Descenders Next from RageSquid is an extreme sports game that trades the original’s mountain bikes for snowboarding and mountainboarding. Its early-access build combines procedurally generated Career routes with handcrafted races, slopestyle courses, and freestyle parks. A physics-based trick system drives fast descents across snow, dirt, forests, and rough terrain. Solo riding and several online modes make it suitable for players who enjoy practicing difficult lines or sharing spectacular crashes with friends.

The bikes stayed home this time

The sequel shifts the Descenders formula toward two distinct board sports. Snowboarding emphasizes sliding, carving, and controlling speed on loose slopes, while mountainboarding tackles rougher ground with a different sense of grip. The physics-based trick system supports spins, flips, grabs, presses, grinds, and landing adjustments through dual-stick controls. Both sports reward careful timing and momentum, although the demanding handling creates a steep learning curve before clean runs begin to feel consistent.

Friends can race or follow the leader

Online multiplayer includes custom sessions, Career multiplayer, Race Mode, Park Mode, and Follow the Leader. Friends can compete for faster times, practice tricks together, or tackle procedural Career routes as a group. Career teammates can also share health and revive fallen riders. These sessions provide cooperative and competitive options without forming a persistent shared world. Local split-screen is unavailable, so group play depends on an online connection and separate systems.

Speed looks better from another angle

Snowy peaks, woodland trails, dirt highlands, industrial spaces, temples, and purpose-built parks give each location a recognizable character. Clear course features help riders identify jumps, rails, and risky shortcuts while moving at speed. The Monstercat soundtrack maintains the energetic tone across repeated runs. A flexible replay editor lets players revisit successful tricks, change viewing angles, and capture footage, adding creative value beyond medals and leaderboard competition.

Every run deals a different hand

Procedural Career Mode links generated routes, optional objectives, limited health, reputation rewards, and boss jumps into repeatable attempts. The Crew Deck adds cards that modify the rider or environment, with REP unlocking new choices and upgrades during a run. Grand Tour stores permanent races, parks, and slopestyle locations for repeated practice. More sports remain part of the development plan, but the current experience centers exclusively on snowboarding and mountainboarding.

A promising descent still finding its edge

Descenders Next suits players prepared to invest time in mastering momentum, tricks, and two noticeably different sports. Its procedural Career structure and Crew Deck create a satisfying reason to start another run, while online modes broaden the competition. However, the dual-stick handling can initially feel loose and unforgiving. The ongoing early-access development also brings occasional bugs, uneven balance, and changing systems, making the experience exciting but less settled than a finished release.