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SSX screens and preview featuring Elise - Releasing January 2012

S

SolidSnakex

Member
When EA first revealed SSX: Deadly Descent, fans of the series were left scratching their heads wondering where their beloved snowboarding series had gone. For a franchise that is known for bright-colored outfits, vibrant characters, and, of course, the impossible tricks, it seemed as though EA was going for a more "serious" approach. If you haven't been following the developer diaries that we've been posting here, you should be happy to know that not only did EA drop the subtitle "Deadly Descent" but the developers are also working on relaunching the franchise by sticking to what it does best--crazy tricks and high-speed racing. Creative director Todd Batty gave a presentation at a recent EA Sports event in San Francisco to not only go over what SSX is known for, but to also go into detail about the new Survival mode, which is what we saw in the initial announcement trailer.
Click to expand...

SSX was never about realism, and even though the graphics are taking a more realistic approach--thanks to the advancement in technology--the gameplay will not. Like previous games, the physics will be overly exaggerated, so you'll once again be able to soar off of snow-covered cliffs without any worries, do as many flips as it takes to make you sick, and still manage to land board first. Batty talked about how the previous SSX games kept you confined with artificial boundaries as you made your way down the cold mountain, and he emphasized that fact with a few video clips from SSX3. No matter how much you pushed against a side wall on the track or how much momentum you gained, you'd be dragged back onto the main strip. In the new SSX, as long as you have the momentum, you can launch yourself into the air in any direction and traverse any part of the mountain--no boundaries. The developers put together some clips using the same terrain from SSX3 to demonstrate this, so you can see the snowboarder gather speed and basically do a full loop from the right side of a half pipe and land on the left. This is supposed to work off any surface regardless of the geometry; as long as you have the speed, you have the freedom to go where your board takes you. On the mountain, this lets you vault yourself onto other ledges and areas that you would otherwise miss if you kept to the ground. Not only that, but you'll also be able to get some big air from virtually anywhere as long as you've got the speed (and a big drop) to do the most death-defying tricks. We're incredibly curious to see the amount of freedom that this will allow and can't wait to see how it plays out.

The darker, grittier scenes from the initial trailer and screenshots represented what would be the Survival mode where the goal is make your way safely down a treacherous mountain while battling the elements. Batty emphasized that it's not about dodging bullets or wielding any kind of weapons. The goal here is to mimic what's going on in the real world of boardercross, where extreme sports enthusiasts risk their necks traversing some of the most dangerous peaks in the world. The danger here, however, is Mother Nature, which can include and is not limited to snowstorms, avalanches, fog, and rock slides. The only thing that is being tracked as you blaze down the icy slopes is your speed and elevation. You'll have access to a wing suit (think of flying squirrels), an ice axe, and potentially other gear. Batty described it as, "Think of what Borderlands did for guns; we're going to try to do the same thing with gear." As seen in the trailer, the helicopter acted as our guide and our ticket to access other unexplored portions of the mountain. In the presentation, we saw how a snowboarder could leap off of a conveniently placed ramp and cling onto the rails of a hovering helicopter. Fear of heights is not an option.
Click to expand...

The final point that Batty touched on was the characters, and only Elise has been confirmed so far. The rest is up to the fans. A Facebook page has been set up to get fans to vote for characters they want to see return. We're assuming the major players will be back, like Mac and Zoe, and new faces will be added to the roster. Even though the characters and the environments have a new look, it seems like the developers are sticking to the familiar arcade-y gameplay we all know and love. We'll be getting more updates in the near future, so stay tuned for more details. SSX is currently scheduled to be released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in January 2012.
Click to expand...

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http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/sports/ssxdeadlydescents/news.html?sid=6308403&mode=previews

Interview

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/sports/ssxdeadlydescents/video/6308413?hd=1
 
D

Duffyside

Banned
EA Person 1: Oh shit, we're really getting a lot of backlash for the new SSX's dreary Call of Duty look. Anything we can do to fix it?

EA Person 2: Hmmm... I think I may have just the thing. Watch this!

*Ctrl+F "Grey." Replace with "Blue."

EA Person 1: PERFECT!
 
B

Bizzyb

Banned
I really hope they did away with the analog trick control

Either that or give us a "Classic Control" option

Also

Zoe Payne or Bust
 
T

Typographenia

Member
Initial disappointment is slightly removed.
Still not up to the level of previous SSX games, but at least there is slight hope now. It just doesn't look like it would be much of a fun game. The visuals for the previous games looked like an amusement park had been thrown on the side of a mountain, but this is just so... normal.
 
C

captscience

Member
Certainly looks more promising than it did before. I'm still disappointed that they're taking their inspiration from SSX3 and not Tricky though.
 
U

UnluckyKate

Member
This looks great wild peaks.

But now, how about the traced routes for races ? Please show some with paint on snow, lights, giant ballon and screen, fireworks, etc...
 
D

Dyno

Member
It will be interesting to see HOW LITTLE of the original Deadly Descent idea remains in the final game.

EA were fools on this one. How can you not know your own product. SSX3 in HD with bigger tracks is all you needed for this one.
 
metareferential

metareferential

Member
I like the naturalistic take on the design, something Uncharted/Just Cause-ish.

Much better than dudebrocoddeadlydescent.

Enough with neologisms.
 
T

Treefingers

Member
Neuromancer said:
I wonder if you'll be able to set your stance to goofy. Did the old SSX games let you? My memory is no.
Click to expand...

SSX 3 at least definitely had Goofy stance.

Edit: Actually I think you couldn't change the stance, the characters each had their own. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
H

Hot Coldman

Banned
duffyside said:
EA Person 1: Oh shit, we're really getting a lot of backlash for the new SSX's dreary Call of Duty look. Anything we can do to fix it?

EA Person 2: Hmmm... I think I may have just the thing. Watch this!

*Ctrl+F "Grey." Replace with "Blue."

EA Person 1: PERFECT!
Click to expand...

That's all it takes! :lol We're just fed up with grey
 
M

mil6es

Member
Cuban Legend said:
like SSX1-3 were AAA blockbuster titles?

I love SSX3 to death but it didn't sell by today's standards for a game to warrant a sequel.
Click to expand...

Errrr no games back then sold like the numbers we're seeing this gen..... what your point
 
G

george_us

Member
Dyno said:
SSX3 in HD with bigger tracks is all you needed for this one.
Click to expand...
Quoted for the massive amount of 'correct' contained in this post.

These screens fill me with a little more hope but, as another poster remarked, I want to see more "Carnival" atmosphere.
 
Cuban Legend

Cuban Legend

Member
mil6es said:
Errrr no games back then sold like the numbers we're seeing this gen..... what your point
Click to expand...
my point is that this new SSX is being made today so it will have to hold up to that standard. something that will most definitely take away from the core values that made SSX1-3 what we loved.

How else is this developer going to make money back on a game being developed in today's economically crippled gaming industry? They have to maximize accessibility and appeal. Accessibility today means casual players, appeal today means the sheep-like CoD dudebros. Reality sucks.

Lets face it, chances are SSX 3 wouldn't sell well if released today. Hell, if it got an HD XBLA/PSN release today, it would still not be able to pull enough sales to warrant any serious dedicated development of a full-fledged sequel. Once again, Reality sucks.
 
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