By Jim Rossignol on November 2nd, 2011 at 3:34 pm.
The SNOW dev team are making some bold claims for their freshly-announced all-caps mountain-descending title. It’s being built in CryEngine 3, and will take a physics-based, simulationy approach to white stuff. Here’s one claim: “Using a completely new and improved control scheme that pays attention to the actual experience of skiing and snowboarding, SNOW enhances the link between player and character, creating a superior gaming experience.” And another claim: “Completely Open World. You are able to explore the rich environment any way you please. Mountains consist of dozens of different routes and discoverable items, encouraging the player to explore and define their own line.”
SNOW trailer below. SNOW!
02/11/2011 at 15:37 westyfield says:
IT’S WHITE, IT’S COLD, IT MELTS ON YOUR EYELASHES, IT’S SNOOOOOOOOW!
*ahem*
Looks really fun, actually. Is it first- or third-person? The trailer mostly shows third, but there’s a bit of first at the end so I’m not sure.
02/11/2011 at 15:58 sinister agent says:
It’s second-person. Most of the time the game’s camera is pointed into your soul.
02/11/2011 at 16:00 Craig Stern says:
That snow way to do a camera system.
02/11/2011 at 17:57 PoLLeNSKi says:
icy what you did there
02/11/2011 at 18:23 Tams80 says:
Stop being so slush with your comments.
02/11/2011 at 18:45 jrodman says:
Hail the advancements brought by this new system!
02/11/2011 at 19:34 Inglourious Badger says:
I’m snow board of these puns. When will you lot ski there’s more to life than writing halfpipe baked snow puns not worthy of a media mogul run’s tabloid hacks!
03/11/2011 at 05:47 nayon says:
You guys cold have come up with better jokes…
03/11/2011 at 14:37 PoLLeNSKi says:
I’m sorry, I was piste when I wrote that
02/11/2011 at 15:38 Danorz says:
my first impressions all consist of how shitty that player animation is
02/11/2011 at 15:38 Hmm-Hmm. says:
Er.. what was that music? If it can be called that. And, more importantly, why would they think it fits the video?
02/11/2011 at 22:13 vivlo says:
i love this music. It surely reminds of the cow bells, whoses cows are to be found in such landscapes, in summer. maybe not so much in winter. i guess. anyway it’s a lovely music.
03/11/2011 at 09:09 LennyLeonardo says:
@vivlo: I think I love you.
02/11/2011 at 15:38 Seboss says:
Obligatory YTMND reference: http://vaderloveschristmas.ytmnd.com/
02/11/2011 at 15:42 Jim Rossignol says:
Best.
02/11/2011 at 16:49 Khann says:
Ahahaha.
02/11/2011 at 15:40 Bishop99999999 says:
Reminds me of my favorite track from SSX Tricky. Untracked was just a majestic ride down the mountain without any of the garish rails or lights that every other track had. The background music was perfect, too. Hope this is like that.
02/11/2011 at 15:47 Kdansky says:
Fond memories. SSX Tricky is pretty much the only sports game I ever found enjoyable. Though I believe the free form track was in the second or third installment (why is this marked by my spell checker?). SSX 3 on the PS2 was a real blast.
02/11/2011 at 16:15 jonfitt says:
Untracked was in SSX Tricky. It was very mellow.
It’s Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that’s right on time…
02/11/2011 at 18:47 jrodman says:
Tricky’s tricks were a bit too much ‘on rails’ for my taste. Prefer my SSX in original vanilla flavor.
Both are fun though, and the only sports titles I liked that much since the Summer Games era in 1985 or so.
02/11/2011 at 20:11 Reapy says:
Amped and Amped 2 weren’t bad on the xbox, had a good feel to to be on realish mountains, though I feel like something was lost in amped 2. Amped 3 on 360 got a little too crazy, while it was enjoyable, it started losing out a lot of what was fun in the first one.
03/11/2011 at 12:35 Dances to Podcasts says:
The problem with Tricky is that usually hell’s around the corner.
