Ski Hard: Lorsbruck 1978 Reviews

It's hard. Like, really hard. Ski to relaxing music on beautiful, minimalist slopes. A pretty chill way to spend an evening. https://youtu.be/LS2rLDUV-ds

[b][i]Ski Hard: Lorsbruck 1978[/i] has some really neat qualites in an Itch.io kind of way, but is far too thin for the asking price.[/b] The visuals are A+ but the actual gameplay is sitting at around a D, being overly simplilstic and just a wonky and broken physics game. And sometimes wonky physics is a good thing, but not here. I went in perhaps expecting an indie 3D version of that old Windows [i]SkiFree[/i] game, and while there is a touch of that, it just doesn't keep my attention. [i]Essentially, you use WASD to move, speed up and slow down.[/i] Controlling the character feels like trying to steer a flimsy piece of cardboard down a windy mountainside. Ironically they actually look like cardboard cutouts too. The whole thing feels like it is on ice, and it's not a subtle feeling. The best part of the game is the absolutely gorgeous visuals. The angle at which you are cruising down the mountain offers a breath-taking view. If it weren't for the controls, this would be a wonderful zen game to play on a snowy day with a cup of coffee in hand. At the end of the day, the goal is to chase your scores, and sadly Steam Leaderboards are not implemented. That may have been a redeeming feature, particulary at this price point. I would also expect local co-op, while we are on the topic of asking price. [b]Pros:[/b] +Yeah, it's a neat experimental indie game +Beautiful vistas and terrain +Neat idea overall [b]Cons:[/b] -Controlling the character is far too wonky for me -Nothing compels me to keep playing; no unlockables (other than tracks), and no Steam Leaderboards or even local play -Price point is simply too high for this one [b]Sadly, I'd pass on this one.[/b]

The skiing feels terrible and the courses are way too demanding. The aesthetic is ugly as hell and there's no 21:9 support. I honestly cannot think of a single positive thing I could say about this game. It's just agonizing to try and play.

Ski Hard: Lorsbruck is an interesting game to review. It delivers what it sets out to, and the developer is extremely honest about how hard and unrealistic it is. It feels like a 3d version of SkiFree, although it has a lot more going for it than the 1990s original. I've played quite a few hours of SkiHard, and after smashing my fist against the desk numerous times, not because I've messed up, but because the game has just decided to part my player from his skis on a patch of ground that was previously working... Or that my player left the ground for a microsecond and that "lean on the turn button" suddenly became "spin uncontrollably", sending me off into the powder.... This game badly needs a control overhaul and a playability overhaul. In and of itself, the game is pretty fun and offers a lot of variety with the game modes and challenges.. However as the game carries on, the game doesn't get harder, it just gets more infuriating. You have to remember that the later levels are more complex, and by more complex I mean 'bumpy', and the moment the game gets bumpy, the controls go to hell in a handbasket. Which means that you start out in early levels with a relatively controllable skier, and by the later levels, the skier bobs, spins, falls, and crashes out like a spinning top on meth. I'm sure that with perseverence to learn every micronuance of the course topography I could find the best route through the obstacles, or just beat the course times with dumb luck, but I don't have all that much time, and the payoff doesn't seem worth it. I really hope the dev fixes the controls and makes this game less infuriating, because there's nothing stopping this being a well-regarded game but for that.