Earning all the Badges in SSX -- by Mark Smith

SSX: Deadly Descents packs adrenaline into every run with compelling characters and heart-pumping adventures as riders battle the most treacherous and diverse mountain ranges on Earth. Redefining the franchise, SSX: Deadly Descents will pit riders versus both mountain and man. Players will explore the story of a team who seek to be the first to descend the faces of the most treacherous mountain ranges on the planet. The team will travel the world to face the worst that Mother Nature can throw at them.

From the peaks of the Himalayas, where the air is so thin that riders have to descend through the death zone at breakneck speeds to keep from blacking out, to the solid ice ranges of Antarctica, where a sunlit line is the only survival option when temperatures drop 50 degrees centigrade in the shade. And the mountain isn’t the only danger players will face. In SSX: Deadly Descents the first goal is to survive. The second, in true SSX fashion, is to look good doing it.

By now, you may have seen that SSX has a system of in-game challenges and by completing them, you will earn Badges. Badges you’ve earned are tracked by RiderNet, which acts as your guide within SSX. Here’s a quick rundown of how the system works:

  • Badges you can earn are split into eight categories with challenges divided between: SSX’s three main game modes – World Tour, Explore and Global Events; the three pillars of gameplay – Race It, Trick It, Survive It; plus a Gear, and an Air & Trick category.

  • Challenges in SSX have three levels of difficulty associated with them and completing a challenge at each level, will earn you Bronze, Silver or Gold Badges. An example of a Badge in the Explore category is ‘Are We Still Friends’ – Beat 25 Friends’ Records. In total, there are 177 Badges in the Game.

  • Earning all levels of specific Badges will award the player Xbox Achievements or PlayStation Trophies, depending on what console you’re playing SSX on. One example is ‘The Gold Finish’ – Collect all Gold Race Badges.

In addition to Badges, SSX also uses a Drop Bonus System in Explore and World Tour. An example of a Drop Bonus is ‘Combo Chain’ – perform a 70 trick combo. Drop Bonuses can be achieved over and over again and are awarded at the end of each run. If completed, players are rewarded with SSX Credits calculated by tallying the top three most valuable Drop Bonuses achieved per run. The first time a player achieves a Drop Bonus, they will earn a Badge.

Here is the complete list of Badges and Drop Bonuses:

WORLD TOUR

EXPLORE

GLOBAL EVENTS

GEAR

RACE

SURVIVE

TRICKY

AIR TRICK

DROP BONUS

Look for our full review coverage of SSX later this month when the game ships. Meanwhile, make sure you have your copy pre-ordered and enjoy these exciting screenshots and get ready to get TRICKY! See you on the slopes...

Screenshots