Crave Entertainment showed us SnoCross 2, a snowmobile racing sequel for the PS2 and Xbox. The game differentiates itself with its unique format - snow mobile racing - and the original gameplay this climate implies. Unlike car racing games you must deal with the elements, such as snow and ice, to win the race. SnoCross 2 provides a refreshing, if simplistic, racing experience for the typical console gamer.
The game takes a page from the typical book of a racing console titles with a career mode and quick race options. As you progress, you find secrets in the title, such as a number of hidden drivers and snowmobiles for you to discover. Using some special developer cheats they showed us a cockroach, a taco cart and a motorcycle, as well as special drivers that include that yeti and a Tim Burton-esque snowman.
The gameplay itself offers a slippery and slidey journey through a series of courses. Short of just holding down the gas, you must also perform tricks on jumps to raise your speed burst bar, which in turn allows you to perform an accelerated burst to pass the competition.
Career Mode in SnoCross 2 lets you compete in a series of races to earn cash. This cash then lets you upgrade the various parts of your snowmobile. This gives you the upper hand on your AI opponents. As you drive, your snowmobile is damaged whenever you hit walls or other obstacles. This slows you down, which makes driving a clean race of the utmost importance.
SnoCross 2 offers online play for up to four people, as well as a split screen mode for the party gamer among us. This allows you to race against AI as well as real intelligence. With three difficulty modes, players should find a challenge that ranges from completely ignorant to surprisingly advanced, where you use tactics to cut your competition off. The game is quite scalable and ensures that there are opportunities for multiplayer races of all types.
This title is due out for the Xbox and PS2 in Q3 of 2005. Despite its relatively short development time, the demo I played appears polished and fun for a party console-type game. Overall, if you wish to enjoy a good party racing game, with some unique physics created by the slippy-slidey ice environment, SnoCross 2 might be a good idea, especially when you consider its $19.99 price tag.
Lepidus is a proud Canadian and a lover of all things video games. Primarily he plays MMORPGs, shooters, text-simulations and sports games. His favorite games of all time are the EA NHL Series. Other favorites include Battlefield 1942 and Ultima Online. Lepidus has been gaming for as long as he can remember. Other interests include history, hockey and of course, writing.
