Reviewed: February 13, 2006
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
2K Games

Developer
49Games

Released: January 24, 2006
Genre: Sports
Players: 1-4
ESRB: Everyone

5
7
3
5
5.9

Supported Features:

Sadly, that hope was misplaced, at least in part, for what could have been a really good sports tie-in is really nothing more than a lackluster party game that might be worth a weekend rental during the final weeks of February. Once the Olympic buzz is over this game will have lost what little appeal it ever had.

It’s a shame really, because at its core there are some really good concepts and even some decent gameplay lurking beneath the frosty exterior, but for every fun event there are three that aren’t so much fun, and for every event that requires some thoughtful interaction, there are two more that require mindless and repetitive button mashing.

So basically we have a very barebones package of 15 events focusing on eight disciplines. Of course the two most popular events, figure skating and hockey are not covered, although nobody has ever tried to do a figure skating game and why would 2K Sports compete with their own NHL title.

From the start you pick how many players, skill level, and the number of events you want to participate in, or you can create your own custom chain of events. Torino 2006 supports up to four players but forces you to pass the controller around, as none of the events (even Speed Skating) are simultaneous. Admittedly, most of these events are solo, timed events in real life, but given this style of multiplayer I’m not sure why the game limits you to only four players since there are a lot more countries available.

And on the subject of multiplayer, what a total lack of vision for not making this game work over Xbox Live, at least for leaderboards. I don’t really care to play anybody online, either in real-time or turn-based, but given the worldwide competitive nature of the Olympics and the worldwide competitive nature of Xbox Live gamers, we could have easily had our own virtual Olympics for months to come if we had only been allowed to upload our scores somewhere.

So lets dive into the gameplay. There are only eight disciplines so there is some doubling up and variations of these eight to get you to the 15 events.

Alpine Skiing comes in Downhill and Super-G plus Slalom and Giant Slalom. Controls are standard across the board for all four events with the A button used for ducking to achieve more speed and the X button used for carving or making sharp turns at the cost of speed. You can get an initial speed boost by maxing the launch power bar out of the gate then it’s all about maintaining speed and accuracy through the red and blue gates.

Personally, the skiing is probably the most fun you can have with Torino 2006 and when I go back and play solo events it is usually one of these four. This is also one of the better multiplayer modes since the runs are usually under two minutes.

Ski Jumping offers two variations, a 90m and a 120m hill, each offering different speeds and distances. Check out the windsock to determine wind speed and direction then launch your skier down the slope. Your goal is to maintain your balance on the way down the ramp by keeping the bubble at the top of the balance arc. This is similar to the manual balance meters in Tony Hawk or SSX.

As you approach the end of the ramp the arc meter will start to fill and you have to push the A button to jump as the two ends of the arc meet in the middle. The fuller the arc the better the jump, and then you are sailing through the air continuing to maintain your balance with that same bubble, only no the wind is affecting you. As you approach the ground the meter will fill once again and you must push the A button to land. You are scored on the combined distance of two runs, and judges will rank your “style” while in flight on a scale of 1-20.

This event, much like the Alpine is pretty fun and even short making it great for multiplayer. My only complaint is that this event has you watching the HUD more than the gameplay, so rather than interacting with your skier and the slope you are merely timing button presses against a meter.

Speed Skating is as close to the old Track & Field games as Torino 2006 gets. This event comes in two distances for men and women and is probably the most boring series of events in the game, and also the most challenging to master.

From the starting line you rapidly alternate taps between the A and B buttons to set your initial speed. Once set you get two individual meters, one for each button, and you must now rhythmically push and hole the A and B buttons until their respective meters fill. The size of the meter changes based on whether you are going through a turn (fast strokes) or down a long straight stretch (long strokes).

It certainly requires practice and great timing, but it is still a button-masher nonetheless. You don’t even have to steer your skater unless you are playing on the medium or difficult settings and then they paint a racing line for you to follow.

Cross-Country Skiing plays an important part in three major events. Not only does it stand alone, it is also part of the Biathlon that combines target shooting, and the Nordic Combined that adds a ski jump to the event.