02/11/2011 at 15:41 jeffcapeshop says:
hmm, tbh it doesn’t look particularly more advanced than Supreme Snowboarding, which i used to play 10 years ago..
02/11/2011 at 15:48 hmrf says:
pretty much what I thought, yes.
02/11/2011 at 15:50 Phinor says:
Supreme Snowboarding is still pretty much the peak with snowboarding games. I doubt SNOW achieves the same level of quality-fun-content but if it gets even close, it might be the second best we’ve ever had.
Not that I was impressed by this teaser but still.
02/11/2011 at 15:42 skyturnedred says:
Haven’t really played any snowboarding games since Cool Boarders 3 on the first Playstation, which was over 10 years ago. I wonder how the open world will work, since you go downhill all the time there’s no turning back if you happen to choose the wrong route.
Not enough fun sports games on PC these days, so I will definately check this out, could be fun if the controls are good.
02/11/2011 at 20:15 Reapy says:
Ah yes, coolboarders 2 it was for us, used to sit around in my friends basement taking turns playing that thing, awesome games. I think 2 was our favorite “BACK AIR”.
The last amped on the 360 did a good job letting you get around the mountain by basically letting you swap at any point onto a snow mobile and tool around wherever you wanted to go, also it let you instantly reset to any of the lift drop offs at any point too, so if you weren’t too concerned about score and wanted to explore you could just pop over to a start spot if you wanted.
You know in hindsight amped 3 did some cool stuff too like you can gain trick points from carving back and forth, one of the few ways to put that aspect of snowboarding in without it getting too boring etc. Wish that series had continued on trying new things.
02/11/2011 at 15:42 Magnetude says:
After Monolith messed us about with F.E.A.R. and Fthreear, I thought all-caps game titles would be getting a FROSTY reception around here.
Although I have to say it does SUMMIT up nicely.
02/11/2011 at 15:49 westyfield says:
Online races would be awesome though. That is, as long as you don’t have a FLAKY internet connection.
02/11/2011 at 15:42 Galaxy613 says:
Haha they’re using vimeo? Just a matter of time before it gets taken down; because video games aren’t art. ;D
02/11/2011 at 21:52 exenter says:
What are you talking about?
02/11/2011 at 22:16 vivlo says:
that
02/11/2011 at 22:18 vivlo says:
more like that, in fact
and this too
02/11/2011 at 15:43 Danorz says:
“by riders for riders” ah, so when it turns out to be bad and control like a pig with parkinsons they can shout “well it’s not FOR you, is it?”
02/11/2011 at 15:44 sneetch says:
It’s an acronym: SNOW stands for “Snow’s Not Only White”.
02/11/2011 at 21:27 Matt says:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmVvgo1wxh4
02/11/2011 at 15:45 vatara says:
If they’re doing big mountain stuff, there better be phsyicsy bad ass avalanches. And an avalanche rescue mini-game.
02/11/2011 at 15:46 povu says:
Needs more dragons.
02/11/2011 at 17:45 DigitalSignalX says:
Exactly.
OblivionTony Hawk with snow.02/11/2011 at 21:52 exenter says:
I would prefer dinosaurs.
02/11/2011 at 15:49 Rao Dao Zao says:
Look ‘snow bad.
02/11/2011 at 16:38 Raiyan 1.0 says:
Looks? It’s CryEngine3, visuals’no problem.
02/11/2011 at 21:54 exenter says:
Just because it is CryEngine 3, doesn’t mean it is going to look good. The graphics in this game looks worse than most PS2 games.
03/11/2011 at 12:23 MrXswift says:
first they show cryengine 3.0 then n64 graphics… made me laugh
02/11/2011 at 16:01 arienette says:
Woo! Loving this, finally people have learnt skiing is cooler than snowboarding.
02/11/2011 at 20:33 aerozol says:
Skiiers saying it now isn’t less annoying than boarders saying it in the past.
Just go up the mountain, and have fun.
02/11/2011 at 23:58 arienette says:
No, there’s only one way to have fun. You’re wrong.
