Steep is an open-world sports simulator developed by Ubisoft. This video game gives you a unique experience atop the mountains of The Alps and Alaska. It lets you get the taste of the exhilarating thrill of discovering the snowy landscapes using winter sports. There is no linear progression in the game and you can play the way you want it. Steep is playable solo or with friends.

Stunning views, impressive technology

The first thing you will notice when playing Steep is its dramatic recreation of the Swiss Alps, which is enormous. Activate the map, and you can roam around a vast 3D model of its snowy peaks. Then, you only need to pick a drop point, and you can transition seamlessly into the game.

The technology in the game is so impressive that it allows you to hop around its colossal open world without any loading breaks. With this, you can immerse yourself deeply into the game. Even choosing the sport—either snowboarding, skiing, wingsuit flying, or paragliding—is as simple as bringing up the menu and choosing one on the fly.

No story to follow

Aside from its stunning views, Steep is also blessed by a lack of linear progression. Unlike other sports game apps—and even other genres—there are no mandatory challenges that you need to complete. There are no contents locked away until you reach a certain level. If you find something fun to do in the mountains, you can do it. 

However, it will not be just you aimlessly trying your Tony Hawk-like stunts on the snow, or aimlessly wandering the mountains using your wingsuit. If you are looking for a challenge, there are events that you can partake in, including races and time trials. There are also freestyle events that celebrate and grant experience points for general showmanship. However, there is no leaderboard to take into account. You can share your most insane stunts on social media, though.  

But that’s not to say that you don’t need to think about ranks. You still need to improve your rank. Otherwise, you will not be able to participate in some of the events you found.

The woes of freeform structure

Having no story or quest to follow may be fun at first since you don’t have the nagging sense to complete tasks to access others. However, joining various events and not getting gratification other than a snap of your most impressive stunt removes the fun in playing. At the end of the day, players would want to be rewarded.

However, the best reward that Steep offers are mostly cosmetic items, such as fluffy bunny suits or new wingsuit with sleek GoPro branding. You can unlock new events to participate in, but it closely resembles the one you’ve already completed. The gameplay never changes.

Hit-and-miss game

Taking everything into account, Steep is a collaboration of two divergent games you shouldn't mix. The game is not really sure what it is and the vagueness in concept causes it to suffer. It also doesn’t help that it lacks meaningful rewards. Still, the game’s reflective moments and the sheer joy of exploration can outweigh some of its rougher points. That is, if you enjoy simple adventures to undiscovered locations, then this is a nice game to try.