Steep Torrent is a racing game developed and published by Ubisoft. Steep revolves around a “Play Your Way” philosophy that, in the short term, functions effectively. You can choose from skiing, snowboarding, paragliding, and wingsuit flying (all distinct, except that snowboarding and skiing share the same courses) and advance through various skill areas tailored to diverse playstyles.
There are incentives for narrowly evading obstacles, executing intricate maneuvers, exploring, navigating inventive routes down mountainsides, and even colliding with objects or experiencing spectacular crashes. The latter is particularly entertaining, reminiscent of watching Homer Simpson repeatedly tumble down Springfield Gorge.
Descending the Matterhorn on a snowboard is intense and captivating. The primary aspect that is noticeably absent from Steep is any form of stat-based rider customization or progression. While numerous cosmetic items can be unlocked, none alter your riding experience. XP solely unlocks new areas, offering no character or gear advancement.
Consequently, the board you start with at Level 1 feels identical to the one unlocked for achieving a gold medal in the most challenging race. Even if Ubisoft aimed to prioritize player skill, it would have been exciting to unlock side-grade options, such as wider or narrower boards with distinct handling or the ability to adjust elements like binding tightness for various events.
Fortunately, Steep Torrent excels in nearly every other aspect. Carving down the Matterhorn on a snowboard is intense, engaging, and sometimes blister-inducingly frantic. Soaring from a hot air balloon to glide across glaciers in a wingsuit rivals any superhero game for speed-induced adrenaline. Skiing feels realistically challenging, mirroring my lack of skill in real life, often resulting in backward descents at alarming speeds.
At high velocity, my board/skis/wingsuit usually responds to my commands, yet the controls can be finicky and frustrating when slowing down or reorienting. It often took several attempts, randomly adjusting the thumbsticks, to resume forward movement after facing the opposite direction.
Paragliding serves as a practical means of transportation, offering breathtaking views of the Alps. However, it moves painfully slowly, with limited interaction focused on finding thermal pockets to gain slight elevation. Wingsuit flying is more thrilling, but oddly weightless and twitchy, as if the planet’s gravitational pull weakens when the suit is donned. Far Cry’s wingsuit performs much better.
Skiing is decent, especially when speeding down a slope, but it feels bulkier and clumsier compared to snowboarding. Every sport, including snowboarding, could have benefited from additional months of testing and refinement.
One of Steep Torrent Magnet’s prominent features is its multiplayer integration, where other players dynamically appear in your instance of the Alps, enabling easy grouping for challenges with global leaderboards. The game also incorporates a system for sharing recordings of your best runs, which can be replayed in various camera modes. These features might not appeal to solo players like myself, but they enhance the multiplayer experience for those who enjoy collaborative gaming.
Steep Torrent System Requirements
- OS: Windows 7/8/10/11
- Processor: Intel Core i5 2400S at 2.5 GHz
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 560TI
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 25 GB available space
