Downhill Domination - PS2

Think SSX, without the snow, on mountain bikes, and you're definitely within sniffing distance of this latest extreme sports title from Incog. There are mountains, there are mountain bikes and, mounting the latter, the aim is to get to the bottom of the former as quickly as possible, whilst violently battling your opponents and showing off your extreme sporting skills with a host of tricks and cool moves. Obviously it's not quite that simple. Downhill Domination is packed full of all the game modes, features and other bonus elements that we've come to expect from such a game these days. There are real life professional riders, customisable bikes, licensed manufacturers, and a host of challenging courses from around the globe.

The main single-player mode is Career, which, in typical fashion, allows you to select from 14 distinct riders and enter into a wide variety of competitions and challenges. Along the way, success rewards you with cash, enabling you to purchase upgrades and customise your bike. There's also the inclusion of other rudimentary single-player game modes, such as training, arcade, time trial, and free ride, as well as a more focused Specialised Career mode and the option to create your own custom tournament. With regard to the multiplayer aspect in the game, up to four players (Multitap permitting) can battle it out in split-screen mode, in a variety of races, free rides and combat-orientated modes.

As mentioned before, tricks and stunts play a big part in Downhill Domination. Obviously, the main objective is to get to the bottom of the mountain pronto, but you may as well do it with a bit of style and earn some points in the process - we all know what points make, don't we (altogether now: "Prizes!"). There are over 30 tricks to get to grips with, including the likes of One Hander, Superman, Switchblade, Cliff Hanger, and the fantastically named Whipped Cat-Nac. In addition, each rider has a personal signature trick that defines his or her own style - fill up the trick meter, SSX-style, and you can nail the super cool move to net some big points.

Additionally, Downhill Domination also has a wealth of bonus features that you can unlock throughout the game, such as extra courses, bonus riders, video clips, music tracks, and plenty of extra multiplayer games. So, all in all, there's definitely enough crammed into it to keep you occupied.
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