Alpine Ski is a downhill skiing game that is fast-paced and full of adventure and incredibly cold snow. This game is not the best idea inside of virtual reality, but we were more than happy to try it out on our quest to 100 VR games review in 100 days. In this game, you are going to be faced with different ways to get down the mountain, all on skis. Or a helicopter. Or both. This game is full of surprises.
This isn’t your typical virtual reality game, and you are going to have a tough time finding another title similar to this one that has even remotely the same type of gameplay. This isn’t another Beat Saber knockoff, and you are going to be refreshed by the creativity of the idea. They didn’t hit a home run with this game, but we applaud the effort and the creativity to get this game published.
Getting Up and Running
You are going to be able to find your copy of this game on the Steam Store, the Oculus Store, the Viveport Store, but sadly not the PSVR Store. This game is only going to set you back $4.99 and it is a part of the Viveport Infinity subscription, so you are going to be Abe to get a hold of this game relatively easy. The game file isn’t too large either, so this game is not going to take too much time or money to get started with.
The file size is only 2 GB, so downloading it won’t be taking too much space on your gaming PC. If you are connected to fast internet, this game could be downloaded within seconds and up and running before you you have time to check your texts. If you are connected to slower internet connections, this game will take anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes, but won’t leave you waiting around for too long. The tutorial is quick and the setup is relatively easy for any VR user.
Type of Game
This game falls into the category of a sports simulation, but it could also be refined down to ski simulation if you are trying to get it down to a specific title. This game feels like an arcade game of the lack of story, but that doesn’t take away from the game modes. You will have three different modes for the game to pick from, and each one of them is going to present you with new ways to ski down the mountain.
Slalom lets you race against your own time or even your friends, and it puts you in position to make your own turns to choose the fastest route down the mountain. Freestyle is more for the X-Game fanatics, as you’re able to perform tricks, gain points for them, and even try to get perfect landing marks. Heliski is a fun way of putting new perspectives into the game and keeps you interested. You can fly the helicopter, choose where it drops you off, and even tell it to pick you up at certain spots of the level.
Player Perspective
This game is played from the first-person perspective, but we wish it would’ve given us a little more detail. We see our hands, the poles we will be using as we progress down the mountain, and we see the skis as well. It would’ve been refreshing to see our legs attached to the skis in this game, but a game this small can only pack so much into it. If this section of the review was getting a score, it wouldn’t be a good one.
Theme and Story – Score: 4/10
The theme and story in this game are lacking, but it is usually doing that in games like these. The theme is strong, and it isn’t broken at all in the game, but it never captivated us enough. It felt like the theme was unfinished. With an unfinished theme, you aren’t going to receive a good score. With no story either, you are looking below middle of the road, and their score reflects that perfectly.
Controls – Score: 5/10
The controls of this game were simple, but there were times that we felt like they were a little too simple. Skiing can be complex and a fun sport, but this game made us feel like we were just dummies inside of a simulation. Although that is essentially what we are, we would’ve loved a little more input options inside of the game. Tilt your head to move your character, use your poles to push you forward, and try not to die. There s not too much on this part of the game, and they could’ve added a little more, but the devs chose not to.
Music and Sound – Score: 3/10
The music and sound in this game was lacking. You would hear the occasional cheer from the non-existent crowd when you would finish a hill or land a trick, but nothing more than that. This game was perfectly positioned for an awesome soundtrack that made you feel like a true Russian going down the hill, but that was a true missed opportunity. The game also didn’t have a wide variety of sound effects of the skis and snow, and it made the game take a big hit.
Player Movement – Score: 5/10
Player moevement in this game happened automatically, but you could increase speed and change directions with your hands and head. This wasn’t perfect, but with the controls we were presented, it got the job done. It didn’t feel too close to real skiing, but when you are standing up on carpet, there isn’t much the game can do to make up for the lack of environment.
Kinetosis – Score: 6/10
In a game that looks oddly similar to skydiving, we were impressed with how much motion sickness we didn’t feel in this game. Obviously, you are going to feel a good amount, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as we would’ve thought going into this game. If you are highly sensitive to motion sickness inside of VR, this game is going to haunt you a good amount. If you are not super sensitive, you will get away almost unmarked. It s not a perfect game, but it cares about your stomach in some regards.
Environment and Immersion – Score: 4/10
For a game that is outdoors and in the beautiful mountains, we were pleasantly disappointed with the graphics this game didn’t include. It looked like someone drew some rocks on a flat surface and added some white paint. The immersion was often broken and the environment did not live up to the hype that we were holding this game with. An overhauling update could change that, but we doubt one of those is coming anytime soon.
Overall – Score: 4.5/10
The overall score of this game is not misleading, and in fact, we might think it is a little high considering the amount of joy this game did (or didn’t) bring us. The graphics were poor, the movement in the game wasn’t clean, and the game modes weren’t all too exciting or crisp. If you are looking for a ski simulation game, this might be your best bet. sadly, we don’t recommend this game inside of VR. Dust your poles and wax your skis, you are going to have to go outside to experience real skiing this year.
