- November 11, 2020
- Crytek
- 13h median play time
SNOW
Platforms
About
"SNOW: The Ultimate Edition" is a single-player sports game that offers a delightful winter sports experience with open-world exploration, good mechanics, and perfect music. Although it has lots of grinding, poorly optimized performance, and numerous bugs, players can access all major content and customize their character, snowboard, skis, and snowmobile while competing in various events and defining their style. With lifetime access to multiple mountains, events, and rewards, players can truly experience the mountain and indulge in their love of winter sports.
- graphics651 mentions Positive Neutral Negative49%42%9%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the stunning visuals and realistic environments, particularly for a free-to-play title. However, numerous reports highlight significant graphical glitches, performance issues, and a lack of optimization, leading to inconsistent experiences across different hardware setups. Overall, while the graphics can be impressive, they are often marred by bugs and performance problems that detract from the overall experience.
“Absolutely insane game, best graphics I've seen, best interactions, very realistic and true to what snowboarding is really like in real life.”
“The graphics are stunning, showcasing the power of the game engine.”
“The graphics are beautiful and the open world is immersive, making it a joy to explore.”
“The graphics are very basic and there is a lot of weird janky stuff that happens.”
“The graphics are sub mediocre, the world feels empty and misses a lot of detail.”
“It's buggy, the graphics are barebones, and most of the 'maps' are just tiny spaces that feel like they were created by amateur modders.”
- gameplay491 mentions Positive Neutral Negative33%52%15%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its fun mechanics and open-world exploration, while others criticize it for being buggy, clunky, and difficult to control. Users have noted issues with frequent crashes, unresponsive controls, and a lack of polish, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, some players find enjoyment in the core gameplay and potential for improvement, especially with future updates.
“The gameplay is fun, and the controls are simple and enjoyable.”
“The gameplay is awesome, the graphics are really nice.”
“Snow is a wonderful open world skiing game, its graphics will leave you speechless, but the gameplay is even better.”
“When I finally got to the actual gameplay, it was super buggy and doesn't even work with the controller anymore.”
“The gameplay on the other hand is pretty bad.”
“The worst part though is the actual gameplay itself.”
- stability470 mentions Positive Neutral Negative2%1%97%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting severe bugs, crashes, and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players experience issues such as freezing, unresponsive controls, and graphical errors, making the game frustrating and often unplayable. While some acknowledge the potential for fun amidst the chaos, the overwhelming consensus is that the game is currently too unstable to recommend, especially for those seeking a polished experience.
“No bugs found; no glitches in my experience.”
“The game runs great, plays smooth, and the snowboarding is great.”
“The developers deliver constant updates and improvements and have made this game nearly bug free!”
“This game barely works, menus bug out, game crashes, constant visual glitches.”
“Game constantly crashes, very buggy, and not worth the money at all.”
“The game is buggy and most of the multiplayer are not usable since they keep crashing.”
- music368 mentions Positive Neutral Negative48%45%7%
The music in the game is frequently highlighted as its strongest aspect, with many players praising the soundtrack for its relaxing and chill vibes that enhance the overall experience. However, there are significant complaints about the limited variety of tracks, leading to repetitiveness, and issues with volume control that can disrupt gameplay. While some players recommend muting the in-game music and using their own playlists, the overall sentiment is that the music, when functioning properly, greatly contributes to the game's atmosphere.
“The best part is by far the soundtrack.”
“The music in this game is a phat vibe.”
“The music is great, the game controls well, and the mountains are scenic and serene.”
“The physics are so bad they're borderline nonfunctional, graphical glitches everywhere, and inconsistent music levels, so when tracks shuffle one might be quiet until a punk track comes on and blows your ears out.”
“The music is defaulted to 100% and there's a menu that doesn't even work, so why do you have a menu on your screen? Also, the music is loud rock.”
“The only negative thing about this game is the 3 songs that go on repeat, but I'm sure they will add more.”
