Developer RageSquid and publisher No More Robots have revealed the follow-up to downhill biking game Descenders. Descenders Next is a logical evolution of the franchise and shifts the focus to downhill board sports such as mountainboarding and snowboarding.
RageSquid’s aim is to make Descenders Next the only extreme sports game you’ll ever want to play. So say goodbye to Riders Republic if you haven’t already. while it’s currently slated for a release on PC and Xbox Game Pass in 2025, fans can sign up for Test Sessions on the game’s official website. These sessions will occur later in 2024 and give anybody who signs up the chance to experience the next evolution of the Descenders franchise before it’s fully released. Given how good the downhill biking felt in the first game, I think signing up for these early playtests is essential for long-time fans.
Nothing but a board between you and the world
Descenders Next initially tackles two sports. In snowboarding, you’ll be glancing off the sides of snowy peaks as the sun glistens and threatens to blind you with the beauty of the natural landscape. The focus in this sport will be on dodging outcrops and making the most of the air you can grab by launching off of jumps.
In mountainboarding, you’re riding what equates to a very long skateboard down the most rugged terrain possible. This sport is about dodging far more than a few rocks, so you’ll be swerving pretty much constantly as you try to hit jumps with as much speed as you can to maximize the number of potential tricks.
Both sports have a focus on tricks and speed, which I think is perfect. If they sound a bit too extreme to you, though, maybe stick to Nintendo Switch Sports. The points you gain are important because Descenders Next also features online multiplayer, in which you can go head-to-head with others in a myriad of game mods. Every event you compete in, offline and online, earns you Rep that you can use to buy new boards and equipment, allowing you to create your perfect custom rider.
The last game featured a combination of procedurally generated tracks and a few set ones. Descenders Next has a more seamless system that creates more organic-feeling tracks that are procedurally generated and offer an uncompromising experience that never feels the same twice.
The one thing I don’t know about Descenders Next yet is what its post-launch roadmap will look like. Since its launch in 2018, Descenders has had regular new content releases that kept the game interesting and engaging. I’d expect RageSquid to do the same with the sequel, adding new biomes and themed content packs at the very least.
In addition to a banging soundtrack from Monstercat that will make the hours spent playing fly by, the game has multiple game modes that will keep you entertained no matter how long you’re playing. From straight dashes to go as fast as possible to scavenger hunts that push you to explore deeper and risk it all or go home with nothing, it certainly seems like Descenders Next has something to offer everybody.
Published: Aug 6, 2024 12:16 pm