|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Downhill Domination |
|
|
| Written by Chris Pickering |
|
|
Wednesday, 09 February 2005
Let’s face it; cycling just doesn’t work as part of videogames. It’s the whole pumping your legs peddling thing that stops it really coming over into the gaming world. I mean, how can you do peddling virtually? Bring out some sort of madly designed add on? Or do you just do like Incog Inc have with Downhill Domination and skip the whole thing…
Some before have gone down the route of mimicking the control method used for most athletics titles, where by your mash two buttons repeatedly to gain speed. This method however proves a hell of a let down though. Thankfully Incog have implemented an incredibly simple method to get around this little problem. Hold down the X button and you’ll peddle away. Double tap then hold the X button and you’ll peddle furiously and gain greater forward momentum. This however eats up and your green stamina meter, and therefore can only be used for a short period. Luckily picks ups are available which re-fill this little bar, and it even replenishes itself after a period of none use. It’s surprisingly simple, and quite an ingenious method when it comes down to it.
One of the very first things you’ll notice when partaking in your first race is the incredibly sense of speed. Flying down steep hills and mountain sides, tree’s, animals and other obstacles being left in your wake as you fly narrowly past them finding yourself the quickest route down to the bottom is surprisingly exciting. The only problem is that at times it can get just that bit too much as you find yourself repeatedly smashing into rocks and tree’s as you frantically try to catch up to the rest of the racing bunch. There’s a multitude of pick ups to grab a hold off as you ride, ranging from replenishing your speed up bar, to giving you momentary speed boosts.
Like the aforementioned SSX series, you’re able to thrust out limps in the attempt to knock your opponents off their bikes. This not only gives you a great head start in them, but in career mode you receive extra cash to spend on upgrades for many reasons, one of which is that amount of violence you performed on your bike.
Course design is again something we can all be fairly impressed by. There are various routes on offer (though these are very slight) and it all feels very full and as if there has been a great amount of time spent on it. Courses range in length from a minute long, all the way to 6 or 7. Courses also have a plethora of sponsor’s notices all the way along, another nod in the direction of more and more marketing purposes in games.
The career mode is the main reason you’ll be playing and yet again, the wide range of modes is impressive. Start the main career and you go through 24 races, collecting cash to upgrade by finishing in high spots, and performing stunning tricks. The trick system itself is very much in an SSX vein, very big and wild, and with no regard to the rider’s personal health!
Things seem to fall apart when ironically enough you crash and fall off your bike. Slightly more frequent than a rare occurrence, was the shocking fact that despite falling off your bike, you could actually be re-spawned a second later, in a much further ahead position giving you a huge advantage. This is a cardinal sin, especially when it happens in multiplayer mode. Imagine my frustration when I just power ahead of a friend, only for him to cash and respawn just ahead of me and pips me to the finishing post. It may not happen often, but when it does it’s a huge put off.
The thing about Downhill Domination at a basic level is that after the initial fun factor, it doesn’t offer anything at all new over the likes of the SSX series. All Downhill Domination feels like is a snowboard title, that at the last moment found itself stripped bare of the snowy backgrounds, and shoved two wheels under the poor cast. Brought out 5 years ago, it’d feel pretty fresh, and be a standout title for the genre. Released now however, and all your getting is another fun if short-lived extreme sports title.
6
|
| Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 February 2005 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Lik-Sang |
| Proudly sponsored by Lik-Sang.com |
| Copyright |
| All content, unless noted otherwise, Copyright © 2005 AltGaming. AltGaming is not affiliated or endorsed by Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft or any other video game publishers or developers. All products, images and other material contained within this website are © and ™ to their respective owners. Duplication of AltGaming content in any way is strictly prohibited. |
|
|
|
|
|
