a shame that the level design wasn't taken down a notch in places, which would have then offered players a more "Amped" feel about the depth of the tracks, and would've kept the game more grounded (if you'll excuse the oxymoron).That said, there's certainly a challenge to be had here, and some longevity even with the omission of online play, given the sheer amount of stuff to find and do (despite the fact that most of the challenges will remain unfound for most players). Collect 'em up fans will appreciate the collectable cards, toys and posters that gradually appear throughout the playing time, and the scope for improving your rider's skills, tricks and stats goes well beyond the Extreme Sports norm. Gamestyle would have preferred a more progressive method of ability levelling (a la Tony Hawk Underground), but as it is the 'buy-stats' system seems to work just fine. Whilst not offering a huge amount over what's already gone before, SSX 3 keeps itself firmly within arcade boundaries of play (and as such, leaves Amped 2 and 1080 2 to cover the more sim-based side of mechanics) and is therefore a welcome addition to the genre if you're into arcade snowboarding. If you've got Tricky, you'll find more of the same without the clarity of the level design and structure - but if you're new to the series and just want some fast action, you'll probably love everything there is about it, so enjoy!