Mark McMorris Infinite Air
- October 24, 2016
- HB Studios
- 8h median play time
Mark McMorris Infinite Air is a disappointing snowboarding game, despite great world editing tools. Its needlessly complex tricks system hinders most of the enjoyment you could potentially have on the slopes.
Get on Steam"Mark McMorris Infinite Air" is an open-world snowboarding game, where players can create their own runs and compete in various challenges. The game features realistic physics and a variety of tricks, allowing for a deep and immersive snowboarding experience. With the ability to create and share custom runs, the replay value is high in this snowboarding sandbox.
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Best snowboarding game currently available on PC, offering a realistic experience closer to Skate 3 than Tony Hawk.
- The game features a robust community-driven map editor, allowing players to create and share custom courses.
- Once players learn the controls, the game provides a rewarding experience with satisfying trick execution and exploration.
- The controls can be difficult to master, leading to frustration for new players and a steep learning curve.
- The game requires a controller to play, which may limit accessibility for some players.
- There are reports of technical issues, such as unresponsive controls and bugs that affect gameplay.
- graphics67 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Mark McMorris Infinite Air" are generally well-received, with many players noting that they are visually appealing and enhance the game's atmosphere, despite some minor issues like graphical pop-in and a lack of customization options for PC. While the visuals may not be groundbreaking for a 2016 title, they are considered satisfactory for a modern snowboarding game, though some comparisons to competitors like "Steep" highlight their limitations. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the gameplay experience, even if they don't fully impress.
“The graphics and gameplay are incredible, and the career mode is elongated enough that you won't get bored very quickly; never mind the free play, which is all of the gameplay and grandeur graphics of career mode without the stress of career goals.”
“Visuals - the game is gorgeous for its size, the lighting and the effects add a touch of realism.”
“The visuals are beautiful with shadow-laden mountains and whippets off the cornices.”
“The first is that, even though this game was released for PC on Steam, it was designed with console play in mind; so, if you don't have any kind of 'gaming' PC, don't bother because your GPU (graphics processing unit, or graphics 'card') won't be able to run the game in its original, unabated form.”
“It could have been ported to the PC a bit better (graphics need help to hit full screen).”
“[Horrifying control system, with no guidance on how to master it, bad, glitch graphics that look like something last-gen, no real diversity with the events, and nothing rewarding or worth your time.]”
- gameplay65 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the snowboarding game is generally praised for its mechanics and physics, offering a realistic experience that requires some time to master. While the controls are considered amazing once familiarized, some players noted issues with specific mechanics, such as flipping, which can disrupt the overall experience. Despite minor graphical pop-ins, the gameplay remains engaging, with a mix of career and free play modes that keep players returning for more.
“The graphics and gameplay are incredible, and the career mode is elongated enough that you won't get bored very quickly; never mind the free play, which is all of the gameplay and grandeur graphics of career mode without the stress of career goals.”
“The controls are amazing once you get used to them, the game is visually great, and you can mix it up between realistic and more arcade gameplay depending on your preferences.”
“What this game will offer is an amazing gameplay experience.”
“Good game, great potential, needs to alter the spinning/flipping mechanic.”
“Game-breaking flip mechanics!”
“Flip mechanics break the game to a point where I don't want to play this anymore until this is fixed.”
- music38 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the soundtrack limited and repetitive, often opting to mute it and play their own music instead. While some appreciate the audio effects and the suitability of the tracks for snowboarding, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is too short and lacks variety, detracting from the gaming experience. Despite these criticisms, a few players enjoyed the existing tracks, noting that they fit the game's chill vibe.
“I literally stayed up playing the game until the sun had risen, just to unlock that free-roam stage with its awesome music.”
“The music is very suitable for snowboarding with some good songs in the mix.”
“The soundtrack isn't incredibly large, but I enjoyed what was there.”
“The audio is good and the wind and snow effects are pretty close to real, but on the music side, there are not many options to listen to and the tunes get repetitive fast, which is a little step back for this kind of game. I find myself playing tunes from my phone or the internet.”
“The ingame track listing is rather limited; it's better to turn it off and create your own music playlist.”
“Music isn't great.”
- story18 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 44 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional narrative or story mode, focusing instead on challenging gameplay and fun challenges that allow players to unlock gear. While some users find the absence of a story frustrating, many appreciate the engaging free-roam experience and the thrill of performing tricks in various environments. Overall, the emphasis is on gameplay rather than storytelling, which some players feel is sufficient for their enjoyment.
“The game does have a lot of issues; some clunky menus, very minimal customization options for your rider and various other quality of life issues that need sorting, but the devs are very active in the community and seem to really care about the game, so I am hopeful for improvements in the future.”
“No real story, but it doesn't really need one since it's all about riding mountains, landing awesome tricks, and sharing your homemade park.”
“This is very frustrating for some of the story mode challenges.”
“Only downside is that it is a bit lacking with in-game story and add-ons (boards, outerwear, etc.).”
“Would be even better with a career or story mode.”
