Vancouver 2010: The Official Video Game of the Winter Olympic Games

Once every two years, my normal routine of playing and reviewing games is interrupted by the spectacle of the Olympic Games. Watching the dazzling display of athleticism created by competitors from across the globe can be as compelling as some of the best electronic diversions. Over the years, developers have tried to amalgamate the two- resulting in a long succession of Olympic-themed games from Track ‘N Field to Winter Sports 2: The Next Challenge. Sadly, the majority of these diversions have a lifespan about as long as the events themselves due to reliance on button-mashing controls, and over-simplified mechanics. 

Recently released Vancouver 2010: The Official Video Games of the Winter Olympic Games manages to sidestep the issues that habitually afflict these athletic recreations. Many of the events present some of the most graphically impressive, gratifying recreations of winter activities that gamers have ever experienced. However, the title is woefully undermined by a handful of puzzling design choices that sap some of the energy and excitement from the proceedings. 

One of the principal flaws with Vancouver 2010 is the game’s inadequate range of events. Had each of the disk’s fourteen competitions been varied, the title would have justified its $50 MSRP. However, the game’s focuses on only four different genres of events- downhill skiing/snowboarding, sledding, speed skating and ski jumps. Differences between the variations can be modest- such as the distance in the two ladies Speed Skating races, or the intensity of the curves in the Slalom and Giant Slalom races. Noticeably absent are the events that frequently translate well to gaming- curling, biathlon, hockey and figure skating.

The omission of any kind of opening or closing ceremonies is reasonable- few players will watch these bookending rituals more than a few times. However, the absence of any kind of campaign, or even a mode which follows the winter games schedule is inexcusable. As such, players jump around the different activities in Vancouver 2010 with no sense of cohesion or progression. Those expecting a comprehensive list of competing countries, actual athletes or even the ability to customize your Olympic competitors will be disappointed by the title’s roster of twenty four nations represented by non-modifiable participants. Given that the game’s cover art contains the images and signatures of four real-world participants, not having these athletes in the game is disheartening. 

Yet, despite these quandaries, Vancouver 2010’s interpretation of ice and snow-based events is peerless. The game largely eschews the typical rapid button presses used by many Olympic diversions to simulate power, instead focusing on precise steering and single, well-timed presses. This decision makes events such as Ski Jumping and Ladies’ Aerials accomplished enough to maintain the attention of players through multiple sittings. Additionally, the game’s incorporation of thirty challenges is inspired. Each tasks the player with beating a specific time, hitting a certain speed, or even plowing over snowmen during a downhill run. While enjoyable, these variations play too similarly to the game’s core competitions; most players will wish these excursions featured different courses, or even altered physics models.

Visually, Vancouver 2010 is proficiently polished, with an ample amount of motion-captured player animation and well rendered contestants. The game’s most innovative feature is the ability to view any of the game’s events from a first-person perspective. Instead of simply altering the camera angle, the change is accompanied by small details like hearing the excited breathing of the athlete, or the subtle change in hue as the player dons a pair of ski goggles. Like other faucets of the game, the game’s sound design can be painfully bare-bones affair, with generic rock music substituting for any play-by-play commentary.