"Rockin' Out!"
Graphics-9/10
The graphics are simply amazing. Now people will say that SSX OT's graphics are just identical to SSX 3's. Well they may be, but my school of thought on is the old maxim, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." For me, graphics never really were the deciding factor of any game. However, there are some noticeable improvements in the visuals. There's more trees, the feel of speed is better, and more. The snow and fireworks are very well done. Then there's the new theme of the game, which centers around crazy rock and roll, rock star antics. The menu screens and movies just bristle with crazy, amazing hand-drawn art that only enhances the game's feel. The only thing is that the characters aren't quite polished enough, but that is only a minor problem. It's nothing that takes away from the game. The art and the theme gives SSX OT the one thing it needed, a unique identity. Something the other SSX games, although they are excellent, did not have.
Sound- 8.7/10
The sound in this game is great. The sound of the skis and the boards, as well as the other people in levels you come across. I also like the music fadeout in certain areas; it adds a dramatic effect to the riding. And speaking of music, it is great. It's got a mixture of rap and rock that will appeal whatever you like. The rock goes right along with the game's theme with Def Leppard, Motorhead, Queens of the Stone Age, Iron Maiden, etc. The blend of the music is not as good as in some games, but still does a good job of adding to the flavor of the game in relation to it's style. The only thing that brings the score down(especially for us veterans) is the fact that the main characters' voices aren't so good. In fact the only truly annoying thing is that Kaori speaks English now.
Controls- 8.8/10
The controls are mostly the same and have not changed much over the series except for the new Monster Tricks. These tricks are controlled via the d-pad instead of tweaking the trick to do an extreme trick. This in my opinion is a little better than in SSX 3 since you can actually keep tweaking your tricks if you don't want to do a Monster. This is helpful on low jumps. Overall, the controls are easy and it doesn't take long to start tearing up the mountain.
Gameplay- 9.5/10
The heart of the matter and why you should play this game in the first place. The main characters have been replaced with a CAC, which is fine by me. The CAC's options are a little limited but it's not a game killer. The heart of the game is the Tour Mode. In this, you try to get to the top of the charts by creating hype. Hype is gained by a number of things, such as knocking down other riders and tourists; another thing that makes this game great is the fact that the mountain is actually alive with other people. Once you get a certain amount of hype you are promoted in rank from amateur to rookie to semi-pro and so on. You'll face in a huge variety of challenges, such as outrunning ski patrols to chasing riders and knocking them down. You'll compete against the SSX regulars often. There is no stat upgrade. Instead your equipment decides this; so obviously the better equipment, the better stats. Like in SSX 3, you buy stuff with cash you win in events(and from sponsors you gain as you progress through Tour Mode).
Also, there is the biggest changes in game play: the first being the ability to board or ski. Each has it's ups and downs. With skiing for example, you have to constantly keep switching from fakie to straight in order to get any speed; as opposed to boarding where it doesn't matter what direction you go.
The next biggest change is the fact that the mountain is all in one. Because of the streaming technology, this means that everything flows together. The courses are more realistic looking and are a far cry from the insane(although wonderful) levels such as Tokyo Megaplex from SSX Tricky. But there's still a lot of craziness to be found. The levels are all downward without the annoying flat sections of SSX 3's mountain and they all mesh together. The day and night cycles on the tracks are great. Another thing SSX OT improves on is the that there are no out of bounds regions. You see it, and it has snow, you can race on it.
There's also a Quick Play mode where you can use the main characters. Quick Play allows 1 or 2 players to play tracks and challenges you've unlocked in Tour Mode. There is no on-line play though. This may disappoint some gamers, but those who don't go on-line won't consider it an issue.
Final Verdict: 9/10
This game is simply amazing. There's something in it for everyone, albeit SSX veteran or new gamer. So the main characters aren't in it. It doesn't matter. The game itself has an identity all it's own. There are the problems, but those are minor ones. The rock style, the music, the graphics, the game play, and everything else makes up for it. SSX OT is the best SSX game I've ever played, and probably the best of the year.