For a company better known for developing games where rampaging drivers cause chaos and monsters do battle it seems only fitting that when they take a break from their “normal” style of game they produce an extreme sports title. Of course I’m talking about Incog Inc, developers of the Twisted Metal games and War of the Monsters. If you’ve ever played any of EA’s SSX games then Downhill Domination may feel pretty familiar to you. Why? Well both games feature several of the same characteristics, such as wide open tracks, over the top tricks, the ability to give other racers a whack in the hope of making them eat dirt and of course downhill racing action. Probably the most notable feature of Downhill Domination is how fast the game is. The developers have down an excellent job of portraying speed and the game gives a real sense of hurtling down a mountain at speeds topping 50mph. Trees, logs and rocks seem to jump out in front of you and you’ll be left wondering just how you managed not to smash into it. There are 27 tracks in Downhill Domination set on nine mountains. They are large and varied, and are set in a number of real life locations such as Japan, Hawaii, France and the USA among others. Tracks are also separated into three categories, Free ride, mountain cross and technical downhill, Freeride tracks are large, wide open and are littered with shortcuts and alternative routes designed to get you down the mountain in the shortest possible time. Mountain cross tracks are man made tracks that have been carved out of the mountain and feature hazards such as hills, moguls and high banked berms. These tracks resemble those seen in motocross events and require you to follow a defined path to get the best speed. The last type of track is the technical downhill. These tracks require precision and technique as they are littered with hazards, narrow corners and lots of crashes, well in our case. Tracks also have pick-ups scattered throughout the length of the course, these range from extra points, combat upgrades and adrenaline boost that give you a sudden burst of speed. During races you can earn points by pulling off tricks and battling other riders, points are then converted into cash at the end of the race enabling you to buy new race parts such as wheels, frames and shock absorbers. You can also buy several unlockable items. There’s plenty in Downhill Domination to keep players coming back, the game features a number of game modes including career, arcade, time trials and a couple of unlockable modes such as Moshbowl and Super Jump. The game also features a multiplayer mode for up to four players via split screen and surprisingly enough the games speed manages to hold up brilliantly. Developers Incog, Inc have done a good job of the graphics in Downhill Domination, tracks are highly detailed and feature several fine touches that help create a living environment. Character animation is also very good. Your rider’s movement on the bike is highly realistic and features a lot of nice touches, such as your rider’s feet slipping off the pedals when you land awkwardly. The only problem with the games graphics are that at times they look a little blurred and colours seem to blend into one another. The games audio is ok with sound effects been the shining light in this department. The clanking of your bikes chain and sound of your bike passing over the different terrains is highly realistic. Unfortunately the rest of the games sound isn’t anything special. The sound track is an instantly forgettable mixture of hip hop and rock, and character voices after the typical Bill and Ted styling. Downhill Domination is defiantly one of the better extreme sports titles available, the speed the game runs at is enough to get even the most extreme gamers heart pumping. While downhill mountain biking may not be one of the more appealing extreme sports to base a game on, the developers have done a good job of creating a title that will appealing to a wide range to gamers and not just mountain biking fans.
Downhill Domination is the definition of an underappreciated PS2 gem. Its extremely fast paced dirt bike action captivates the player early on and never fails to let go. Though there's the odd bug here and there, there i... Read Full Review
Lets just start it out like this, Downhill Domination's gameplay is amazing. I still wonder to this day why this game wasnt more popular. Its very fast paced but not to fast to where it makes it hard. I never would have ... Read Full Review
