21 Q Review - Lonely Mountains Downhill
Who made it?
Megagon Industries are a small independent studio from Berlin, Germany that consists of just three people. There are more bike varieties in the game than workers at the studio.
How long has it been in development?
Lonely Mountain Downhill was in development for over two years before the studio went to Kickstarter to get the help they needed to finish their dream. It reached their goals with 1621 backers that pledged over 45 000 euros.
Is it platform exclusive?
No, lonely mountains downhill is pretty much available anywhere you play. I reviewed the game on Xbox but it’s also available on switch and the core gameplay loop of quick rides would be pretty great for the handheld.
Is it on GamePass?
Yes, it is! if you have an Xbox you can’t beat the price of free and it is well worthy of downloading.
Is it worth buying?
I’m sure this game will go on sale often, but for around $20 on most platforms that it’s on you can’t go wrong.
Does it have any micro transactions?
No and that’s one of the nice things about Lonely Mountains. It’s feels like a throw back to older games where you didn’t have sponsors all over the game and crowds because consoles weren’t strong enough. You have to earn it by playing.
Is the game fun?
Yes, the game at its core is fun. It may take a few runs to get used to the controls but once you do it becomes second nature.
Does it look good?
Lonely mountains looks good but its not photo realistic graphics, instead, the developers opted to go for a polygonal art style. This helps the game stand out rather than draw comparisons to Trials.
Does it sound good?
The minimalist audio is quite peaceful and serene. There is no hard rock or techno, it’s just the sound of nature and your bike. Which compliments the games art style
Does it control well?
At first I wasn’t sure but once I switched control types it was perfect. There are minimal controls to worry about. Steer, peddle, sprint and brake. That’s it, but as with the art and sound design, the minimalist design works when the whole game is committed to it.
Does it have technical issues?
No, the game runs very smooth, most likely due to the art style the game uses. One of the main mechanics of Lonely Mountains, is the instant restarts when you crash. You crash a lot, which highlights how well this works.
Does it do anything new?
Lonely mountains isn’t reinventing the wheel but it’s true genius is in its simplicity. However, just below the surface lies a very demanding game. It’s a great game to pick up and try to master a trail for about 15 minutes if that’s all you have.
Does this compare to any game?
Immediately, trials comes to mind due to the bike nature and the rag doll physics upon crashes but lonely mountains is less about pulling insane air with crazy fireworks and more about precision trail riding. It also feels in the vein of super meat boy with its demanding sections between checkpoints that require focus and instant respawns so you can start peddling right away.
Does it have a campaign/story?
The game doesn’t feature a story and the main draw of this game is to unlock all the mountains, trails and bikes. The way to unlock them is to make it down the mountain following a certain criteria. These are goals like time or minimal crashes. There are also cosmetics that you can also unlock but they don’t affect the game like the first three.
Does it have multiplayer?
It doesn’t have multiplayer but it does have leaderboards for each trail and for each leg of the trail. It’s another incentive that the game offers you by showing how much room for improvement there is. It also shows which bike model they used which helps.
Does it have replay value?
Although lonely mountains may seem very basic at the start, upon playing you unlock more trails and more mountains. Completing harder challenges on each trail unlocks new parts that you need to build new bike frames with different characteristics. New frames will allow you to take different paths on the trail that might not have been possible before. If you’re a full completion person, you can also unlock new paint job and new biker outfits.
Is it couples friendly?
I would have to lean in the direction that couples could play this game on the couch and pass the controller back and forth during trail runs which don’t last long or crashes which happen often.
Is it family friendly?
Yes, you could play this with your children or let your kids play it alone. Even though, you’re just a polygonal mountain biker when you crash blood voxels pop out. However, you do have the ability to turn it off on the menu to make it even more family friendly.
What is the best part about the game?
Lonely mountains is just easy to pick up stay on the trails, keep your hand on the brake and complete the course. What the game does so great is constantly entice you with new paths that you might not have seen on your first ride.
What is the worst part about the game?
No game is perfect. This game focus on a few small aspects and tries to execute them as well as they could and for the most part succeed. However, I did find that a few times some of my crashes felt unfair. A handlebar catching the side of a bridge or your back tire bumping the smallest rock feels unfair at times.
Do you recommend this game?
I fully recommend Lonely Mountains Downhill. It does a lot with a little and you crave the ability to constantly improve.