I have become obsessed with this game in the last week, with the moments of quiet, uninterrupted, intense concentration it has given me at a time when focusing is difficult. The game has a simple concept, executed very well, with precise controls and finely balanced difficulty, but it is the magical ambience and an urge towards self-mastery that keep drawing me back, hurtling downhill with my heart in my mouth.
Lonely Mountains: Downhill feels very much at home on the Switch, and as such comes with our full endorsement, even if you haven’t already experienced it on another format.
This game is relaxing, beautiful, fun and challenging. It is meditative, and rewards exploration and expirementation. You have to be willing to go off the beaten path, try crazy things, and appreciate the serenity of cruising downhill through the serenity of nature.
The few performance issues aren't enough to keep Lonely Mountains: Downhill from being a must-have for Switch owners, whether a racing fan or not. The result of this masterful mix of the beauty and serenity of nature, and the gripping challenge of extreme mountain biking, is a genuine classic, one with an insane replay value hidden behind its simple concept.
Whether you’re pedaling down tight paths with little margin for error, catching air off natural stone ramps, or getting a quicker than expected reprieve by cruising over a railed bridge, Lonely Mountains: Downhill delivers a challenging, yet remarkably calming, experience. Don’t let a few miscues prevent you from checking this one out; it’s a game worth mastering.
Thanks to its varied routes, marvelous audio environment and well
designed difficulty curve, this work will have the player trying over
and over again until the downhill course is finally cleared...only to
then be given a more difficult route to cross. A unique challenge that
more than deserves its praise and attention.
Lonely Mountains: Downhill is a fantastic game. You don’t need to be into bikes, mountains, or sports to enjoy it. The simplicity of riding down a mountain trail, even when you’re trying to beat your personal best time, is an oddly relaxing experience that you can zone out to wherever you’re playing. The short trails are perfect for quick sessions on a commute or while you’re out and about, but there’s definitely potential to sit and play for hours at a time.
Lonely Mountains: Downhill is the perfect game to play between other big gaming sessions. It's easy to pick up and the adrenaline will become addictive. The only real downside is that the control methods take time to get used to, which can deter some.
Amazing little game. It is so much fun to race down the mountains slow as well as very fast. It also provides some nice depth due to the various bike variations that offer different skills which makes it lots of fun to play the tracks over and over to find all the crazy nice shortcuts. The steering is sometimes not that intuitive due to the camera movements but the pixel art and lovely design are incredibly well done.
This is a simple game executed very well. It is let down a bit by some drops in frame rate (especially at high speeds) and interactions with objects (like rocks and trees) being a too over-sensitive; this is more of an issue for a game like this as precision is key.
decent game, there are inconsistencies with the physics though. certain drops wont result in a crash while smaller ones will, you can often tap walls/rocks/trees/cacti resulting in a crash although you should only graze past them (according to what I've seen in the gameplay, either could be appropriate responses to a collision), you can also be translated away from an object, which is appropriate for collisions, but this can occur randomly.
As for the gameplay, the small field of vision inevitablly requires repitition as you will crash into something that is outside it, the only way to get a decent time (which is required to unlock new levels and bikes) is to slowly memorise the course. This is usually fine as the basic idea of the game is enjoyable but the more difficult challenges are often tedious; even after crashing on a single checkpoint multiple times following the same track is difficult as minor changes in direction and speed can result in you flying off the side of a mountain or into something hard. This small margin for error is exacerbated by the swtches performance, visually I think the game is acceptable but the analogues small degree on control , and frame jumping (the game just skips a frame and youre suddenly hurtling headlong into a rock) took a fair bit of enjoyment out of the game.
I would say this is worth $15NZD, you shouldnt spend more than that, and if certain challenges are grinding your gears dont persist just move onto another level/challnge.
This game is just okay. It kind of feels like playing an unfinished game or one that should be free on your phone. Controls are weird and if you look a rock wrong you're going to crash. A little glitchy but pretty smooth throughout. Kind of pointless overall. Save your money.
SummaryJust you and your bike — take it on a thrilling ride down an unspoiled mountain landscape. Make your way through thick forests, narrow trails and wild rivers. Race, jump, slide and try not to crash — all the way from the peak to the valley.