- stability12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting good performance and no significant glitches, while others experience bugs that can disrupt gameplay, such as getting stuck on flat terrain. Overall, while the physics and animations are praised, the presence of bugs and issues related to early access content has led to frustration among players.
“Runs great for me, never dips below 60, usually much higher.”
“The physics and animations are good, no glitches for now.”
“It's also really buggy.”
“If I want to feel guilty forever since I paid 20 bucks for a buggy early access title back then, with a cash shop where you pay up to another 20 bucks for some clothing, enjoy horribly disfigured animations and bad music... then I would kill myself before starting snow again.”
“But to butter, and revert, and spin, and grab... the flipping is difficult, and a little buggy.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly regarding its keyboard controls and overall performance, which many players find lacking. Users noted issues such as poor atmospheric effects, difficulty executing tricks, and noticeable pop-in, leading to disappointment compared to classic titles like SSX and 1080. While some believe the game has potential if these issues are addressed, the current state has left many feeling it is only worth a minimal price.
“Performance is solid, especially considering the game is made in Unity engine.”
“The optimization is decent, but there is room for improvement.”
“Overall, the performance is good, but optimization could be better.”
“Not optimized for keyboard.”
“Quite disappointed with it to be honest, was hoping it would be a bit closer to the fun that I had with the SSX and 1080 games but unfortunately it doesn't come close. With no weather effects or time of day variations, the atmosphere of those games just isn't there. Tricks are hard to do and there is a lot of pop-in. Also, performance isn't great for me either. I'm glad that I got it on sale because I think that price - £2.49 was about what it is worth in its current state. If they sorted out the things that I mentioned, it could be a good game and I might then maybe recommend it.”
“Optimization could be better.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players praise the grinding mechanics for their satisfying momentum and enjoyable execution, particularly when grinding boxes, rails, and halfpipes. The grinding experience enhances the overall gameplay, motivating players to develop their character builds to fully enjoy the freedom of riding in the game.
“I realized that my motivation for grinding out the character builds in those games was for one purpose, and that was so I could ride the frickin' mountain without a care in the world, and that is something Infinite Air allows you to do.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game has been widely criticized for lacking engaging elements such as weather effects and time-of-day variations, leading to a feeling of boredom and loneliness. Users noted that the graphics are decent but fail to enhance the overall mood, and performance issues further detract from the experience. Overall, many feel that the game falls short of the excitement found in classic titles like SSX and 1080.
“Quite disappointed with it to be honest, was hoping it would be a bit closer to the fun that I had with the SSX and 1080 games but unfortunately it doesn't come close. With no weather effects or time of day variations, the atmosphere of those games just isn't there. Tricks are hard to do and there is a lot of pop-in; also, performance isn't great for me either. I'm glad that I got it on sale because I think that price - £2.49 was about what it is worth in its current state. If they sorted out the things that I mentioned, it could be a good game and I might then maybe recommend it.”
“I found that when I made a pretty large cave once, that it was just slightly darker than the outside, which ruined the atmosphere that I wanted to create.”
“The graphics are alright, but there is no way to change the mood or atmosphere of the game, which can feel quite boring and lonely. The controls are difficult to get used to but fun when you know how to use them.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability due to its unlimited mountains and a robust creator tool, allowing for infinite replay value. Players consistently highlight the potential for endless exploration and creativity.
“Unlimited mountains and a decent creator make this extremely replayable.”
“Infinite replayability.”
“The replay value is exceptional.”
“The game lacks any meaningful replay value, making it feel like a one-and-done experience.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The limited choices and linear storyline significantly reduce the replayability factor.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its well-crafted single-player, multiplayer, and cooperative open-world snowboarding experience, notably featuring workshop support and the absence of microtransactions, which enhances its appeal to players.
“It's a well-crafted single-player, multiplayer, and cooperative open-world snowboarding game with workshop support and no microtransactions.”
Critic Reviews
Mark McMorris Infinite Air Review - PS4
There’s some positives to be found in Mark McMorris Infinite Air’s setup, but some poor design and plenty of shambolic mechanics throw this rider from its board. The wait goes on for this generation's first decent snowboarder.
35%Mark McMorris Infinite Air Review
Mark McMorris Infinite Air is by no means a bad snowboarding game. If you're looking for a challenging snowboarding simulator with a realistic approach to tricks (and failure) then this is absolutely the game for you, but if you're looking to lazily noodle a few buttons and feel like a superhero then you're likely to be disappointed. Additionally, the pretty but somewhat skeletal open world will probably suffer in comparison against upcoming titles like Steep and Snow.
60%Mark McMorris Infinite Air Review
Mark McMorris Infinite Air's spartan presentation and mediocre visuals aren't impressive on their own, but they serve their purpose. This is a snowboarding experience that puts functionality over style. The control scheme has its quirks, but there is a lot of depth to it, so consistently performing the most difficult stunts is very rewarding. The breadth of world-building options is truly remarkable. Gamers have all of the tools necessary to design a typical slope-style run, craft a challenging track to test reflexes and board control, or put together something completely unbelievable. This freedom to experiment can never be underappreciated, because it really helps to set this game apart from the pack. All in all, this is a fine addition to the genre.
70%
