SSX On Tour - Review
Added October 16th, 2005 by Kisan Parikh
Introduction:
The SSX series has always been popular due to its fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay. EA hopes that the newest addition to the franchise, SSX: On Tour, will have an equal amount of success. Realizing the need to keep the core gameplay the same, they faced the difficult challenge of keeping the SSX experience fresh. Let’s take a look at what On Tour has to offer.
Gameplay:
Most of the changes made to SSX: On Tour are not gameplay related. Instead, the main differences have to do with the overall manner in which the game is presented. Upon loading the game, you will immediately see that there have been big changes to the menus. Now, they are filled with drawings from what seems to be the doodle-book of a snowboarder. Unicorns, beavers, and other strange creatures fill your screen in the menus and in loading. All of these things are fully animated and move about the screen. I’m all for the inclusion of personality and creativity within games, but I can’t say that I know why they decided on doing this. I’d rather focus on the crazy and extremely cool stunts seen in-game than the crazy and rather dumb creatures from the menus.
The SSX series has always been popular due to its fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay. EA hopes that the newest addition to the franchise, SSX: On Tour, will have an equal amount of success. Realizing the need to keep the core gameplay the same, they faced the difficult challenge of keeping the SSX experience fresh. Let’s take a look at what On Tour has to offer.
Gameplay:
Most of the changes made to SSX: On Tour are not gameplay related. Instead, the main differences have to do with the overall manner in which the game is presented. Upon loading the game, you will immediately see that there have been big changes to the menus. Now, they are filled with drawings from what seems to be the doodle-book of a snowboarder. Unicorns, beavers, and other strange creatures fill your screen in the menus and in loading. All of these things are fully animated and move about the screen. I’m all for the inclusion of personality and creativity within games, but I can’t say that I know why they decided on doing this. I’d rather focus on the crazy and extremely cool stunts seen in-game than the crazy and rather dumb creatures from the menus.
Besides the sketches found on the menus and loading screens, I feel that the way the game is presented has improved for the better. This is due to the Tour mode, which shifts the focus of the game to improving your rankings in order that you may become number one in the world. In Tour mode, you start out by creating your character. You choose your gender, height, build, facial hair, etc. Most importantly, you choose either a snowboarder or a skier. We’ll discuss this in detail later.
After creating your character, you are now presented with your trail map. This map allows you to choose which events to participate in. As you complete these, more become unlocked. There are 135 challenges and 49 medal events in all, and there are a wide variety of different race types. There are standard races and trick points as you would expect, but there are an abundance of variations. For instance, some events force you to get to the finish line by touching the snow for less than 40 seconds, and others involve knocking people down. This brings us to another element of Tour mode. Another goal, besides improving ratings and earning money to buy new boards, is to improve your hype rating. Your hype rating is built up by knocking people over, cutting it close with other people on the mountain, and, of course, winning. This hype rating will increase your world rank.
SSX: On Tour isn’t completely without gameplay changes. Now you will have the option of skiing. Skiing, besides having a separate set of tricks, handles a bit differently than snowboarding. At first, it will seem a bit awkward, especially if you are used to playing with a snowboard. Skiers end up going backwards in order to pivot, and this can be a bit strange. Unfortunately, the difference between boarding and skiing becomes obsolete after a while. It’s a fun alternative to play around with, but nothing that will make you want to play through two Tour modes.
Another gameplay change is seen with the new Monster Tricks system. Replacing Uber Tricks, Monster Tricks are enabled once you have a full boost meter. This can be filled by regular tricks, grinding, or even power-ups. The Monster Tricks system utilizes the right thumbstick, and allows you to pull off outrageous, gravity-defying stunts. Time slows down and you are given time to string your moves together, and overall, the tricks achieved are very satisfying. You can also accomplish Monster Grinds in the same manner. This is a great inclusion to the game, and I love how EA is making use of the right-thumbstick.
