Stoked Review [360] page 2

14 Oct 2009 at 17:57:10 by Nick Akerman
Systems used to review this title: (360)

Stoked's biggest accomplishment by far is the sense of achievement once you do hit the big time. After earning the right to face professionals one-on-one, you'll begin to attract media interest. What starts out as minor attention soon escalates (if you're successful), providing players with greater opportunity to be triumphant. I made greater progress in the tenth hour of play than I did in the first nine, as the mountains began to quail beneath my power, and not vice versa. By becoming a professional you'll earn sponsors, many of which provide new apparel and board types that'll make you feel like you've come a long way. It's funny how many games include power-ups and physical enhancements where Stoked opts for a reality-inducing set of new clothes. It may not sound enticing, but after numerous hours of learning how to snowboard properly, you'll feel greater happiness with these new items than any magical power-up can bring. From here on the sponsors will continue to come in for your signature, and your fame rating will rocket until you're facing the rest of the pro boarders in the grandest, most outrageous events going.

For a relatively low-key title Stoked is remarkably sure of itself. The game never pushes boundaries that would seem out of place in real life. Its initial toughness is something real amateurs can appreciate, albeit over the course of hours and not many bone-splitting years. Landing is often hugely frustrating however, as your boarder seemingly possesses the leg strength and balance of a rag doll. Even when positioned correctly, more often than not you'll be imprinting a full-scale tattoo of yourself into the mountain's torso. It's certainly irritating, and can often provoke you into quitting a challenge in favour of trying something else. There are one or two objectives here that are amazingly tough, and will have you pushing restart quicker than you can shout ‘AVALANCHE' to any of your unsuspecting peers.

Aside from the unpredictability of landing, annoyances also stem from the magazine shoots you'll take part in once pro level has been reached. Obvious comparisons can be made with Skate, as in EA's title you get to choose the best photo for each publication, and also to show off as career highlights. Here, the final photo hardly ever shows your boarder in a gravity-defying position, often portraying a close up of their leg or if you're really lucky, the end of your board as you go out of shot. It gives you little to be proud of, and begs the question as to why the developers bothered with showing you a faceless album of photographs at all.

Stoked is certainly one for the purists. If you're looking to fly down the mountain with a boost under your board whilst pulling off inhuman tricks, then this definitely isn't for you. If, however, you're looking for a challenging journey to the top, without the glitz and glamour of most games today, then give this a shot. The mountains are waiting and the fact is, there are worse ways of spending your time (after the brutal first few hours). Stoked was never going to set the world alight, but what it has done is offer players the chance to test themselves in a straightforward manner by pitting human against element. With that said, if you can overlook the worst voice acting ever known to man, there's a great deal of fun to be had in this challenging title.

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