Steep

Again and again, it's quietly thrilling to leap from the mountainside and the board beneath my feet, up to the overhead view of the entire mountain range, in which my rider is suddenly a dot, lost amongst the rumpled whiteness, and then instantly warp to a distant drop zone. As an extreme sports game, Steep is fine. As a place, it's frequently amazing.

Individual elements can delight and there's potential for greatness, but Steep suffers from not being able to make them work together. It's worth playing at least once just for the new effects, mind.

It turns out the mountain really does have something to say, but it's only when the noise is gone that its message can really be heard.

It does show that Steep is a game born of passion in a studio located at the feet of Alps, so it is easier to turn a blind eye to some of its flaws, like faulty collision detection. It’s not a perfect game, it will not have a following as strong as SSX 3 did, but if you’re looking for a game that will let you hit the slopes, there’s a chance you’ll be returning to Steep often.

The gorgeous open world and excellent skiing and snowboarding of Steep outweigh some problematic design elements and less enjoyable air-based activities.