SSX 3 – PS2 – Review

Flying down the peak, the
snowboarder jumps into the air and spins around three times.  He grabs the
board from several locations, switching seamlessly between each move like it
was a natural reflex.  Crossing the finish line in record time creates an
overabundance of excitement from the audience.  Everyone is amazed by what
this guy has done.  But all you can say is, "His form was a little off."

SSX 3, the snowboarding game
where reality meets fiction and fiction meets a world that has never been
explored before.  There are few words that can describe some of the intense
moments you’ll encounter in this game.  One word would be surreal.  You jump
off a cliff and prepare to dive under a bridge.  Just as you are about to
reach the bridge a train comes out of nowhere and flies down the track.  You
couldn’t hit the train, at least not in this circumstance.  Yet you still feel
slightly tense by what just happened.  It’s the coolest feeling.  Games are
rarely surprising enough to do that anymore.

EA took a risk with SSX 3
and it paid off.  They made the basic gameplay mechanics (like riding a rail)
extremely easy to pull off.  The reason is not to make the game weaker, but to
make it easier to get into.  Then they can counter the easy mechanics with
tough races to beat and even tougher high scores to achieve.  I recently
played Tony Hawk’s Underground for a few minutes and it appears to be doing
the same thing: easier mechanics, harder goals.  Right now this seems like the
way to go for extreme sports games.

Not too much has changed
as far as the trick system goes.  You can still grab the board and spin in
crazy (but humanly possible) ways.  Newcomer Allegra doesn’t add too much to
the game, but it is cool having another boarder to look at.  If the name
Allegra rings a bell, you might be thinking of an allergy medicine.  In SSX 3,
Allegra is a female boarder with a laid back attitude.  She looks kind of like
Avril Lavigne, with similar clothing and an unhappy look on her face.

SSX 3 is a great example
of a sequel that gives gamers what they want.  The new levels are unbelievably
awesome!  They’re gorgeous to look at, and their design is pure EA; the best
of the best that only these developers could make.  There are multiple visible
paths to take in each course, along with several hidden paths.  When found,
the hidden paths give you the chance to take the lead by skipping some of the
lengthier parts of the course.  Some are obvious, but most will only be found
by searching or by luck.  So good luck!

Furthering the game’s
realism (or should I say surrealism?) is how you navigate each peak in the
game.  There are three peaks, each one including races, freestyle and other
challenges.  You can go deeper into the game by merely completing the races,
but you won’t be able to beat it if you don’t learn how to perform tricks
well.

To go from one peak to
the next, you hop into a plane, fly toward the starting point for the race
(the computer controls the flying), and jump to your death!  Well, not
exactly.  You won’t die in this game.  You can’t, its just not that kind of
game.  But these risky moves are riding a bike for these pros.  You jump out
of the plane, land safely onto the snow and board yourself to either the race
or the lodge.  The lodge is where you save the game, buy new equipment, and
upgrade your character’s stats.  Like equipment, stats cost money.  Money is
earned by performing tricks successfully.  A half-complete trick just won’t
do.  A piece of a combo could work as long as the piece is one whole trick.
Otherwise you’re out of luck.

As mentioned before, this
game is very intense at times.  It’s also very fast (all the time), and never
fails to be exciting.  I’ve played dozens of snowboarding games over the years
(I would have played hundreds but there just aren’t enough to go around), and
none of them can compare to the SSX series.  It started out great as a
PlayStation 2 launch title.  It got a little better with SSX Tricky.  Now the
developers have polished the gameplay to the point where only some new,
innovative feature could make it better. 

SSX 3’s graphics nearly
took my breath away.  The snow alone is as good as it gets on this
generation.  It clumps together very realistically, moving in an appropriate
fashion as you push your way through.  Bright colors are used to light up
various parts of each course, showing off great lighting effects that are
actually impressive enough to mention.  There are so many little elements, so
many tiny things to see that you’ll end up seeing more and more each time you
race through each course.  This game has replay value on par with Tony Hawk so
you’ll definitely see each course more than once.

You don’t have to be a
fan of snowboarding to love this game.  Its deep gameplay will turn gamers
into addicts for hours.  The courses are a triple A – awesome, awesome,
awesome!  The gameplay is really fast and is accessible to gamers of varying
skill levels.  This is a must-have game for anyone who loves games that are
just too good to put down.

Reviewer’s Scoring Details

Gameplay: 9.4
Dizzyingly good!
SSX 3 has more than I ever hoped for.  The single-player modes are so deep and
involving that you may never want to let your friends know you have it.  If
they know, they’ll want to come over and play.  If they don’t, you can
continue playing the only snowboarding game that will never make you feel
bored.

The
high-speed intensity of the races, and the surreal-ness of the triggered
events make this the most astonishing snowboarding game of them all.  Its
graphics will dazzle your eyes, and its music will (sometimes) entertain your
ears while the gameplay makes your brain happier than Twizzler’s makes your
mouth.

The
gameplay is easy enough to pick up and learn to play in a matter of minutes,
but hard enough to keep you below the master level for a very long time.  Add
this one to your Christmas list ASAP.

Graphics: 9.3
I think EA could
single-handedly win every award for best-looking game this year.  They’ve got
the best-looking sports game (Madden 2004), the best-looking racer (Need For
Speed Underground.  Trust me – you’ll be blown away), the best-looking console
FPS (Medal of Honor: Rising Sun), and the best-looking extreme sports game!

Sound: 7.9
Three decent punk
rock songs, some techno and some rap.  The new trend in game soundtracks is to
include a radio feature that’s intended to mimic that of a real station.
Grand Theft Auto brought this idea to everyone’s attention, and thus far,
they’ve done it the best.

SSX 3’s soundtrack lacks
the star power of Madden 2004.  Considering how big this game could
potentially be, it should have had Moby as their lead techno artist, not
Fatboy Slim.

Difficulty: Medium
A few years ago
this game would have probably received a hard difficulty rating.  But I’m more
experienced at snowboarding games now, and SSX 3 is easier to get into than
the previous games.  Still very tough to master though.

Concept: 9
It’s not often
that a third game in a series is this good.  It’s not an entirely new game,
but it’s so polished that I can’t help but praise it.

Multiplayer: 8.5
You got
broadband?  Then go online and play against a friend!  You got dial-up?  Then
go online and play against a friend!  SSX 3 does not discriminate between
Internet users.  Regardless of the connection you have, you’ll be able to jack
in with SSX 3.  (Note: AOL is supported.)

Overall: 9.4
SSX 3 is super
satisfying and is extremely fun.  The gameplay is as good as snowboarding
games come.  You won’t find a better game in the genre, not on PS2, Xbox or
GameCube.

You’ll be surprised by
how fast the game moves.  This too is an advantage over the competition.
Whichever console you have, or whichever console you prefer, pick a version
and tell Santa to put it under your tree.  Or, while you’re out shopping for
candles or some other gift you (hope) your aunt will like, you could treat
yourself to one heck of a present: SSX 3.  When the bitter cold weather comes
in and makes life seem dull and boring, there’s no place I’d rather be than in
front of a TV with a cup of hot chocolate, a PlayStation 2 and SSX 3.