EA has added yet more confusion to the strangely defined SSX Deadly Descents by announcing that the game will now be titled simply ‘SSX’. A quote from Creative Director Todd Batty in Gameinformer (and found subsequently via videogamer.com) says:
“We wanted to make sure we hit the over-the-top arcadey gameplay in all of these different gameplay modes. We decided to lead with the new Deadly Descent gameplay in that trailer, but all of the classic SSX style will be there, too.”
Fans had been dubious and worried since the initial trailer for SSX Deadly Descents dropped earlier in the year. A dark skyline and edgy visuals suggested that the developers were aiming for a more hyper realistic game in line with Stoked or the original Amped games. It looks like the SSX team has taken the fans’ concerns on board and tried to reassure them with this broader description of the game.
“We’re a little challenged with how many levels we can put on the disc, honestly, but we’re thinking it will be somewhere in the vicinity of 70 mountains. By comparison, SSX 3 had one. The hub works kind of like Google Earth. You can spin the globe around and pick a mountain range you like then zoom in on that and pick a mountain you like from there, then you get to race down the crazy arcade courses that we’ve built on top of real-life mountains.”
Creating 70 mountains from scratch will be no easy feat. I absolutely loved the mountain from SSX 3 and would prefer to ride a small number of phenomenal courses than a dozen uninspired ones. Still, EA Canada have had this game in development for some time now – so who knows what kind of snowboarding madness they’ve been brewing.
This ‘behind the scenes’ trailer offers some insight into the style and reinvention that they’re aiming for. Racing and insane tricking will be present and accounted for, although this time they’ll be supplemented with the threat of natural disaster. Avalanches and cave-ins were a couple of examples shown in concept art. Todd Batty emphasises staying ‘true to the franchise’ – I really hope that he can deliver on this one.
jetsetnick 