SLED STORM (PS2)


A huge storm or just a shower?

By TOM FAHEY

Sled Storm, the game of great success and talent on the PSone, has now been amplified and brought to the PS2.

EA Big have made yet another extreme sports game and, although it now shares many of its new aspect with games like SSX, Sled Storm on the PS2 still has many of its own virtues.

It's beginning to get quite hard to determine the differences between the latest EA Big games. I guess since they had so much success with SSX that they thought they'd make all their games like that. Well, a little, no, a lot of SSX has rubbed off on Sled Storm making it quite the different game to its predecessor.

In effect, Sled Storm is no longer the unique snow sled racing game it once was. Sure it still holds some of the old characters, and new sleds can still improve your racing. But the levels are now either a big colourful ice burg, or a theme park in the snow. Sound familiar??

Another major influence that can be seen is that new individual parts can no longer be purchased. Only new sleds with better performance can be won, by finishing in first place on specific tracks. So the money aspect in the original SS has been given the boot, and has been replaced with the newer and more contemptible SSX ways.

Also, the fact that each level has "objectives" makes for yet another change from the original. For example: finish in 1st place to progress, earn 40,000 points to unlock the course captain (new character)... etc. The Tony Hawk influence is not so subtly inserted.

Not knocking Tony Hawk, but after how good the first Sled Storm was, it's hard to imagine that EA had to use a combination of other game styles to make a decent follow up. One could easily assume that it is another sequel to SSX, only with snow sleds.

But it's not all bad. The game play is just about the same - the sleds still handle just about as good as a rodeo bull, so nothing there has changed. And you can still pull of some of the original insane tricks, as well as some new ones. If you thought the back flip looked cool, just wait till you see the swan dive, or the heart attack, and don't forget the suicide back flip, and what about the...

But it seems that your points no longer tally up and turn into money, as there is no money, instead you get what's called a "Storm Boost". Yet another SSX rip off, but this one is kinda cool, though.

Basically if you land a trick, you get some boost on the Storm Meter. The better the trick, the more "boost" you get. And, when you press the desired button, the boost meter uses up its contents and shoots you down the track like a rocket.

The graphics sure have improved in comparison to the PSone version, but it's plain unfair to compare something which is four times weaker to the PS2. But, I must say, the graphics in Sled Storm haven't lived up to PS2 expectations. They do get rather sloppy if you look closely.

The level designs are the main draw back, however. I believe that the developers tried to make them really colourful and really, really big, but without finishing it off very well. Rough edges hear and there, see through polygons - just little things that you would think would be left behind with the PSone.

The sound effects are no less than you would expect, with rough grunting engines for the "tough" sleds, and a healthy sounding pur with the racing sleds. The music fits nicely for the game, offering a good variety of rock, tecno, and generally quick-beat musak.

Oh, and the characters talk as well. When they fall off, land a trick, or bump someone, they all give different responses and one of the guys is a real hothead. When his sled doesn't start after a nasty tumble, his remark is subtle: "Start you piece of CRAP!!"

Well, here's the final verdict: The original Sled Storm was a very good simulator of snow sled racing, which had many good and also unique features. If the sequel was based on the original, it could have been a lot better, but so much of the PS2's Sled Storm is seen in other EA Big games.

But, all things considered, it is a fun arcade style, reality warping racing game. I would recommend it to the fans of SSX and perhaps Tony Hawk's, but if you're looking for something really new in a game, you won't find it here.

ORIGINALITY 60%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 80%
PLAYABILITY 70%
ADDICTION 75%
ENJOYMENT 80%