In a freezing cold room, somewhere on the E3 show floor, I had the pleasure of demoing the upcoming game, SSX with EA Sport’s own Tod Batty, the Creative Director behind the game. He walked me through a lot of the cool new features that make up SSX, and considering the fact that the game was not complete at the time, I was completely blown away. SSX will include a full open world, “if you can see it you can race on it you can ride on it,” is what I was told and having played SSX, I fully believe it. SSX is set to be the best game in the franchise, and if you don’t believe it, take a look at the four part video on the making of the game!
Making SSX Part 1: Overview
The EA Sports crew put together this video to give a general overview on SSX. You’ll get an insight on the passion and the creativity that the developers’ put into the game, which I had the privileged of witnessing as I listened to Batty tell me about the game that had held him captive for the past couple of years. SSX will be centered around 3 game modes: Race It, Trick It, and Survive It, three very different, and equally exciting experiences. SSX fans will be familiar with the first two modes, but the last one, Trick It, highlights one of the more interesting additions to SSX, which is centered on EA Sport’s new proprietary physics engine. Avalanches, rock slides, and treacherous weather and terrain make for an adrenaline-pumping experience.
[viddler id=aebaa36d&w=437&h=287]
Making SSX Part 2: Gameplay
Here we get a closer look at EA Sport’s proprietary physics engine that makes it possible for players to do things that have never been possible in franchise history. SSX has evolved into an open world world, “physics playground” that is fun to play and fun to explore. Take a look at how the overall game play in SSX has improved!
[viddler id=b69691a5&w=437&h=287]
Making SSX Part 3: Level Design
Out of everything I was told about SSX, the level design impressed and intrigued me the most. The EA Sports team put an incredible amount of work into the geographical accuracy of the game, while keeping the game true to the SSX experience. The entire game is based off the accuracy of Google Maps, providing an iconic representation of all of the major mountain ranges in the world with the over-exaggeration that is key to the SSX franchise.
[viddler id=3986d4b4&w=437&h=287]
Making SSX Part 4: The Characters
“The characters in SSX aren’t necessarily changing, they are being evolved and updated to match the new challenges.” This is definitely an interesting video to watch, as you get an insight into how the characters have evolved from the very first game in the franchise, to this one.
[viddler id=7b342494&w=437&h=287]
The EA Sports crew have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into SSX, and having experienced it first hand, I can say for sure that SSX fans are in for a treat! Be sure to support them on facebook (and reveal new characters!), twitter, and check out the official SSX website!