SSX On Tour
Electronic Arts’ SSX-series has been one of my favorite video game franchises ever since playing a demo of the very first installment back in the early days of playstation 2.
Thus far the games have improved over their predecessors, and been a very enjoyable rendition of a winter sport I never expect to try out for real. Especially to the level of aerial acrobatics so frequently shown in the games.
The series has now evolved to its fourth chapter, and expectations were indeed high.
And after a single evening’s session I must admit that partially the magic is still present, but also that partially it has been diluted by the publisher. Not by adding skiers to the mix, but by easing off the difficulty level too much. Went from medal to medal during the play, without any real struggle. True, this is in a way pleasant, but the feeling of achievement is way less than in succeeding against more difficult odds. I’m sure the difficulty will start to peak soon, but it’s been a cakewalk thus far.
The presentation style has been changed to a more cartoony one. And the musical selection is wider than before - ranging from ancient heavy metal to catch of the day art rock. And the selection of Maiden’s Run to the Hills as the title song is a strike of genius.
And while the game has been localized to half a dozen languages, it has retained the original language as well. This was not the case with the recent update to the Burnout-franchise, that was neutered of the english version during the process.
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