SNOW Open Beta (Hands-On Impressions)

Poppermost Productions has released SNOW into open beta allowing gamers to experience the open-world, winter sports game for themselves. Sports related games are slowly but steadily entering a time where they are fading away, especially when it comes to those outside the beloved football and basketball annual releases. We haven’t had a proper skateboarding or snowboarding game in years, so being able to access a title about extreme sports is really refreshing and fun.

The closed beta introduces Snow's free-to-play model and takes place on a fictional mountain called Sialia. This massive map gives players new areas to explore, like an observatory and crashed cargo plane, with up to 20 new places in total. The game has seen a ton of improvements and players will get to jump into new slopes and runs based off real-life places.

SNOW allows you to hit the slopes in a beautifully designed open world that can be easily explored with tons of crazy stuff to do on your skis. While the controls can take a little getting used it--most players will be able to get the hang of them rather quickly, as you explore the mountain in all of its glory. The physics in SNOW are fantastic and make your venture through the game world that much better. There where a few areas that the snow didn't look as visually appealing as others, but overall SNOW looks and plays very realistically. The title makes sure that the player feels a sense of gravity during gameplay, and manages to showcase the reality of being on skis while doing impossible stunts. Poppermost Productions will release new multiplayer modes and features throughout the open beta. Gamers can ride around the mountain in Free Roam Multiplayer in Open Beta with up to 10 players for an extra level of fun and immersion. Any game is better with friends--so this is definitely one game you would want to invite some company and explore the massive mountain of Sialia together.

SNOW's first person mode has a nice feel to it and gives a more realistic approach to gameplay. With the ability to explore a wide array of gameplay environments, like massive mountains,  you don’t feel the restriction that you sometimes find in other titles. The ability to explore and perform incredible stunts are not the only things that add a ton of replayability to SNOW, since the Steam achievements push you further and further towards obtaining better results and a higher quality experience all around. The competitive mode in SNOW really gives you that extra push to better your skills and moves as you try to climb the leaderboards and prove that you are truly the best! If you like to dress your character to impress, then you can also purchase items for cosmetic purposes with in-game currency that you earn.



All-in-all, I really enjoyed SNOW and can't wait to see how it develops during Open Beta. SNOW is already shaping up to be a fantastic and realistic winter sports game. Stay tuned for updates on SNOW as we venture through more of the game in Open Beta. Until then, you can learn more by visiting the official SNOW website.

Key features in open beta include:

• Free-Roam Multiplayer - Ski with friends like in real life and explore the mountain together.
• Brand-New Competitive Mode - Compete in a series of events and top the leaderboards. Speed will prove helpful, but having a great variety of tricks is also necessary to master all types of events.
• Continuously Growing List of Partnerships – SNOW offers a vast selection of real-world winter sports brands and pros.
• An Expanded, Open World Mountain – Players can now explore more than 20 unique areas on the mountain, offering gameplay elements for every type of skiing.