Besides that, the gameplay is basically the same. The game sticks to the high-flying formula that has led to the series’ original success. The basic tricks still include hand-plants, grabs, spins, and flips. You can string these together to increase the amount of points earned. If you mess up a trick and fall, tapping the X button allows you to recover and continue along the track. The style of play varies a bit from event to event, because in some races, tricks are pulled off just to increase your boost, but in other races, you focus on tricks rather than speed. Each track forces you to make decisions on which path to take due to multiple areas in which you can travel. Your general direction won’t change much, but there are shortcuts that can assist you in achieving the best outcome. By sticking to these elements, On Tour stays on course with SSX games from the past. Unfortunately, the changes to the menus are pretty goofy and annoying, and they detract from the experience.
Graphics:
The graphics of SSX: On Tour are nothing too spectacular in terms of realism, but they get the job done well. The visual effects conveyed the sense of speed very nicely, and the slow motion effect implemented for Monster Tricks looks great. As you would expect in a game where tricks play a huge role, the animations really make the game what it is visually. Both snowboarding and skiing stunts are visually depicted to perfection.
After creating your character, you are now presented with your trail map. This map allows you to choose which events to participate in. As you complete these, more become unlocked. There are 135 challenges and 49 medal events in all, and there are a wide variety of different race types. There are standard races and trick points as you would expect, but there are an abundance of variations. For instance, some events force you to get to the finish line by touching the snow for less than 40 seconds, and others involve knocking people down. This brings us to another element of Tour mode. Another goal, besides improving ratings and earning money to buy new boards, is to improve your hype rating. Your hype rating is built up by knocking people over, cutting it close with other people on the mountain, and, of course, winning. This hype rating will increase your world rank.
SSX: On Tour isn’t completely without gameplay changes. Now you will have the option of skiing. Skiing, besides having a separate set of tricks, handles a bit differently than snowboarding. At first, it will seem a bit awkward, especially if you are used to playing with a snowboard. Skiers end up going backwards in order to pivot, and this can be a bit strange. Unfortunately, the difference between boarding and skiing becomes obsolete after a while. It’s a fun alternative to play around with, but nothing that will make you want to play through two Tour modes.
Another gameplay change is seen with the new Monster Tricks system. Replacing Uber Tricks, Monster Tricks are enabled once you have a full boost meter. This can be filled by regular tricks, grinding, or even power-ups. The Monster Tricks system utilizes the right thumbstick, and allows you to pull off outrageous, gravity-defying stunts. Time slows down and you are given time to string your moves together, and overall, the tricks achieved are very satisfying. You can also accomplish Monster Grinds in the same manner. This is a great inclusion to the game, and I love how EA is making use of the right-thumbstick.
Besides that, the gameplay is basically the same. The game sticks to the high-flying formula that has led to the series’ original success. The basic tricks still include hand-plants, grabs, spins, and flips. You can string these together to increase the amount of points earned. If you mess up a trick and fall, tapping the X button allows you to recover and continue along the track. The style of play varies a bit from event to event, because in some races, tricks are pulled off just to increase your boost, but in other races, you focus on tricks rather than speed. Each track forces you to make decisions on which path to take due to multiple areas in which you can travel. Your general direction won’t change much, but there are shortcuts that can assist you in achieving the best outcome. By sticking to these elements, On Tour stays on course with SSX games from the past. Unfortunately, the changes to the menus are pretty goofy and annoying, and they detract from the experience.
Graphics:
The graphics of SSX: On Tour are nothing too spectacular in terms of realism, but they get the job done well. The visual effects conveyed the sense of speed very nicely, and the slow motion effect implemented for Monster Tricks looks great. As you would expect in a game where tricks play a huge role, the animations really make the game what it is visually. Both snowboarding and skiing stunts are visually depicted to perfection.
Overall, On Tour features solid graphics that add to the game, despite not being incredibly realistic. The in-game graphics are one thing, but, as discussed earlier, the visuals seen in the menus and loading screens are horrible.
Audio:
The audio department is where On Tour really shines the most. The soundtrack is mainly comprised of rock artists, but also includes a bit of rap. You may think that a song from Queens of the Stone Age and one from Paul Wall don’t belong in the same soundtrack, but the selection of tracks proves to be perfect for the game. One other thing I enjoyed about the tracks was the nice effect applied to jumps. The music fades depending on the height you reach, thus enhancing the effect of catching huge air.
