(NOTE: I'm actually giving this game 4.5 out of 5 stars, not just 4)
PLUS:
-RiderNet is a godsend, even if it has already been done before
-Great soundtrack as usual
-Spectacular tricks and combo based gameplay
-Control schemes are well implemented, even offering a "classic" control scheme
MINUS:
-The spirit of the characters seems to have been lost from previous installments
-Campaign mode isn't really engaging
-Some mountains are a little TOO treacherous resulting in what feels like repeated cheap deaths
If you generally get a kick out of targeting your buddies best scores in any leaderboard based games or you lose sleep when someone has knocked you off of your high score perch and taking them down becomes the order of the day, then you will absolutely adore SSX.
The RiderNet setup is the absolute draw here, make no bones about it. I cannot praise this new feature enough. I've never played "Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit" but it's my understanding that the Autolog setup in that game works just like the RiderNet system does in SSX, by providing you with real time updates on who's doing what in the SSX world. In short, RiderNet makes this game feel alive. I guarantee that SSX will help create plenty of intense rivalries for those who immerse themselves deep enough in the game, thanks to RiderNet's absolutely awesome interface. I'm aware that I'm gushing maybe a little too rabidly about it but believe me, the recently released demo barely skims the surface of what RiderNet entails. There are a lot of races and trick runs to get to the top of here and RiderNet does a phenomenal job of keeping you up to speed in regards to not only how you're holding up but also how your friends are faring on those very same courses. I found it very easy to plot what it was that I wanted to involve myself in and which course records to shoot for next. Ghosts are automatically uploaded and downloaded and while there's no real time multiplayer involved, you're still getting the best of the experience by racing directly against the ghosts of other players doing their best runs. I'm loving what I'm seeing here in terms of early community interaction and judging from the scores and times already posted, it looks like I've got my work cut out for me on my way to the top of the boards. I really want to see more involved leaderboard systems like this in other games and genres, it's absolutely great and the best thing about the game, hands down.
I love the soundtrack and while it's a bit different from what I was expecting, there are a lot of great songs here that I'm sure anyone will enjoy. I found myself using Shazam a couple of times when I missed the artist and track title info, so that should count for something regarding the quality of the song selection. You can listen to your own music as well and the best part about that is that the game messes with the audio of the tracks just like it does with the in-game music, providing a seamless listening experience similar to what the game already gives you.
Using the right analog stick to perform tricks takes some getting used to and I'm not going to lie when I say that it's a lot to take in. The trick lies in getting used to the rhythm of the game. The game practically uses several different control schemes depending on whether you're on the ice or in the air and when you're careening down a mountain side and you're in the thick of a crazed trick busting, combo racking run, don't be surprised if you can't mentally process what your hands are doing of their own accord. I'm not knocking this because ever since the first game, this has been par for the course. It's all part of what makes SSX what it is. Like I mentioned above, you can play with a "classic" control scheme but I like the revamped style enough to stick with it.
On the negative side, I really didn't care for the campaign or story mode, if you even want to call it that. It's an admittedly thin plot that uses varying styles to push the story forward. I loved how the characters were bigger than life in the previous games but here, they've basically been whittled down to selectable characters. Most of them are still here but I miss the outrageousness and trash talk from SSX 3 and SSX Tricky. They've lost their mojo but they still bust out some of the most insane snowboarding tricks you'll ever see, so it's not so painful of a loss. Another slight issue I had with the game was that on several of these mountains, I was dying simply way too much. This was never really an issue in the other games but here, it happens a little more frequently than I would've liked and it kind of stops the momentum of the game every time you go flying off of a mountain and have to start all over. I found the Deadly Descent runs great on some sides and uninteresting on others.
I think the wingsuit feature leaves a bit to be desired also but hey, you can't fault the developers for trying something new. Thankfully, you don't use it all that much. Same goes for the rewind feature, which is really only useful for placing `geotags' throughout the world. The geotags themselves are a great and really cool idea (think of them as easter eggs that you leave behind for anyone else to pick up and the longer it takes for anyone to find them, the more in-game currency you receive; it's another great form of trash talking that the game provides) but since the clock keeps running while you're rewinding, there's really no use for it if you're on a serious run.
Is this the game SSX fans have been waiting for, for so long? Well, I suspect a lot of fans are going to have gripes with a lot of what I've mentioned and more but you can color this fan impressed. It's not perfect and could use a little more tinkering but this will definitely be my go-to game for when I'm not in the mood to sink a whole day into Skyrim or something else equally as time consuming. Truth be told, the hours melted away on me yesterday when I was posting up as many trick runs as I could before I went to sleep. Regardless of what you may think of the campaign mode, RiderNet will keep you coming back for more and is in my opinion, worth the cost of admission to the mountains of SSX alone.