The creators of Lonely Mountains: Downhill, Megagon Industries, have released the demo for their highly anticipated sequel, Snow Riders. This sports game invites players to test their skiing skills in stunning mountain landscapes. You can perform tricks, uncover shortcuts, and improve your times in this snowy follow-up to Megagon Industries’ original game. Enjoy the slopes solo, compete in online multiplayer races with 2-8 players, or team up with friends to conquer the mountains.

Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders comes to PC and console with the same simplified graphic style that Downhill had. The low poly environments are just as stunning as you hoped they would be, with excellent particle effects for the snow drifts. Your tracks even remain after a crash, letting you track your previous ill-fated path and anticipate where you need to change course. Snow Riders even pays more attention to your character, now giving you some body-type and color customization. A smart choice, given the addition of online multiplayer.

Race to the Finish

The multiplayer is a very exciting addition that was missing from Downhill, and really plays into the skiing culture. The different game modes are even named for the different types of slopes you expect on a ski course, including the Blue and Black Diamond designations. I was surprised, however, that there wasn’t an option for Bunny Slopes. You’d think that would be Snow Rider’s equivalent of the Explorer level in Downhill. Its not that big of a deal, really, but something I’d consider an oversight.

What a lot of people really want to know, is how Snow Riders‘ gameplay measures up compared to Downhill. I have to say, I really enjoyed the demo of Snow Riders more. Perhaps it is just because I understand the principles behind skiing better than I understand the principles of mountain biking, but the controls felt a lot smoother. The movement was floaty in a way that made sense and let you take turns properly, where I felt Downhill‘s turns were often too sharp and sudden. A person who’s actually biked might have the exact opposite opinion, so that’s just down to taste and preference.

Whether you seek a thrilling challenge or a relaxed winter getaway with friends, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders has it all. If you want, then you can give both games in the series a try through their Steam demos. Keep in mind that they’re optimized for controllers and let loose your inner mountaineer.

Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders demo is available on Steam now!