By itself, cross-country skiing is not entirely challenging. It’s merely a matter of patience and knowing when to go “all out”. You’ll ski along winding courses that include uphill and downhill grades. You have a circular meter that shows how much exertion is required to ski on the current grade. Flat surfaces require about 75% of the meter while steep uphill grades can shrink to 50%. Going downhill, you can hold down the X button and glide to recoup stamina.

You are free to exert yourself beyond the recommended mark on the meter but each time you do so you risk going into a critical mode where you can lose the race. There is also a tick mark just beyond the maximum recommended mark that will cause you to sprint for a short burst of speed at the cost of much stamina.

While the Nordic Combined is merely two events tacked together, the Biathlon actually requires you to make two stops along the way to shoot targets from various positions. This is pretty easy if you haven’t blown all your stamina, otherwise it will be hard to hold the scope steady as you shoot the targets. You will regain some lost stamina as you are shooting.

Any of the events that feature cross-country skiing are at least 3-4 minutes in length which make them a bit painful to watch in multiplayer games, although it is fun to watch the current player competing with the ghosts of previous ones.

Bobsleigh is a four-man event although you will be doing all the work. This is by far one of the most exciting events in the game and can easily make you sick if you aren’t careful. You start by doing a power-launch by tapping the A button as the icon passes through the target zone. This sets your initial speed for the run and can easily determine your final standings. Once you are in the pipe it’s all a matter of staying off the walls. Little radar guides will show you when you are getting close to the left or right walls and these are colored coded white, yellow, and red, with red meaning you are touching and losing precious speed. Getting a medal in this event is all about getting a good start and keeping off the walls.

Luge is almost identical to the bobsleigh only it’s one man on a sled that is smaller than his body. Again, you start with a power-launch only this time you are in direct control by pushing forward and back on the stick to push yourself off the start. Then, once again, you watch the radar arcs that emit from the corners of the screen and steer yourself off the walls.

Scoring for all of these events is handled with a point system as well as the traditional medal awards for the top three spots. If you win a medal your athlete will be shown in the proper spot during the brief awards ceremony.

There are also numerous challenges tucked away within the game, some of which you can get during the normal course of gameplay and others you will likely have to dedicate yourself to trying to achieve. Some are easy like skiing x-many km in cross-country events, while others require a perfect no-contact ride down the Luge or reaching a certain speed on the Alpine downhill. Winning these challenges will unlock new costumes for your athletes.

There are some nice fly-throughs of the venues prior to the start of each event and some excellent replays of the events from television-style cameras after you are done, although there was no way to save my favorite replays.

Nothing is too complicated with Torino 2006, just a lot of white snow and smooth, nicely animated characters, both during the event and during any post-event celebrations. There are some cheering crowds that help populate the venues, but they are pretty featureless and share limited animations.

It only gets worse when we get into the press box. I will give the commentary credit for providing some nice pre-event trivia, either about the event itself or a participating athlete, or even the games in general. I learned a few facts, but when it comes time for the commentary during the events…ouch!

The two guys doing the commentary are so inaccurate and contradictory it defies logic. One guy will be complimenting your performance while the other is bashing it, or they will both be telling you how bad you are doing all the way until you win the GOLD medal. The problem is that the commentary comes at scripted intervals, so if you happen to be doing bad at that exact moment in time when they are supposed to say something you will get a derogatory comment.

And then you have some events that just don’t need commentary like pumping your way through a 4-minute cross-country event or even gliding down a luge pipe. It gets really annoying to hear, “oops, he touched a wall” every 10 seconds. I know I touched a wall – shut-up already.

Sound effects are much better with a great swooshing sound as you glide down the icy pipes for luge and bobsleigh or the swish as you carve your way through the gates on the Alpine events. There is also some good crowd noises and cheers, although there is one guy on the cross-county who keeps yelling, “woohoo” every 8 seconds that I would love to have in my crosshairs when it comes time to shoot.

This could be a great party game for anyone who likes winter sports or is especially fond of the Olympics. It’s most definitely a rental during the Olympics but hard to recommend once the “fever” has passed, and I can’t ever imagine recommending a purchase anytime unless it drops to $10 or less.

49Games and 2K Sports might have stumbled a few steps in the right direction, but this ensemble of winter-related mini-games is hardly an Olympic contender. If you live and breath Olympic coverage then check this out for a day or two, but casual fans should save their money and hope for something better in 2008.