Forum Overview :: Deleted Posts :: SSX3 (PS2)

[quote name="Fussbett"]Did you like the movie Rambo 3? How about Rambo 2? Well, Rambo 2 doesn't exist because it went First Blood, Rambo: First Blood part 2, Rambo III. Much like that there is no SSX2, just SSX3. It's a really great game and it's more of the same. Great graphics, good sense of speed, fun trick system, and all that. New stuff includes a THPS influence where you now earn money which you spend on upgrading your rider, buying equipment, or even modifying the game's soundtrack more to your liking. I'm always a sucker for this easy ploy, and I guess that I'm not alone, because it's popping up in more and more games. I bought a tighter and smaller tank top for my chick, and then a gas mask so that I no longer have to look at her smirk, and there I am, totally suckered into the minutia of the game. Sure, gimme a dnL snowboard while I'm here buying useless stuff. Oh, and a headband. THERE ARE SOME BAD THINGS. Framerate on the PS2 version is all over the place, sometimes dropping right down to "fucking terrible". I was all "What, am I playing Halo PC here? (Burn)". I also fall into unexpected "YOU'RE DEAD" areas way more than I'd like. I don't mind when it's a huge gorge that I'm leaping over, but sometimes the Sarlacc pit of the fadeout screen is just on the other side of a small ridge. How do I know there isn't more snow over there? I blame Downhill Domination's incredible go-anywhere level design for spoiling me. Finally, Finger Eleven is on the soundtrack. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT DON'T REALLY MATTER. There is a talked about but barely impactful gimmick to the game where you don't pick menu options as much as your ride down the top part of the mountain following signs that lead you to the various events. This is just a gimmick, and so is the more freeform vibe and "story" to the game. It's really just a bunch of races, in a row, thinly disguised as a story arc where you bring your rider from unknown amateur to number one snowboarder. Be warned, however, as it can confuse people like INC. INC: my problem with SSX 3 is I don't know what's going on INC: I forgot how to unlock stunts or something INC: tricks, I guess :( Sanitario666: Wow, there is like an entire FAQ in the game too. IN THE GAME. INC: where? Sanitario666: Start, and then... HELP or whatever. INC: that's almost like reading the manual Sanitario666: But better organized. THERE ARE SOME TOTALLY RADICAL THINGS. Being an EA Big title, it's polished like bipolar cockknob. They had a great idea for the FMV intro where the cheezy radio announcer introduces and walks you through all the new features of SSX3. Shows you the new characters, talks about the "3 Peak" level system, previews some of the runs. It's great. I watched it all the way through the first couple times I turned on the game. Continuing that attention to the presentation, some of the artists on the (very good/unique) soundtrack even introduce the tracks. Artists like Warren Fischer of FischerSpooner saying "You're listening to EA RadioBig, rock on!!!" is very funny and shocking to musical snobs. When the MxPx guy does it, it's no big deal, really. As if that's not enough, the tracks are game sensitive, ebbing and flowing, altering their dyanmics and even losing elements during certain situations. When you slam into the hill after a huge 5 second air, and the song kicks back in with the chorus, it's really something. Some of the runs are amazing, and the final "boss" level of each of the 3 peaks is a top-to-bottom endurance race against the clock that strings together multiple runs. On peak 1 it's a 13 minute race, and by peak 3, that race is 30 minutes long. A 30 minute point-to-point race through gorgeous terrain that doesn't repeat is truly a gaming moment you'll remember for a long time. So this game is fantastic. Having said all that, Downhill Domination is still better. Solid (maybe even better?!) PS2 framerate, faster, more sickening sense of speed, ragdoll physics on the crashes, and an overall "fresher" game experience. Perhaps the Xbox version of SSX3 is much better for the framerate, but the index-finger button setup must be a drag.[/quote]