Stoked Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 16th October 2009

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Are we stoked?

Stoked Details:

	Sports
	Xbox 360
	Bongfish
	zushi

Out Now

1-8

A few years ago it seemed extreme sports games were all the rage, and we, as gamers were spoilt for choice when it came to experiencing the thrill of risking life and limb. However the trend now seems to be over and all the big boys of the gaming world have left the extreme sports genre by the way side making room for the smaller publisher to bring us their offerings. Which brings me on to this snowboarding title from Bongfish, but will it leave me stoked as the games title may suggest.

Stoked follows the same approach as most extreme sports titles, allowing you to craft a reputation for yourself as a professional snowboarder on slopes around the world. The career path, is all there really is to Stoked. The game does feature multiplayer action over Xbox Live but all this generally allows you to play is the various career mode challenges competing with up to eight player’s to attain the best score. This multiplayer action of course offers very little lasting appeal, but that’s not to say Stoked lacks longevity. The game features various mountains, some as you would expect need unlocking, each mountain is then made up of several slopes each with up to 10 challenges for you to complete. There are also more challenges to unlock from sponsors and from time to time you will be challenged to hit the slopes against a pro snowboarder and have to match a series of tricks within a limited amount of time in order to complete the challenge.

Challenges offer something of a mixed bag. Some are stupidly simple whilst others will see you make attempt after attempt until you become so frustrated you simply give up trying. The way the challenges are structured is something of a bizarre design choice too, as the difficulty really seems to lack progression. For instance you can come across one challenge which requires you to perform several complicated moves or score a ridiculous high score then further down the mountain a challenge may only require you to perform an extremely simple trick and nothing else, it seems a really strange way to structure the game to me.

Despite all the ingredients to make Stoked a solid title things aren’t perfect! Firstly the games visuals, most notably the character models look seriously dated. This is strange when you consider that the scenery is pretty good, as are the games weather effects which change dynamically. The game also includes a day night cycle which is nice, but unfortunately the night segment really doesn’t last long enough. Visuals though aren’t the games biggest design flaw though. This comes in how long it takes the game to get going. Initially you have to earn enough fame points by competing in the various challenges in order for magazines to notice you. This is all well and good but it seems to take an age to gather these initial points. Which leaves a lot of content hidden from gamers for a very long time? During this initial period the game lacks, pace and feels very repetitive. But most importantly it fails to portray the passion for snowboarding which is essential to such titles. For those who stick with Stoked through this initial phase the game does really start to gather pace. As you are able to unlock various new challenges, media opportunities and gear to further customise your character with. However, the length of time required to get to this more exciting part of the game may prove too much of a hurdle for some.

As I’ve already discussed the games visuals lack the polish of a top title, however the games sound design does tend to fair better. Stoked’s soundtrack is made up of various different genres of music such as alternative rock and hip hop and also allows you to create custom playlists for when your heading down the slopes. I can’t claim to have heard of any of the artists featured in the game but they do fit in perfectly and most are pretty good. The games sound effects are pretty authentic however voiceovers aren’t always the best and the game tends to repeat the same phrases over and over.

Calling a final verdict on Stoked is pretty tough! On one hand the games developers have made some curious design choices which generally dumb found you and it lacks the sheen and polish of a top title. But if you manage to look past these flaws then at times the game can provide an addictive and enjoyable playing experience which is something all games should aim to achieve. Not perfect but worth a look for anyone who misses SSX.