By filling up the boost meter completely, players enter 'Tricky' mode, which makes a return from SSX Tricky.

[4][7][8] During each location, players train a specific rider to tackle the descent via a series of events which generally involve either defeating opponents in a race or obtaining the highest trick score.

These culminate in a Deadly Descent stage, in which the player is tasked with safely making it to the end of the level with a limited number of rewinds.

Each of these descents features dangerous obstacles, such as trees, avalanches, large drops, low oxygen, freezing areas and darkness.

These include body armor to defend against rocks and trees, wingsuits to clear large gaps, pickaxes to aid turning on icy surfaces, and flashlights to light up dark areas.

[9] Mackenzie "Mac" Fraser, Kaori Nishidake, Moby Jones, Psymon Stark, Zoe Payne, Griff Simmons and Eddie Wachowski (pre-order bonus from GameStop) also appear in the game.

[12] Travis Rice was later made available as a DLC character, making him the only real-life snowboarder to feature in the game series.

On April 3, EA released two characters, Eddie Wachowski and Travis Rice,[16] which were previously only available with pre-orders of the game, and limited Facebook app codes, respectively.

On May 1, EA released content entitled "Mount Eddie & Classic Characters Pack" to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

The mountain, named "Mount Eddie", contains several elements reminiscent of the previous games, including large jumps, halfpipes, fireworks, billboards, and an overall colorful environment.

[30] SSX was the fifth best selling game in the United States behind Mass Effect 3, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, MLB 12: The Show, and NBA 2K12.