The in-game sound is as solid as it can be. The nice effect of almost hitting a tree, slamming into the ground, and whizzing around turns is really due to the sound. Additionally, you hear the roar of the crowd as you pass spectator areas. Everything seems to be perfect with the gameplay sounds. The only flaw in the audio department is the somewhat lame voice-acting, but luckily there isn’t too much of this.
Controls:
The control scheme of SSX: On Tour is very intuitive and easy to learn. You are presented with little control pointers as you select an event, but I got the hang of the controls just by playing around with them. The right thumbstick’s inclusion for Monster Tricks works perfectly, and it is feels more natural than button combos. Overall, the control scheme is great because it allows people to just pick up a controller and play.
Replay:
Although the Tour will provide plenty of playing time, I am disappointed with On Tour’s replay value. You are given the opportunity to play in QuickPlay mode on XBL, but that is the only other mode of play. QuickPlay is basically what you would expect, and it allows you to enter into games quickly. What I am most unhappy about is the fact that the game has no Xbox Live multiplayer. This game would have tied in great to an online multiplayer, but for some reason it is not included
All things considered, On Tour is not a game that will offer too much in terms of replay. You will have to stick with playing through the Tour mode, and that’s about all you can do. I’m not saying that the Tour mode isn’t long enough, there just needs to be more than that.
Audio:
The audio department is where On Tour really shines the most. The soundtrack is mainly comprised of rock artists, but also includes a bit of rap. You may think that a song from Queens of the Stone Age and one from Paul Wall don’t belong in the same soundtrack, but the selection of tracks proves to be perfect for the game. One other thing I enjoyed about the tracks was the nice effect applied to jumps. The music fades depending on the height you reach, thus enhancing the effect of catching huge air.
The in-game sound is as solid as it can be. The nice effect of almost hitting a tree, slamming into the ground, and whizzing around turns is really due to the sound. Additionally, you hear the roar of the crowd as you pass spectator areas. Everything seems to be perfect with the gameplay sounds. The only flaw in the audio department is the somewhat lame voice-acting, but luckily there isn’t too much of this.
Controls:
The control scheme of SSX: On Tour is very intuitive and easy to learn. You are presented with little control pointers as you select an event, but I got the hang of the controls just by playing around with them. The right thumbstick’s inclusion for Monster Tricks works perfectly, and it is feels more natural than button combos. Overall, the control scheme is great because it allows people to just pick up a controller and play.
Replay:
Although the Tour will provide plenty of playing time, I am disappointed with On Tour’s replay value. You are given the opportunity to play in QuickPlay mode on XBL, but that is the only other mode of play. QuickPlay is basically what you would expect, and it allows you to enter into games quickly. What I am most unhappy about is the fact that the game has no Xbox Live multiplayer. This game would have tied in great to an online multiplayer, but for some reason it is not included
All things considered, On Tour is not a game that will offer too much in terms of replay. You will have to stick with playing through the Tour mode, and that’s about all you can do. I’m not saying that the Tour mode isn’t long enough, there just needs to be more than that.
Summary:
SSX: On Tour does a great job with the Tour Mode and Monster Tricks system, but it just comes down to not enough being offered. The skiing option is great in concept, but it really doesn’t deliver an all-new gameplay experience. The graphics and audio are great, but the game is brought down due to the absence of a fresh experience, online multiplayer, and, sadly, normal menus. There is some fun to be had with SSX: On Tour, but most people who are interested in the game would be better off sticking to a rental.
SSX: On Tour does a great job with the Tour Mode and Monster Tricks system, but it just comes down to not enough being offered. The skiing option is great in concept, but it really doesn’t deliver an all-new gameplay experience. The graphics and audio are great, but the game is brought down due to the absence of a fresh experience, online multiplayer, and, sadly, normal menus. There is some fun to be had with SSX: On Tour, but most people who are interested in the game would be better off sticking to a rental.