- monetization236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative9%72%19%
The monetization model of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players expressing frustration over the heavy reliance on microtransactions that have transformed it into a perceived cash grab. Originally a fun and engaging experience, the game has shifted to a free-to-play model that locks essential content behind paywalls, including temporary access to maps and features that were once free. While some players acknowledge the presence of cosmetic microtransactions, the overwhelming sentiment is that the monetization practices detract from the overall enjoyment and integrity of the game.
“I didn't mind seeing microtransactions in the game before, but now that you're putting content behind microtransactions, that is unacceptable.”
“The in-app purchases seem more oriented towards cosmetics than limiting access to areas of the game, so it is truly free to play.”
“Microtransactions are not bad in this game, because you can earn items in-game.”
“This game never needed online play honestly and they focused on microtransactions so fast it was doomed since implemented.”
“The developers just decided to do financial damage control and put a paywall on the entire game with an 'ultimate edition' DLC that was just giving you access to the base game (that you used to play) with the microtransactions skimmed off.”
“I used to love this game but they completely ruined it with microtransactions and other money-grubbing tactics like putting the main mountain behind a paywall even though it used to be free.”
- humor153 mentions Positive Neutral Negative99%2%
The humor in the game is primarily derived from its broken ragdoll physics and amusing glitches, which often lead to hilarious wipeouts and unexpected character animations. Players find joy in the chaotic and silly moments that arise during gameplay, making it a fun experience, especially in multiplayer settings. However, some users express frustration with the game's bugs, noting that while they can be funny, they also detract from overall enjoyment.
“Throw on some tunes, boot up the game, and either pull off some sick tricks or watch your character ragdoll down the side of a mountain in a funny manner.”
“The ragdoll physics are hilarious, which really is not that big of a concern for me.”
“I've been laughing my ass off at all the bugs I've encountered within ten minutes of playing.”
“The humor in this game falls flat, often relying on tired clichés that fail to elicit any genuine laughter.”
“While the game attempts to be funny, the jokes often miss the mark and feel forced rather than natural.”
“The comedic elements feel out of place and detract from the overall experience, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- optimization105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative21%45%34%
The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users reporting severe performance issues, stuttering, and crashes even on high-end systems. While some players noted that the graphics are beautiful, the overall experience is marred by bugs and poor optimization, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. Many reviewers express hope for future improvements, but currently, the game's performance is considered unacceptable.
“The map for its time was massive with a lot of decoration while maintaining an optimized feel.”
“Beautiful graphics and great optimization.”
“Good optimization (smooth gameplay with just some fps drop when near many trees).”
“Meh, if it wasn't so horribly optimized, and if there were more players (which I'm sure there would be, if it wasn't so horribly optimized), I would very much enjoy playing this.”
“The game is full of bugs, terribly optimized, not to mention the fact I keep on losing the items I buy from my inventory.”
“This game is a poorly optimized, buggy mess... I'm sure it is a great game to mess around in and have fun, but if it wasn't for the settings menu crashing my game, graphical glitches, poor collision physics, the game not recognizing resolutions, and honestly quite dreadful controls; I might have just gotten through the tutorial.”
- grinding84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative2%3%95%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating due to clunky mechanics and numerous bugs. While some appreciate the community aspect and the potential for fun in grinding for points, others criticize the slow progression and the reliance on grinding to unlock content, often feeling that it detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the grinding system is seen as a significant area needing improvement, with players expressing hope for future updates to enhance its functionality.
“It's grindy, but not too grindy.”
“It's grindy, but not too grindy.”
“I have been grinding this game since 2016 and it has entirely taken over my life.”
“Content that makes this game fun and exciting is locked behind paywalls or, like the snowmobile, involves tedious grinding.”
“The more I play it, though, the less fun I have and the more frustrated I get between grinding seemingly endlessly for credits and failing again and again on seemingly impossible events, often due to physics issues and glitches.”
