Downhill Domination
Can Incog Inc's latest effort actually give downhill mountain biking mass market appeal? Read on to find out.
Published: August 22, 2003
Downhill Domination Review
I'll be the first to admit that a game based on downhill mountain biking is either a little too extreme or a little too stupid to really get my motor humming. Then again, part of the reason why I love this job is that I'm sometimes forced to play games I'd never touch normally, and rarely I'm grateful for that.
Such is the case with Downhill Domination and our pals Incog Inc. Sure, the boys and girls over in Salt Lake City may be one of the PS2's rare can't-miss developers (though with each subsequent PS2 release, the development house seems to be losing a bit of the magic that made Twisted Metal: Black such a refreshing next-gen title), but even uberprogrammers have the occasional lapse in judgment, right?
Yes and no. Yes, dedicating an entire title to the pursuit of xtreem-ifying downhill mountain biking might be slightly off-kilter, but no, Incog didn't screw anything up either. Downhill Domination is a damn good game in it's own right, and while I'll hesitate to lump it into the same class of greatness as the SSX games, it's obvious that a little homework was done.
It's not like this needs repeating, but yes, Downhill Domination is all about riding bikes down mountains. While going fast. Very fast. And occasionally slamming a stick across the back of the head of some poor schlub that thought passing you up would be a good idea. The thing is--hey, come back here, it's not that bad, I promise. The thing is, it's actually fun. Yep, I know, craziness.
It'll take a while to work your way into DD's cozy middle. The edges are a bit rough, only because it's a little too easy to just jump into the thick of things without being hand-held through it at first. Because it's so easy to jump in and then get your ass served up in a helmet, newcomers might have trouble adjusting to the game's difficulty and pace, which in turn could leave them with a soured experience.
Invest a little time in the training mode and learning the differences between the core game's mountaincross, freestyle and downhill technical races, however, and the addiction slowly starts to form. Toss in a slew of goodies for those actually interested in the sport like real pro riders (unlockable, of course), a sponsor list a mile long, and tons of music, game modes, bikes and tracks to unlock and there's enough here to make up for all of War of the Monsters' lack of replayability.
The game's trick system, while rather deep ;each of the shoulder buttons in multiple combinations up to all four can be tweaked by pressing the triangle button first, and then tweaked further by releasing and holding it again. There's a trade-off in recovery time for the tricks, of course, and much of the trick strategy lies in balancing quick trick opportunities with bunny hops and letting loose with a massive combo on the big drops. Because so much of the game is spent sprinting (read: pedaling), and because the sprint meter drains so quickly, there's a heavy emphasis on pulling tricks at regular opportunities.
There are other ways to add to your sprint meter, of course, the most obvious being combat. As you pull larger tricks or pick up power-ups, you'll upgrade your attack method from a fist to a tossed water bottle with intermediary upgrades like sticks, kicks and full bike checks. Sucessfully nailing your opponents will give you points (which equal money at the end of the race, which equals opportunities to buy unlockable goodies), adds to your sprint meter, and keeps your supply of weapons up. Of course, if you bail, you'll end up dropping down a notch on the succession of weapons, so tricking and attacking become an extra strategic layer.
This, in addition to DD's insanely huge and nearly infinitely varied levels, means there's more to the game than just trying to get down the mountain as quickly as possible, and while there are more than a few layers to piece through before you really start to feel comfortable, once you have figured out the more nuanced elements of the game Incog's masterful attention to crafting insanely fun games really shines through.
Something that needs no piecing through, however, is Incog's knack for building a looker of a game. Downhill Domination continues to tweak the same engine that was the basis for Twisted Metal: Black, but you'd never know it by looking at the game. The same detailed texture work is in place, but the expansive level designs and slight tweaks to things like special effects really show how flexible the developers' engines really are.
Simply put, DD is freaking gorgeous, kicking out jaw-droppingly serene vistas while still managing to punch through with only the occasional case of slowdown – even when all the riders for a course are on screen. The real visual treat, however, lies in watching mountains transition from summit to base, and delighting in the differences in between.
Luckily, while your pupils are busy feeding on all the eye candy, your ears will have plenty to take in as well. DD features some licensed music tracks of the pop-punk-ish variety, though the music itself is largely something that gets either ignored or turned off most of the time. There is a little longevity found in the fact that the full soundtrack isn't actually unlocked until you buy a couple music packs that contain a handful of songs each. Once you do move past the music, the game's requisite bumps, bails and nature-themed ambient effects are clean, though certainly not intrusive. In fact, the only aural department that's lacking comes in the annoying quips from the riders as they bike down the mountain; too often the same phrase or three gets repeated a couple dozen times, leaving you sick of it within the span of just one level.
Downhill Domination is a good game, though it may not exactly be for everyone. A steep learning curve, specific source material and an overall feel that doesn't exactly scream mass market means the game probably won't have the universal appeal that Incog's previous efforts had, but given enough time, it's more than easy enough to warm to the game's plusses. All of these factors add up to a hesitant recommendation on my part; unless you're already into downhill biking (in which case I can't think of a better way to safely live out your dreams of riding down exotic locales), it might be safer to give DD a rental. A little time spent with the game risk-free might turn mild curiosity in to utter infatuation.
