Downhill Domination

THE GOOD:
Spectacular speed

THE BAD:
Some really lame characters

SUMMARY:
Lord knows why developer Incog chose to follow up its well-received War of the Monsters with a mountain-bike racing game, but the company's fingerprints of quality are all over the place. Each of DD's 27 mammoth tracks boasts intense attention to detail and gripping gameplay. As you race through dense woods in a torrential downpour, skirting sheer cliffs and dodging tree stumps, lightning shoots from the heavens and sets the forest aflame--the game bristles with such crazy moments. And where other racers settle for a few hidden shortcuts, DD's mountainsides offer intertwining trails and plunging drops for the derring-do(thanks to some spotless controls, even sliding past obstacles is pure pleasure).
In fact, only a few minor missteps detract points from this otherwise perfect run. The cast of contenders is a case study of...

THE GOOD:
Mountain bikes
Ability to upgrade the bike to stay ahead of the competition
Levels are long and interesting - there is always someplace new to go

THE BAD:
This game is trying to be like SSX Tricky and has simply copied it without going one step better. I like the game but I would recommend SSX to someone else - it seems more fun.

SUMMARY:
Like all downhill racing games, luck plays a big part. The game is pretty easy to get into and the controls make sense - though a bit touchy on the lean forward, lean back control. I have only rented the game and so I cannot give a detailed description except to say that there is nothing here that tells me to run out and buy this game.

The cool part of the game is the bike upgrade screen. These are actual bikes and parts - though I am unsure of the prices. The performance of the bike does improve with each upgrade. Here is a real world tip -...

THE GOOD:
Everything is pretty good. The levels are big. I really like the combat system.

THE BAD:
It's a little too easy to get ahead and stay ahead. The framerate is liable to take an ocassional hit.

SUMMARY:
This is a pretty neat extreme sports/racing/ mild fighting game.

Premise- 8/10 You have to get to the bottom of the hill by any means possible. You are very encouraged to find alternate routes off the beaten path which is good.

Visuals- 8/10 Pretty good. The riders look good enough. Where Downhill Domiation's visuals really excell is in the environment. The mountains are very big. The weather changes are done well. I especially like the sense of speed. If you're sprinting at 50 MPH down a steep hill, you'll feel like you're going crazy fast. My only problem is that the framerate is likely to take a hit with alot of riders on screen.

Audio- 7/10 Nothing special...