- story53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative19%70%11%
The reviews indicate a significant dissatisfaction with the story aspect of the game, with many users noting the absence of a coherent narrative or engaging context for gameplay. While some appreciate the gameplay mechanics and open-world design, they feel that the lack of a meaningful story detracts from the overall experience, leaving it feeling hollow and unfulfilling. Overall, the consensus is that the game could greatly benefit from a more developed storyline to enhance player engagement.
“Snow is the story of a man, a man who we can assume committed horrible atrocities in his time and was sent to his own personal hell.”
“+ unique characters that all provide purpose to the story in some way or another.”
“The way Clannad tells its story in such a simple but unique way, constantly evolving with time progressions is truly a thought-provoking and valuable experience.”
“Story: 1/10 really bad”
“I know that no one plays action sports games for the story, but giving context to progression in the game would have really helped it feel less hollow.”
“There is no story.”
- atmosphere36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative50%42%8%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and relaxing qualities, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and beautiful visuals that capture the essence of skiing and snowboarding. Many players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia and tranquility, despite some criticisms regarding music choices and graphical issues. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, making the experience enjoyable even amidst design flaws.
“Despite its many design flaws and bugs, Snow's atmosphere brought forth by its surprisingly fitting set of tunes is surely hard to match.”
“If you want a snowsport sim, the way Snow captures the feeling and atmosphere of skiing, especially exploring and just enjoying the mountain, is unparalleled.”
“The atmosphere, dynamics, and real maps make me want to go ride some ski...”
“Music choice is also terrible, putting flat-out-like songs in a meditative game like this weakens the atmosphere.”
“This game has a weird atmosphere, with bad handling and poor textures and graphics.”
“The passive, chilling atmosphere is also completely gone!”
- replayability18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative39%44%17%
The game exhibits high replayability, particularly through its challenge modes and multiplayer options, which encourage players to refine their skills and enjoy the experience with friends. However, some users express concerns about the grind required to access content and the overall lack of engaging levels, which may detract from the replay value for certain players. Despite these criticisms, many still find the game addictive and fun, suggesting it has significant potential for replayability as it evolves.
“The challenge modes give this game plenty of replay value and encourage you to pick better and better lines.”
“This game has a big learning curve but it's really fun and has a very high replay value.”
“Packed full of addictive features including a great musical score, wide variety of character options, points scoring system for trick-based moves, this game is not only for winter sports lovers but really for anyone just wanting something a bit different, replayable, and adrenaline-pumping fun.”
“It's good for a free game, but the levels are pretty boring (you have to grind more or purchase access to them, which sucks because it's so boring to grind) and there's not a whole lot of replayability.”
“The old 'jibberish' game, which was developed as a hobby by one guy, was more playable than this is in its current form.”
“Although people are hating the 'lack of content' in an alpha test, the game has a lot of replay value.”
- emotional13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative100%
Players express a wide range of emotions while engaging with the game, using it as a form of escapism during tough times, despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics. The emotional impact is particularly highlighted in the narrative elements, with some players finding deep connections and heartfelt moments that resonate strongly, akin to experiences in beloved visual novels. Overall, the game elicits both joy and frustration, creating a unique emotional landscape for its users.
“I use this game as a weird way of venting whenever I'm at my lowest emotionally. I play this to get my mind off of things. I don't even like snowboarding or whatever; I've never done it and probably never will, but it's a very relaxing game.”
“Thanks devs for making me an emotional wreck otherwise.”
“Afterstory is my favorite second half in a visual novel alongside Steins;Gate, evolving its themes to a much more family-oriented setting as well as providing emotional heartbreak that no other game could ever provide except this one.”
- character development1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative300%
Character development in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users noting that the character design feels generic and reminiscent of well-known figures like Mr. Clean, suggesting a lack of originality and depth in the characters.
“The character design feels uninspired and lacks originality.”
“The characters seem one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
“There is little to no depth in the character development, making it hard to connect with them.”