Dark Summit
Score: 80% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: THQ Developer: Radical Entertainment Media: GCD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Miscellaneous/ Adventure
Graphics & Sound: Unless you are someone who only looks at a game if it pushes the envelope in terms of graphical power, there is little to complain about in Dark Summit. Yes, this is a direct port of the PS2 version but is that such a bad thing considering how great that version looked? Mount Garrick was once a beautiful ski resort, but now the landscape has been altered, giving it the appearance of a ski resort in the Thunder Dome (only without Mel Gibson and Grace Jones). It is interesting to see where the 'original' parts of the mountain are and where the General's modifications were made. Throughout the game, Dark Summit offers a fast and dark-yet-beautiful atmosphere. There is always some little graphical perk just around the next corner, making for an enjoyable ride. To top it all off, Dark Summit takes a big step forward in terms of 'draw distance' and 'fogging'. If it is on the landscape, then you can see it, and many times ski to it. This is very helpful since you can see the beams of light signifying where your next mission checkpoint is, and this sometimes helps to tip you off to possible shortcuts. I thought the faces that appear in the corner of the screen whenever someone talks were pointless, but I also know people who loved it, making it more of a personal issue. Sound only enhances the atmosphere. In addition to the edgy soundtrack, every once in awhile something will blare over the loudspeaker, giving you the impression that the mountain is a real working base. Except for Naya's voice, I liked the voice work. I especially liked some of the quips your Leader would throw out. For example, after failing a mission, instead of just telling me that I failed, he said 'Looks like the Force wasn't with you, better kiss your sister for luck next time.' It's fun, it's different, and I'm always a sucker for a good Star Wars reference.
Gameplay: Not a snowboarding game, yet not an adventure game. No matter how you look at it, you have to give Radical Entertainment props for coming up with a unique and original spin on the snowboarding genre. Admittedly, the story that goes along with the game is one Frankie and Annette appearance away from being 'Beach Blanket Bingo on Ice', but it works so well with the game it is hard to complain. You are a snowboarding agent, named Naya, and it is your job to figure out what the General is doing to Mount Garrick. The game is based around gaining 'lift points' which are gained by completing missions. These missions range from finding a bomb, to knocking the General's lunch off the table, to just completing a certain number of tricks. This is where the game began to unravel. I found many of the missions either too hard, or just too dull. In fact, many of them were basically the same thing, only instead of grinding on a table, I had to grind a pole. I also felt some of the instructions were a little too vague. In one mission, I was asked to perform nine grab tricks. The problem is that the briefing never tells you that it has to be nine different grab tricks, or what tricks count as grabs. When I looked over the moves list and performed the 'grab' tricks listed, the game would not accept them as satisfying the mission goal. Dark Summit does offer plenty of unlockables, acquired by gaining 'equipment points', but some of them, especially the outfits, were pointless. I don't consider a pair of sunglasses or a head set a new outfit.
Difficulty: Just to reiterate, Dark Summit is hard. Sometimes it is a nice challenge, but at others it is that 'cheap' hard that isn't so fun. One of the bigger 'cheapness' factors I saw appeared in the chase missions. Some goals have you evading the Ski Patrol - the problem is that sometimes the Ski Patrol officer would appear right next to you and by the time you got reoriented (since everything stops while you are getting your briefing), the mission is over.
Game Mechanics: Dark Summit features a very nice control setup, and it is fairly easy to learn, however it never felt all that intuitive. This is especially noticeable when performing tricks. Instead of using SSX's method of holding certain button combinations and using some simple button chains, Dark Summit uses something more akin to doing a move in Street Fighter. Even the simplest of moves require at least three button presses and it takes so much time for the move to start after the combination, you're likely to lose air and bail on the move. The falling engine also presents a few problems. If Naya even brushes up against some objects, she immediately begins to ricochet around the area, which can screw up mission goals. That said, Dark Summit is a very original game, but in the end it comes off as a bit lacking in a few details. For the most part Dark Summit is enjoyable, but it lacks that certain spark that makes other snowboarding games so addictive.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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