03/11/2011 at 00:56 aerozol says:
Sometimes I forget :(
02/11/2011 at 16:07 Lorka says:
Someone tell me it has the perfect ergonomic finesse of Ski Stunt Simulator and I will be sold.
02/11/2011 at 16:45 Nice Save says:
“You are able to explore the rich environment any way you please.”
Oh really? Uphill, that’s the way I want to be able to explore the environment.
SNOW LIES.
02/11/2011 at 17:22 Spoon says:
So the goal of the game is to collect CBS News logos?
02/11/2011 at 17:27 Koozer says:
“Completely Open World”
COW?
02/11/2011 at 17:44 tomeoftom says:
YES. YES. YES. This is the game that should have existed years ago.
02/11/2011 at 17:49 Tams80 says:
Not simulationy enough unless I can lose my ski pole half way up the ski lift and then have to go and fetch it. It will also require a mini game where you have to fight to stay in the queue for the ski lift and the ski passes must have their own AI to decide when they will work.
02/11/2011 at 18:42 arienette says:
What about going over a well hidden rock and having to wait a couple of days for the technician to repair it before you can ski again?
02/11/2011 at 19:05 sonofsanta says:
But why has that man got two bits of wood on his feet? Heresy!
Seriously, though, if they do this right, it could be the greatest ambient experience ever. I take no joy in failing to do even the smallest of jumps on slopes; there is much more pleasure to be had in taking a slow and deliberate journey across your own bit of mountain and enjoying the ride, and I would love a game to recreate that.
Now I want to go to the Alps again, and my bank account won’t let me, boooo
02/11/2011 at 21:08 aerozol says:
This actually looks pretty cool, just because a ‘realistic’ snow-riding game is what I’ve been looking for for so long. Unfortunately, the single level showing, and the wooden animations (ooh, a mute grab, how nice…), make me think this is going to be pretty low budget, and missing certain ‘essentials’, like sinking into pow, or a sense of magnitude and speed.
Also, it looks worryingly like an average ‘xtreme sports’ title with arcadey movement, but they don’t let you rotate fast. Because that’s ‘realistic’. Big Mountain is incredibly dodgy, I would love to see your player die if they drop too big onto flat, or hit an icy patch. Or even avalanches on certain slopes under certain conditions. Or have to hike to interesting spots. But that’s pretty unlikely.
Damn, I’m being negative I see, but these games try and get my hopes up every time. I don’t want to be disappointed : (
02/11/2011 at 21:25 Matt says:
You forgot to mention that this is going to be FREE (according to the accompanying text on their Vimeo page http://vimeo.com/29075248 )
02/11/2011 at 21:40 Koozer says:
I’ll wait for the inevitable yeti of death DLC.
02/11/2011 at 22:13 BathroomCitizen says:
Is it just me or does skiing seem really REALLY dangerous?! The character in the video skiied down on impossible mountain ranges!
If it’s really like this in real life, I’ll never ski in my life.
03/11/2011 at 13:52 arienette says:
They aren’t impossible ranges, but big mountain skiing is a minority pursuit (though an awesome one). I’d recommend starting on a gentler slope :p
03/11/2011 at 02:43 bill says:
Finally a snowboarding game on PC??
Well, maybe there are some, but I never found them. Some of my favorite times were chilling out going down mountains in SSX3, and I loved the open peak approach. I doubt my PC will run this, but i’m happy it exists anyway. I never get to go real snowboarding anymore…
ARE there any decent snowboarding games for PC?
03/11/2011 at 20:22 KilgoreTrout_XL says:
I wish it looked better, but this could still be kinda neat, provided that they are allowed to use some famous backcountry spots from around the globe. For instance, I wouldn’t mind a video game hike up tot he top of Kt-22 to do eagle’s nest, since I’m sure as shit not going to do that in reality. Pros like Shane McConkey skied it a lot, but he also did (and died doing) this stuff, which I also won’t do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtXt_UsZ4YQ