Lonely Mountains: Downhill
Developer Megagon Industries Publisher Thunderful Format PC (tested), PS4, Xbox One Release Out now
PC, PS4, Xbox One
When we experience nature in games, usually we do so at walking pace. In self-styled meditative titles such as Proteus (which, in a universe without Steam, would live in a corner of the shop occupied only by furtive enthusiasts, like a record shop’s jazz section) it’s as though the developers have you by the wrist, forcing you not to rush past the lovely shrub textures they laboured over. Lonely Mountains: Downhill feels like a direct response to that pedestrian pacing. It’s challenging – fiercely so, actually – but ultimately the task of weaving a wobbly mountain bike along a downhill trail exists to put you in a quiet place of woodland sounds. This is meditation at sprinting pace.
Indeed, it’s the sound that proves so striking. Rarely has the act of riding a bike in games been accompanied by anything other than skate punk, but here the soundtrack is provided by wind rushing through autumn leaves, birdsong and the occasional thrum of rainfall. This is an overlooked aspect of the real activity too: the startling quietness of propelling yourself through nature, a rear derailleur and some heavy breathing the only things puncturing total silence. That peaceful audio helps to settle your mind on the fiddly endeavour of navigating a bike down a hill, but it works the other way, too: while you focus on the particulars of riding its four mountain trails, you can’t help but absorb the peaceful atmosphere.
At least, that’s the eventual result. In the hour or so it takes to get a firm grasp on its controls, Megagon Industries’ zen racer occasionally tips you over into outright frustration. As runs play out in 2.5D, the camera perspective often shifts to flip the controls and force your brain into rapid recalibration. When you get it wrong, Lonely Mountains’ rider suffers a Trials- like demise of blood and limp bones, which comes as a bit of a surprise given the erstwhile tranquil vibes. And you get it wrong a lot. One of the very first challenges, for example, is to make it down the mountain with fewer than 22 restarts. And that’s not being generous – achieving a run of only 21 bonedemolishing bike crashes takes practice.
The two opposing forces – one asking you to smell the flowers and feel the breeze, the other demanding a samurai’s dedication to the course – eventually work in harmony. But it takes a level of persistence that many won’t be inclined to reach. Those people would be within their rights to quit to desktop when the cheery nature bike game breaks their legs for the 50th time – although we suggest anyone afraid of a bit of risk steer clear of the jazz section in future.