Dark Summit is a decidedly . . . different game. It's an adventure game, only it's done on a snowboard. I'm not entirely sure who thought up the idea, but it's definitely unique, and that definitely scores the game some points. Unfortunately, it's also quite short, and entirely too easy, making for a play experience that will leave many people unfulfilled. Nonetheless, for a first cut at an snowboard adventure game (I'm still scratching my head over this one), it's an entertaining experience.
You start off the game as Naya, a redhead on a mission to snowboard where only skiiers are allowed. Right after starting the game, though, you're thrown into a mission to . . . well, you don't really know what your mission is at first, just that there's some guy who keeps calling you on your phone and informing you of different challenges that you have to embark on. Successfully completing those challenges gives you lift points; get enough lift points and you can move higher up the mountain, where even more challenges await you.
This rather odd mix between adventure game and snowboarding makes for a bizarre first few minutes, but once you get the hang of what's going on, it's quite a pleasant experience. If you fail a challenge, you can hit Start and immediately attempt it again, which is absolutely necessary on some of the more difficult ones, where you're required to land a series of difficult grinds or do a certain number of combos over a short stretch of 'track'.
The mountain itself is intriguingly made. There are a few main paths down it, but there are also a large number of side paths, which often lead to challenges or even the elusive bombs that you must collect. Along with lift points, you gain equipment points that let you don new outfits and even a couple of new boards that go faster and jump further. Greater differentiation between the available equipment would have been really nice, but it works enough as is. There are also hidden tricks that you can find spread throughout the game, which add to your repetoire. Executing tricks is how you get equipment points, although you can easily max out those points by doing grabs and the like without ever using the specials.
Unfortunately, though, the game feels half-complete. It seems that there should have been many more challenges in the game, or new areas to explore, or something; after you beat the large number on the first two 'levels' of the game, you'll find yourself breezing through the mere handful available in the last few sections, and before you know it the game will be over. I never even saw the entire last area, because I got both of the missions quite rapidly. It's as if the developers ran out of steam, or encountered a deadline; the last areas of the game are nowhere near as 'fleshed out' as the first ones, and veteran gamers should find themselves beating the game from start to finish in a mere handful of hours.
There are three two-player modes that are also available, but they're definitely fluff; a race, a demolition derby, and a trick-based area, each of them lasts only a couple of minutes and only stand up to a few play-throughs. The game also unlocks new characters once you beat it, but their experiences are pretty much identical, giving little reason to bother with playing through again.