I'll be the first to admit that a game based on downhill mountain biking is either a little too extreme or a little too stupid to really get my motor humming. Then again, part of the reason why I love this job is that I'm sometimes forced to play games I'd never touch normally, and rarely I'm grateful for that.
Such is the case with Downhill Domination and our pals Incog Inc. Sure, the boys and girls over in Salt Lake City may be one of the PS2's rare can't-miss developers (though with each subsequent PS2 release, the development house seems to be losing a bit of the magic that made Twisted Metal: Black such a refreshing next-gen title), but even uberprogrammers have the occasional lapse in judgment, right?
Yes and no. Yes, dedicating an entire title to the pursuit of xtreem-ifying downhill mountain biking might be slightly off-kilter, but no, Incog didn't screw anything up either. Downhill Domination is a damn good game in it's own right, and while I'll hesitate to lump it into the same class of greatness as the SSX games, it's obvious that a little homework was done.
It's not like this needs repeating, but yes, Downhill Domination is all about riding bikes down mountains. While going fast. Very fast. And occasionally slamming a stick across the back of the head of some poor schlub that thought passing you up would be a good idea. The thing is--hey, come back here, it's not that bad, I promise. The thing is, it's actually fun. Yep, I know, craziness.
It'll take a while to work your way into DD's cozy middle. The edges are a bit rough, only because it's a little too easy to just jump into the thick of things without being hand-held through it at first. Because it's so easy to jump in and then get your ass served up in a helmet, newcomers might have trouble adjusting to the game's difficulty and pace, which in turn could leave them with a soured experience.
Invest a little time in the training mode and learning the differences between the core game's mountaincross, freestyle and downhill technical races, however, and the addiction slowly starts to form. Toss in a slew of goodies for those actually interested in the sport like real pro riders (unlockable, of course), a sponsor list a mile long, and tons of music, game modes, bikes and tracks to unlock and there's enough here to make up for all of War of the Monsters' lack of replayability.
The game's trick system, while rather deep ;each of the shoulder buttons in multiple combinations up to all four can be tweaked by pressing the triangle button first, and then tweaked further by releasing and holding it again. There's a trade-off in recovery time for the tricks, of course, and much of the trick strategy lies in balancing quick trick opportunities with bunny hops and letting loose with a massive combo on the big drops. Because so much of the game is spent sprinting (read: pedaling), and because the sprint meter drains so quickly, there's a heavy emphasis on pulling tricks at regular opportunities.
There are other ways to add to your sprint meter, of course, the most obvious being combat. As you pull larger tricks or pick up power-ups, you'll upgrade your attack method from a fist to a tossed water bottle with intermediary upgrades like sticks, kicks and full bike checks. Sucessfully nailing your opponents will give you points (which equal money at the end of the race, which equals opportunities to buy unlockable goodies), adds to your sprint meter, and keeps your supply of weapons up. Of course, if you bail, you'll end up dropping down a notch on the succession of weapons, so tricking and attacking become an extra strategic layer.
This, in addition to DD's insanely huge and nearly infinitely varied levels, means there's more to the game than just trying to get down the mountain as quickly as possible, and while there are more than a few layers to piece through before you really start to feel comfortable, once you have figured out the more nuanced elements of the game Incog's masterful attention to crafting insanely fun games really shines through.
Something that needs no piecing through, however, is Incog's knack for building a looker of a game. Downhill Domination continues to tweak the same engine that was the basis for Twisted Metal: Black, but you'd never know it by looking at the game. The same detailed texture work is in place, but the expansive level designs and slight tweaks to things like special effects really show how flexible the developers' engines really are.
Simply put, DD is freaking gorgeous, kicking out jaw-droppingly serene vistas while still managing to punch through with only the occasional case of slowdown – even when all the riders for a course are on screen. The real visual treat, however, lies in watching mountains transition from summit to base, and delighting in the differences in between.
Luckily, while your pupils are busy feeding on all the eye candy, your ears will have plenty to take in as well. DD features some licensed music tracks of the pop-punk-ish variety, though the music itself is largely something that gets either ignored or turned off most of the time. There is a little longevity found in the fact that the full soundtrack isn't actually unlocked until you buy a couple music packs that contain a handful of songs each. Once you do move past the music, the game's requisite bumps, bails and nature-themed ambient effects are clean, though certainly not intrusive. In fact, the only aural department that's lacking comes in the annoying quips from the riders as they bike down the mountain; too often the same phrase or three gets repeated a couple dozen times, leaving you sick of it within the span of just one level.
Downhill Domination is a good game, though it may not exactly be for everyone. A steep learning curve, specific source material and an overall feel that doesn't exactly scream mass market means the game probably won't have the universal appeal that Incog's previous efforts had, but given enough time, it's more than easy enough to warm to the game's plusses. All of these factors add up to a hesitant recommendation on my part; unless you're already into downhill biking (in which case I can't think of a better way to safely live out your dreams of riding down exotic locales), it might be safer to give DD a rental. A little time spent with the game risk-free might turn mild curiosity in to utter infatuation.
