Launch Station: SSX

Well it is the calm before the storm.  This week has quite a few big releases such as Binary Domain, Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition and the game featured in this Launch Station, SSX, but next Tuesday will be insane.  We got Mass Effect 3, Street Fighter X Tekken, MLB 2K12, MLB 12: The Show, Unit 13 for PSV and few more that I can't remember at the moment.  Next Tuesday will see the release of close to ten games.  Gamers better get ready March 6th, 2012 will be a day to remember.  We are still a week away so let us stay in the here and now and take a look at the high-anticipated return of SSX.

It has been close to five years since SSX has graced a video game console.  Originally EA introduced SSX's first foray into the current-gen consoles as the gritty looking SSX: Deadly Descents (or SSX: Black Ops as fans named it).  After a lot of backlash from fans, EA changed the name to simply SSX and got rid of the dark grittier direction in favour of a lighter tone more in line with past entries of the SSX series.  For returning fans, the gameplay is the same as previous entries in the series.  Take control of one of many snowboarders as you snowboard down a mountain successfully preforming tricks, which builds build your Tricky meter that allows you to perform more intricate tricks, that all builds your score and earns you more money to buy gear and other characters.  For the new SSX, EA Canada has pulled all the stops as they have used geotagging data from NASA to create 27 realistic mountains and 9 realistic peaks from the Canadian Rockies to the Himalayans for the game.  SSX offers a rather simple single player mode as you take the role of a member on Team SSX having to compete in snowboard events in order to earn respect and money for your team.  The Deadly Descents that were mentioned in the original subtitle for SSX are actually in the game.  These Deadly Descents serve as boss battles testing your different snowboarding abilities.  For those not into snowboarding solo, you can play SSX online or asynchronously with friends through SSX's version of Need for Speed's Autolog called RiderNet.  Much like in the recent Need for Speed games, when you post a high score or any other achievement in the game it is sent to all your friends as a challenge.  If they beat your high score, you are sent challenges from them, but if they do not, you will receive money to be used on unlockables for your game.

Being a fan of SSX 3 from the last generation of consoles, I have been looking forward to SSX since EA showed off the new lighter tone back at last year's E3.  After playing the demo, I am very much excited to play SSX as it looks like the series has not skipped a beat since it last showed up on home consoles.  The snowboarding is smooth, the tricks are easy to pull of, the animation is fluid and overall it looks to be one fun ride.  For those who have waited to get there hands on a new SSX game for a long time or fans of sports games in general, SSX looks to be the game for you.  For everybody else, download the demo and see what you think.  You might be surprised how SSX's cartoony graphics and polished gameplay pulls you in.