Brief synopsis of SSX 3
Ever since 1080 arrived on the N64, the art of virtual snowboarding has come on in leaps and bounds. Veteran of the genre is Electronic Arts with its SSX series, which is now in its third iteration and quite possibly the most ambitious take on the snowboarding game yet.
The main concept behind SSX 3 is the way in which the game is presented physically. Whereas before you played through the game as a series of events, races and competitions, this time the game delivers an expansive, free-roaming mountain for you to board, explore and compete on, in all the usual environments such as trick venues, rail parks, racecourses and half pipes. As such, playing the game sees you seamlessly board from one area to the next, entering competitions, taking on Big Challenges and discovering hidden collectibles.
Four new characters join the roster of boarders throughout the game, so as well as the familiar characters Mac, Elise, Zoe, Moby, Psymon, and Kaori, you can now also play as and against the likes of crazy Swede Viggo, mountain man Nate, a young 12-year old called Griff, and a sexy chick by the name of Allegra.
As you may have expected, the trick element to the game has been revamped, revised, upped, and is now 'board-ering' on the insane. A new collection of Uber tricks can now be combo'd and held, and you can now perform specific Uber tricks on rails and even stuff like hand plants.
This third instalment has also expanded upon the character customisation and rewards system. As you play through the game, you earn medals and trophies, level up your riders' abilities through a deeper attribute system, and even get the chance to rename the three peaks as you master them. Each of the characters is also fully customisable and a host of cheats is available that enable you to equip them with over the top gear and attributes.
The development team has apparently spent almost two years on improving the core gameplay, by adding a wealth of new experiences and ways to play. This is immediately evident as soon as you play the game, as both the mountain and the game itself are massive. There are loads of events and challenges to complete and places to explore, and if you're fortunate enough to own a network adaptor, you can even play online.
