This knows what it is. No pretense, little gamification other than just whittling down time and crashes. It all ties into understanding the environment and its unique sense of control. I was worried going in about the terrain and the camera, how the two might interact, but it's a beautifully contoured design with the slopes emerging naturally and the obstacles never meaningfully obscuring the camera. It's a reminder that games of movement rely heavily on camera work, and here it's more thoughtfully considered than usual. There's a natural tension living in the off-screen space, but the camera is dynamic in revealing at the right time, pushing in for slower passages, pulling back for steeper ones. There's something deliberate and dance-like about it, and it's central to why I enjoyed the game so much.

And the hills themselves are great. No music. They have their own dramatic pace and identity. Flatter areas interspersed with steeper ones, rocky terrain to be progressed over slowly interspersed with speedy ramp-like cliff faces. Most of these are presented as different options through the same area, and are better conquered by different bikes which have their own identities and handle in their own ways. It's all there to bring you into the actual experience of playing, to engage in a game of constant control, and it makes the optional resting spots feel like a reprieve and discovery.

The minimalism, the instant readability of the terrain and player character is great, but I don't care for the bloomy visuals and tilt-shift focus. It combines into a sometimes bleary and approximate aesthetic, and it keeps the look of the game from feeling as immediate and concrete as the control and mechanics. It's a very present, confident game otherwise. Refreshing in the sea of games that are always trying to be more, to be something they're not, and it deserves all the praise it's received for being more than just a curiosity.