Lonely Mountains: Downhill

2019 has secretly been a great year for downhill biking. If you couldn't get enough of the high-speed intensity of Descenders, then it's once again time to strap on that helmet and avoid falling to your death in Lonely Mountains: Downhill, the newest release from the German-based developer Megagon Industries. This is a different take on the racing theme that will test your bike-riding skills as you navigate through punishing trails on some of the steepest mountains this side of Downhill Domination. Sure, it's dangerous, but it's so much fun.

As the name suggests, you're all alone on the mountain. Everybody else is hanging out at the finish line, but the only way you're going to partake in the merriment is if you ride down a series of increasingly difficult bike paths. You aren't racing against other thrill-seekers; it's just you and the bike against the mountain. But don't get too cocky, because the mountain is out for blood.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill takes us to four different peaks, each with their own set of bike paths and challenges to take on. We start out on Graterhorn, a beginner mountain full of lush forests and streams. This makes way for the autumn-themed Redmoor Peaks and rocky Mount Riley, as well as Sierra Revera, which looks like it's modeled after the Southwest deserts. There are sixteen trails spread across these four mountains, which includes 125 individual challenges to take on.

Unlike Descenders and most other racing games, Lonely Mountains uses a fixed camera angle to make the action feel more dramatic. This takes a little getting used to at first, and in some ways reminds me of games like RC Pro-Am and Micro Machines. There are a couple different control options, both of which will take some getting used to. I stuck with the left/right mode, where the steering remained the same no matter which direction my racer was facing. This can be tricky, because a lot of this game involves you racing towards the camera, where the steering directions will be reversed. If that's too much to wrap your head around, there's also a screen-based mode, but I found that to be less precise.

Each of the mountains play out exactly the same way. We open them up and immediately take a leisurely ride down the trail. After we've gotten used to the course, the game will start tossing beginner and expert challenges at us. Most of these revolve around beating the race within a certain amount of time or limiting the amount of crashes before finding the finish line. Completing these challenges will not only unlock new clothing and bike parts, but also additional trails and mountains.

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Easily the most impressive thing about this game is how flexible the mountain is. This is not one of those racing games where you need to stay within the lines, because that's rarely the fastest way down the mountain. Sometimes you'll see obvious shortcuts and secret paths, but for the more adventurous biker, you may be able to bypass multiple checkpoints by carefully using the cliffside to your advantage. I was constantly amazed by the variety in each stage, so much so that I had just as much (if not more) fun getting lost in the exploration than trying to get to the finish line.

It's also worth noting that Lonely Mountains does a great job of incentivizing you to explore. Every trail is split up into seven or eight sections with their own checkpoints. This means that you can crash as many times as you want in search of a faster shortcut or more daring way down the cliff. And you're going to be thankful for those checkpoints, because you're going to crash a lot. From giant rocks to hard jumps to a forest of trees, everything on the mountain is there to get in the way. The physics are relatively realistic, so don't get any big ideas about surviving a three-story fall. This can be a frustrating game, but it's also incredibly satisfying when you narrowly miss the obstacles and finally find your rhythm.

That said, I feel like the game is inconsistent when it comes to what will knock you off the bike. There were times when I would ping-pong off of a half-dozen trees and smack into a rock without falling down, yet other times I would mysteriously crash while riding through and otherwise clear patch of grass. This issue is only exacerbated by the fixed camera angles, which can make it hard to see danger zones and steer around them.

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And it's not just a problem of anticipating upcoming obstacles, but also dealing with the difficult terrain. The camera angles make it more difficult to judge narrow paths, which can sometimes send you falling into a rushing river or down a rocky cliff. Some of the massive jumps are especially tricky, since it's not always clear where you'll land. Couple this with the sometimes-challenging steering and you have a recipe for cheap crashes, which will happen repeatedly as you navigate the four mountains.

But for all the times I fell down in spectacular fashion, I always wanted to get back up and find the finish line. Part of the reason for this is because the gameplay is so much fun, but it's also due to the stylish visuals. Between the simple textures and the soft focus on the background, I love the look of this game. Each peak and trail has its own personality, and the developers have managed to bring the mountains to life in all kinds of small touches. For as challenging as the fixed camera can be, it also leads to some truly breath-taking moments that will be hard to forget. Lonely Mountains: Downhill may not be as action-packed as Descenders, but it's every bit as intense.