The SSX snowboarding franchise is making a valiant return, EA announced today, and its impending appearance on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will surely prime it to utilize the Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Move, respectively. SSX: Deadly Descents is on the way exclusively for those two systems.
A specific release date for SSX: Deadly Descents was not announced, but EA did reveal that the snowboarding game will not only go back to its tricked-out roots, but also present gamers with some dangerous new obstacles.
For instance, it sounds like at least a few levels will have a timed element, as some maps will present some time-based obstacles. In the Himalayas, for example, the air is so thin that riders have to descend through the death zone at breakneck speeds just to keep from blacking out. And in the Antarctica races, racing and doing tricks in the sunlight will be the only way to survive since the temperatures along the track drop to 50 degrees centigrade in the shade.
But the mountains won’t be the only danger players will face. Sure, imminent death off the slopes is a bad thing. But committing styslistic suicide — in other words, not looking good while descending the mountain — is also an element players will need to avoid at all costs.
SSX: Deadly Descents will also pay heavy attention to online interactions as players delve into the story of a team seeking to be the first group to descend the faces of Earth’s most treacherous mountain ranges. Specifics about the online aspects were not yet available, but will presumably be unveiled as we get closer to E3 2011 and the game’s release date.
Unfortunately, we don’t yet know what the release date for SSX: Deadly Descents will be. We just know that it’s currently in development for PS3 and Xbox 360 by EA Canada, and that it will be released under the EA Sports label, presumably next year.