The Alto Collection (PlayStation 4) Review

As previously mentioned, this collection contains two titles, the first being Altos Adventure. In this first game you play as Alto, and seeing as this is an endless runner, the story is not the focal point, and so the plot is a simple one. Alto is presumably a shepherd of Llamas, so you'll yourself at the top of a mountain with your llamas until they manage to escape, and now Alto must collect them as they snowboard down the mountain. Through this journey you will be able to unlock different characters, as well as collecting coins, power ups and more. The artsy style is beautiful and simple. Taking inspiration from the Himalayan regions, the backdrop consists of mountain ranges, while the environment you find yourself snowboarding through goes from snowy villages to tall tree forests, with the occasional chasm thrown in to keep the experience unpredictable and exciting. The randomly generated maps will also ensure that every adventure is unique.

Another element that will keep this experience fresh and subject to replay-ability is the fact that the weather and time of day are ever changing while playing, and this adds another element of challenge, as many times while the day changed to night time this critic found his face planted to the side of a boulder that he was unable to see due to the colour shift of night time that made these obstacles harder to spot. These mistakes happened several times, and can leave one frustrated and engaging in one sided debates with the TV. Though that particular frustration can take its toll, there are several ways to make these challenges less taxing.

The coins previously mentioned can be used to unlock several tools such as a wind-glider, hover feather, coin magnet and others that will aid you on your journey and can be found in the workshop. Though players have several tools to choose from, Alto is not alone on his journey. There are other characters that can be unlocked, each containing their own unique look and ability to suit a preferred play style. First of course is Alto who is the professional llama herder and good all round snowboarder - but there are more…

Next is Maya, a light footed explorer who excels at backflips but not ideal for speed. Paz is a brawny snowboarder, who is slow at first, yet compensates that when he gains momentum, making him able to smash through most obstacles. Izel, the inventor, who is responsible for making the aforementioned tools, is the fastest snowboarder, and ideal for those who value speed above all else. Felipe the llama (a personal favourite), after observing Alto, he has developed his own style of snowboarding, and has the added ability of double jumping. The last character is Tupa, an elder of the region who has stolen the groups abilities as well as having his own, he is able to survive a single chasm fall per turn.

The second game, Alto's Odyssey is not only as good but undeniably better. This instalment keeps many of the initial elements found in Alto's Adventure such as the tools, random map generation and characters. Alto's Odyssey introduces enough new elements to be marked as a worthy successor, while still maintaining the nature of its predecessor. The first and most notable change presented in Alto's Odyssey is the setting. Instead of snow capped peaks we are now sand-boarding through a beautiful endless desert, while given no apparent reason as to why, though as stated before the "why" is almost irrelevant in a game such as this. Once again, the simplistic and refined art style manages to successfully transport players to a new world, with new surprises and challenges, as well as new enemies and mysteries.

As in Alto's Adventure, the day and night cycle changes, as does the weather. The tools used are similar to ones found before, although now some of them have been replaced by new ones to suit the new world the players finds themselves in, and once again these can be found in the workshop. These new tools are the compass, sandboard, and mysterious radio; these all aid you with overcoming the different challenges the desert has in store. The companions found before can be unlocked in here, with the exception of Tupa, who is replaced by Samara; a different elder with an ability suited for the new enemies you'll find in the endless desert. Through the old temples, dunes, and canyons, a new wall running mechanic has been introduced, along with the introduction of a hot air balloon that the player can jump on for an extra boost, which is rather helpful in traversing the endless chasms.