Even with some limitations which we will discuss below, Great Mountain Adventure Wonderlands is the right title for those looking for a product that can represent simple entertainment or occupy the moments when you want to play but time is running out. We too have immersed ourselves in the relaxing world of the PC version of Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands and are ready to tell you about it in detail.

A zen experience

Before starting the review, a premise must be made: Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands is nothing more than a re-release of a product on Steam already available for some time on iOS and Android devices, platforms on which it has a great reputation and you are also allowed to download a free trial version. Bringing this precision is very important, because apart from the indisputable quality of the game, it is undeniable that the port on PC is not perfect and that overall it offers a less pleasant experience. But let’s proceed step by step. Great Mountain Adventure Wonderlands is a video game that makes simplicity and immediacy its strengths.

The project led by the very small Toppluva AB team is nothing more than a arcade with isometric view in which the player takes control of a small character and immediately begins to navigate with skiing or snowboarding the many ski resorts and mountains that refer to the most visited in the world (there is also the Grolla Pass). Each of these areas consists of a huge playground that can be freely explored by the player, who can then decide to have fun or try one of the many useful timed challenges to recover the Ski Pass, a kind of token whose collection unlocks access to the next map.

The real particularity of this title, however, lies in the Control system almost identical regardless of the type of tool used to cross the snowy landscapes.

In fact, there is no possibility of walking and the character can only go down through the alternation of the two keys dedicated to lateral movement. It is a very particular choice which, together with the fixed camera, could generate moments of great frustration when it is necessary to face complex challenges that require a certain degree of precision. Luckily, there are plenty of dots for quick travel around the maps, so you can start the descent back to the goal again and maybe veer towards a collectible you’ve missed.

However, it should be clarified that the presence of hidden secrets and time challenges for the map is not the main focus of the title, which is primarily designed for those who want to spend some carefree time. In this regard, the developers have implemented Zen Mode, which removes any “disturbance” elements such as animals and NPCs from the map, so that the player (or players, in case you want to take advantage of local co-op ) can just enjoy the scenery. and have fun without thinking about scores or challenges.

It is undoubtedly the most successful aspect of Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands and it is perhaps the one that brought the game some fame on mobile device stores due to its immediacy and the effectiveness of low poly graphics in combination with lots of music. relaxing.

The highs and lows of the technical sector

The least refined aspect of Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands is certainly the technical aspect, also because the development team has not contributed

major changes to the version currently available on iOS and Android e in some cases it is obvious that it is a mobile product. The interface is not easy to navigate and the control system does not adapt to joypads, since it is much more comfortable to play with the arrows of the keyboard, the use of which comes closest to the touch interface of the smartphone version (which works very well). As for the graphic sector, the game offers a style based on very few polygons which nevertheless fits perfectly with the philosophy of the project and the only particularity that can be seen on the screen is linked to the traces that are left on the snow, which reacts realistically to the passage of the protagonist.

While the simplistic aesthetic works well and the scenarios are well diversified, the problem is represented by all the elements that roam the map and are controlled by the AI: whether animals or other skiers, everything moves awkwardly and often lacks animation break the immersion in the splendid seabed.

Fortunately these disappear in Zen mode which, as we have already said, is the one that works best. The audio sector also has some flaws and, despite the beautiful soundtrack, the effects are made cheap (especially those of avalanches) and have the same sensation as animals that walk without moving their legs.