Stoked

7.25

Snowboard or Die

Review

Sarah Thu, 19 March 2009 03:45PM

Game: Stoked

/ Platform: Xbox 360

Genre(s): Sports, Snowboarding

Name: Stoked
Genre: Extreme Sports – Snowboarding
Platform: Xbox 360

The last generation of consoles had a wealth of extreme sports games to choose from, and snowboarding titles were no exception. The standout snowboarding series was SSX, with its arcade-style, over-the-top tricks and mountains designed for such feats. However, with the exception of the easily forgettable SSX Blur for the Wii, this generation hasn’t seen an SSX game, and with Amped 3 and Shaun White Snowboarding being the only snowboarding games available for the 360, there is certainly room for a great new game in the genre. While Stoked doesn’t quite fill that hole as well as I would have liked it to, it’s still a decent snowboarding game that can easily provide hours of fun.

In Stoked, you take on the role of an amateur snowboarder trying to catch the media’s eye and eventually go pro. There is a character creator, which is always a plus in my book. However, with only a few options as far as clothing and appearance, I was a bit disappointed. Even last generation’s SSX On Tour had a decent character creator, so why shouldn’t this game? It’s not a huge complaint and doesn’t actually affect the gameplay, but I may have felt more attached to my boarder if I had actually been able to make her look the way I wanted to, instead of some generic blonde chick with an oversized coat.

The realistic snowboarding style might come as a bit of a shock to those who prefer clearly-marked ramps and colorful rails to grind. There are five mountains to explore, though not all of them are available from the start of the game, and each mountain has various trails to shred. After a brief and effective tutorial, you’ll soon be jumping out of a helicopter and hitting the slopes. There are no directions, and the game lets you find your own way, as well as take all the time you need to get comfortable with the controls. Everything is mapped to the thumbsticks and trigger buttons, which is a change from the snowboarding games I’ve played in the past; this took some getting used to. However, the controls accentuate the realistic vibe of the game, so they seemed like a natural fit.

Each mountain has a good amount of short challenges to engage in while shredding down the trail. You can jump into one by hitting X as you pass it by, and after successfully completing it, you’ll score a point. Score enough points and you’ll attract media attention, and media challenges net you even more points; eventually, you’ll rack up enough to turn pro, which is when things really get interesting. The amateur challenges usually involve the rider performing specific tricks in a short amount of time, or beating a posted score. They are quick and varied enough that they don’t get old; challenges can be as simple as “grab and spin”, or as complicated as “do two front flips followed by a switch backside 540”. Oh, and for those of you who forget how to do more complicated grabs almost as soon as you learn them, the Grab Bible available on the pause menu is a godsend.

While the media and professional challenges are tricky and fun, it takes way too long for that to actually happen. It will be hours before you even turn pro, or even get sponsored, and collecting points one at a time can make it feel like the game isn’t going anywhere. There is a serious lack of direction in the early hours of Stoked that might make some gamers give up before they even really begin. Once you rack up enough points, the game takes on an entirely different feel, and there are plenty of different things to do; I just wish it had been this way from the start. Yes, the challenges are fun, but shredding down trail after trail hoping to score another point can get a bit tedious.

The other problem I had with Stoked is that it lacked polish. There was nothing seriously wrong with it, and no major glitches that I experienced, but the controls were sometimes imprecise. Too many times, I found myself doing the same trick multiple times in a row perfectly, only to not be able to do it a few minutes later because the game can’t seem to understand what I’m doing. This can seriously hinder progress in the longer challenges that appear later in the game, where there is no room for error. Graphically, Stoked falls into average territory, and I would have liked the visuals to be more impressive. Too often, the snow looked more like plastic, and I got stuck in textures a few times. A little bit of extra attention to detail could have really helped make this game stand out more.

Overall, Stoked wasn’t exactly the brilliant snowboarding game I’ve been waiting for, but it was definitely entertaining. I may have gotten frustrated a few times, but I kept going back for more, and I loved the sense of satisfaction I got when I pulled off a particularly difficult challenge. It beats the pants off Shaun White Snowboarding any day, and fans of the genre should at least give it a whirl. Stoked does require some patience on the gamer’s part, but it usually pays off.