No matter what it looks like mountains aren’t trying to kill you. Leave them alone and absolutely nothing bad will happen, with the disclaimer that volcanoes are a whole other thing. The rocky spires, hidden caves, dark crevasses, and sheer cliffs aren’t forcing anyone to explore their secrets, much less wait for a lovely day to race down them at full speed. Mountains are only as dangerous as the person risking their life on them makes it, and for the really good times that’s incredibly dangerous indeed.
Hitting The Slopes Far From The Groomed And Tended Trails
Lonely Mountains: Downhill didn’t initially seem like it would be the first in a series, and if there were any expectations it’s that the sequel would be another mountain biking game. That would have been a reasonable guess but there’s more you may do with the terrain than barrel down it on two wheels and a prayer. Dump a little snow everywhere and the mountain transforms into a winter paradise, needing only a pair of skis and complete disregard for personal safety to explore. Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders brings the same atmospheric action to skiing that it did to mountain biking, but this time it’s only as lonely as you want it to be thanks to the new optional mulitplayer features.
Review: Lonely Mountains: Downhill
Lonely Mountains: Downhill is easily the best mountain biking game available.
The setup is exactly the same as the first game- You’re at the top of a mountain and there’s a trail that twists and branches its way through a series of checkpoints to the base camp. There are three goals to chase after if you want but in Lonely Mountains they’re more suggestion than requirement, although there are some nice gear rewards for completing them. The atmosphere, though, is the exact opposite of the extreme sports of the 90s/early-2000s, chill and laid back with no music beyond the wind and other nature sounds. The mountain is peaceful, and if you just want to vibe with it that’s perfectly fine. Or you’re able to head down slope at a breakneck pace looking for the best line, tricking off jumps and accumulating every bit of speed to prove true mastery of the trail. There’s a timer for those who want speed and hidden relaxation spots for those more in the mood to explore for secrets, and there’s no law saying you can’t do both depending on mood.
Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders released today for PC and Xbox and it’s a great skiing game, a little arcade-y but not in the over-the-top way of SSX or, god help us all, Jonny Moseley Mad Trix from the PS2 days. The skiing feels good, and the snow trails remaining when you bail showing the failed line do a great job in letting you plan better for the next attempt. The real stars of the show, though, are the mountains, which despite being very videogame (natural wilderness doesn’t have level designers) feel like actual mountains, big and remote and a little unknowable. It’s a serene world away from civilization, and whether you choose to luxuriate in the peaceful atmosphere or shatter it completely, the mountain has a history measured in millions of years and won’t even notice the disturbance.
