Modern mobile developers, at this stage, have literally unleashed a cold war for gameplay and graphical innovations in new projects. Here and there, games are constantly appearing, unthinkable in terms of picture quality, some of which we could only play on a full-fledged console or personal computer just a couple of years ago.
And now we can see large-scale projects in the palm of our hand. However, in order to create an atmospheric and addictive game, it is not always necessary to open the shores of America. It was under such auspices that the little-known studio Snowman presented its new project, Alto’s Adventure.
Even after several hours of playing, it’s hard to say what genre this creation belongs to. This seems to be an endless runner, but turned at a completely different angle; playing Alto’s Adventure does not create the impression that you have already seen it all.
Runner, in its usual sense, is already automatically associated with a third-person view, however, this is not our case. In this game, the camera is located more as usual for a platformer, which brings quite a lot of zest.
The word that will tell you amazingly about this game, instead of a thousand sentences, is minimalism. Minimalism in everything and everywhere. The complete absence of a menu, a beautifully animated screensaver against the backdrop of provincial winter noises and the inscription “tap to start”.
As for the gameplay itself, utter minimalism also reigns here. You play as a snowboarder (logically, because the game was created by “Snowman”), who automatically descends from the snow-covered valleys and, as you might guess, your task is to make this descent as long as possible and leave all your friends in the Game Center with their noses. And to interfere in this difficult matter, stones, bridges and steep ravines scattered all around will try to interfere with you.
In fact, the player has only two options: to make a light tap to jump, or to make a long tap, to perform a “flip” or some other trick. For the successful execution of beautiful acrobatic tricks, you can increase your points.
In general, your main task is to jump at the right time. Alto’s Adventure is reminiscent of the once sensational Impossible Game, only much less hardcore and more personable.
In addition to the main and extremely important mission – to go as many meters as possible, the developer suggests that we collect some bonuses along the way, which you can spend in the in-game store for various boosts. There are two types of these bonuses: of course, coins and, drum roll, fallow deer.
Why a snowboarder collects artiodactyl animals, only God knows. However, this question is from the category “Why shoot birds at pigs from a slingshot?” It is unlikely that a mobile gamer can be surprised by this kind of exotic.
The game has a player level that you will increase by completing daily tasks. This was done rather for show, since, alas, you will not receive any advantages when pumping.
The extreme simplicity of the game is offset by beautiful atmospheric, albeit isometric, graphics and a light Christmas soundtrack. Speaking of minimalism, the developer created an environment from the simplest geometric shapes.
The trees are parallelepipeds with circles, and the houses are squares with triangles. But with the help of animation, lighting and shadows, simplicity takes on a completely different and unique look, bringing the graphic component to a complete triumph of harmony and ergonomics.
Alto’s Adventure is definitely a successful and interesting project. When you want to unload your brain from games stuffed with a huge number of features, this project is the best fit. Snowman managed to make a game that is extremely addictive, yet extremely simple. And on the examples of “Threes”, “Super Hexagon”, “Smash Hit” and the like, we know that this is one of the successful ways to the heart of any player.
The first thing you’ll notice when leaving your mountain village is the silky-smooth visuals that accompany your adventure. The snow flies higher and higher from under your board as you pick up speed. Along the way you will come across forests, other villages and ancient ruins, elaborate and very beautiful.
You start on a sunny day, but during the descent the sun will slowly go down and finally the descent will continue into the moonlit night. After night falls, you have to be very careful, because some of the obstacles are only visible as silhouettes in the background.
Weather conditions also change, which affect the descent. Sometimes it will be rain, sometimes snow, which greatly complicates navigation on the descent. This was one of the few problems we encountered in Alto’s Adventure: The combination of a dark night and a snowstorm makes it almost impossible to successfully complete.
However, all the visuals and scenery make the game special, so even when the inevitable defeat happens, you will be amazed by what you see.
It’s impossible not to compare Alto’s Adventure to 2012 hit Ski Safari. The ability to ride penguins, yetis, birds and snowmobiles all added a bit of interest to the dynamic descent from the mountain.
Alto’s Adventure doesn’t offer as many items to buy yet, doesn’t offer a sea of vehicles or mounts. And even with a simpler approach, the game managed to delight and surprise me while going down the mountain, mainly due to the scenery and graphics, as well as the reliable and understandable gameplay.
