First LookSled Storm 2

The original Sled Storm made some waves when it was released on the PlayStation in 1999. Stoked by the recent success of SSX, EA Sports is gearing up to make Sled Storm a hit along the lines of its superdeep snowboard romp. The original boasted a slick graphical production as well as some interesting gameplay elements. The upcoming PS2 sequel hopes to build on that, while taking advantage of the system's powerful hardware.

The Sled Storm series focuses on fast-paced snowmobile racing. Not much information regarding Sled Storm 2 has been released at this point. We do know that the game's environments will be a great deal more interactive and dynamic than its predecessor was. Expect to encounter many more destructible elements and hidden shortcuts than you did on the PlayStation version. You'll also be able to interact more deeply with your opponents; aside from merely bumping them as you pass, you'll be able to literally attack opponents, causing them to dramatically bail and causing you to possibly compromise your own stability as well. There's also word of more spectacular bail animations.

EA has also revealed that it will trump up the game's trick mode, making it more robust and varied. In hopes of furthering the cause of variety, EA has also increased the lineup of sleds available: Everything from light, single-ski sleds to heavy quad-sleds will be available. Characters will also play somewhat of a large role in Sled Storm 2. Taking a cue directly from SSX, EA will wrap light stories around each of the selectable characters, in hopes of endearing them to the audience.

The early screenshots that have been circulating indicate that Sled Storm 2 keeps the high visual standards set by its predecessor. EA is going for a realistic feel, so expect to see lots of environmental effects and other visual niceties. The company hasn't officially released any for the online media, but you can expect to see some as soon as we get them.

Frankly, we're pretty anxious to get our hands on a playable version of Sled Storm 2. EA's Big brand has yet to disappoint, and we aren't expecting it to start with this one. Sled Storm 2 is slated for a late fall release.