Vancouver 2010 - the Official Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games - a Good Run, but No Gold

When this year's Olympic Games are over, the excitement of competitive winter sports does not have to end. In Vancouver 2010 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games, players have the chance to hit the snow or the ice in an assortment of events from the Games of the XXI Olympiad.

Events included in the game are:

Alpine Skiing: Men's Downhill, Men's Super-G, Ladies' Giant Slalom, Ladies' Slalom
Ski Jumping: Men's Individual Large Hill
Freestyle Skiing: Ladies' Ski Cross, Ladies' Aerials
Snowboard: Men's Parallel Giant Slalom, Men's Snowboard Cross
Short Track Speed Skating: Ladies' 500 m, Ladies' 1,500 m
Bobsleigh: Two-man
Skeleton: Men's Skeleton
Luge: Men's Singles

The game offers three modes of play: Training, Olympic Games, and Challenges. While Training allows practice for a particular event, Olympic, and Challenge Modes are for strict competition. In Olympic mode, single events may be selected, or they may be stacked in a playlist to be used in competition. Game play is based on the realism of the competitive sport without any glitz, power-ups, and tricks. Challenge mode allows the play of only certain events before others can be unlocked. In a unique twist to a standard event, this mode additional elements, such as "Saved By The Snowmen," where hitting a snow man on the course will give the player extra time, or "Lose Your License," where a certain speed must be maintained to beat a target speed.

Game controls are straightforward, and a number of the events can be completed successfully by timing the appropriate moves. By changing the in-game camera view, game play is in either first or third person perspective, and each event delivers a visually smooth, spectacular, and near true to life experience. Play is supported in single player mode or multiplayer mode via LAN, or Windows Live.

As the events aren't overly unique from one another, gamers who are looking for play beyond a vanilla sports experience will bore and tire easily. Those looking for a casual winter sport challenge with simple game play will find enjoyment. Although participating in a single event can be entertaining, it is unfortunate that the game doesn't offer an expanded variety of events or a coherent structure that ties those that into exist in the game in an overall package equivalent to a career mode.

Vancouver 2010 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games is published by SEGA, and is currently available for Macintosh, PC, Xbox 36, and Sony PS3. Review is based on playing on the PC, and actual game play may vary by platform. The game is rated "E" for Everyone and has a suggested retail price of $35.99-45.99.