I’ve played guitar and bass in a couple of bands, and I’ve also been a drummer since I was in grade school. Because of all of this, I’d like to think that I have a pretty good sense of rhythm at this point in my life.
Of course, I am also of the mind that some people are just simply born with an innate sense of tempo, and others simply are not. Remember some of your friends that you couldnotplayGuitar Herowith because the entire concept of rhythm and groove just didn’t make sense to them at all? It’s a thing.
Fresh Tracks, the latest rhythm game to hit the slopes, won’t be for everyone, particularly those of you that fall into the “zero groove” camp. It’s also kind of a roguelite, which is another type of barrier that’ll turn some people away too.
But for those of us that are down to put in the work and know the value of practice, practice, and more practice, I thinkFresh Tracks is awesome. In fact, while it’s not my absolute favorite rhythm game ever, I can’t think oftoomanyothersI’d rank above it.
Let’s discuss this unique rhythm meets combat meets downhill skiing roguelite adventure while the powder is still fresh.
An Eclectic Mix Of Downhill Jams
A rhythm game is only as good as its soundtrack, whether it be original tunes or licensed classics. Fresh Tracks is a title that uses its own music, and yet it’s still managed to combine together a collection of 28 tracks that are consistently good, and often times great.
I was consistently impressed by the quality of music presented here.
Even more impressive is the number of genres that are represented here, despite the fact that everything was created specifically for this game. There’s indie/lo-fi pop,severalsubgenres of metal, hip-hop, rapcore, and even original show tunes.
While I did truly enjoy pretty much every song, I found it interesting that I seemed to actually vibe most with the pop tunes in Fresh Tracks. They’re simplygood, and do a great job of fostering a fun and steady beat to move along with as you’re sitting on the couch. I’m a bit of a metalhead in real life, but I’m not too proud to admit that the softer stuff was my jam in this instance.
Still, that doesn’t mean the metal tracks were lackingat all, either. From 80s thrash to progressive metal, and even European-style folk metal (think Heilung from Hellblade 2),I was consistently impressed by the quality of music presented here.
In fact, this game helped me realize I needed a haircut, because my hair would keep getting in my eyes and throwing me off as I’d headbang along to a killer metal track like a goofy, grinning idiot.
Most songs are accompanied by original lyrics as well, which all tie into the narrative of the game and give you tidbits of lore and explanation for what’s going on in the grander scheme of the story. Some lyrics also get pretty meta and describe the actions and movements you’re taking in the game, which I had a lot of fun with too.
Steep Demands
So the music is great, but how does the game actually work? The concept is simple enough, but gets extremely deep once you’re fully into the swing of things. You’re a skier, and you’ll hop back and forth between anywhere from one to six or seven tracks of ski trials.
The sword is truly what makes Fresh Tracks stand out.
You’ll also jump, double-jump, lean left/right, and crouch to avoid obstacles and collect different orbs/items that are flying down the tracks towards you at the same time. Oh, and you have a giant greatsword. You know, like most skiers have.
The sword is truly what makes Fresh Tracks stand out. You’ll slash it in eight different directions to break obstacles, hit switches, and also mow down hoards and hoards of enemies that are standing between you and the completion of whichever banger song you’re working your way through. All the while,the sword swinging feelsfreaking great.
It’s a simple enough concept despite how unique it is too, but it’s also going to take a bit for everything to sync in your brain and make total sense. This isn’t an uncommon trait of a rhythm game, so those with previous genre experience know this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Just know that it took me a couple of hours before the gamereallyclicked for me, because the same may happen to you.
I also need to point out that I had to turn the sound effect volume all the way off for myentireplaythrough, because these added noises would sometimes be a split-second off of the beat of the song, which took me out of my rhythm and groove all the time. This is a misstep for sure, and I felt like I was missing out on something at times without some extra sound cues that would’ve been nice to have if they weren’t frustratingly off-beat.
The game would also stutter for a quarter-second every so often, resulting in me missing a button input and often times taking damage as a result. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen too often at all, so it’s not the end of the world. Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention these sporadic performance hiccups, since these are extra noticeable in a rhythm title.
The devs also recommend wired headphones over Bluetooth due to potential latency concerns, so verify you have a wired pair ready if you’re a headphone user. There are no options in the game to adjust latency, so wired will 100% be the way to go.
All of this to say, it’s not alwayscompletelysmooth sailing right out of the gates for Fresh Tracks. You’re going to need to be willing to commit the time needed to really figure this one out completely and see it for all it is.
…peak flowstate gaming at its finest…
Butsheesh, once you get through the learning and adaption phase, it’s all downhill from there (in a good way, since we’re talking in skiing terms).This is a game that feelsamazingonce you’re completely locked-in and find the groove.It is peak flowstate gaming at its finest once you start to improve and the controls become second nature.
Each song does have different versions based on difficulty, but at a certain point, the game will require you to start busting moves in Hard mode and beyond, regardless of if you’re ready or not. That’s because Fresh Tracks is also a challenging roguelite, which gives you even more layers to manage here.
Rogue DNA In A Mystical World
Okay, let’s be totally real. Fresh Tracksisa roguelite, but it’s not the deepest one in the world. That’s not a knock, just a reality. How the rogue genre presents itself here is that you’ll be required to complete 11 songs in one run, with the penalty of having to return to the beginning of your route if you happen to take enough damage and fail a song along the way.
A run will give you the choice of branching paths leading to different songs at different difficulties along the way, ensuring that things stay as fresh as possible regardless of how many times you fail and need to start over. You’ll also earn a few perks between runs to help with subsequent attempts, but these are all unlocked fairly quickly. From there, it’s just about practice and steady improvement.
There’s a level of RNG at play here too, since you’re dependent on the game giving you the choice between two or three songs at all times. You’ll also find or purchase random perks during each run, like a triple-jump, faster charging healing powers, longer invincibility after taking damage, and so on. Three melee weapons are also available once unlocked, which all come with different perks/powers to try out too.
The coolest part about Fresh Tracks being a rhythm/roguelite hybrid, however, is that this also allows for some fun and interesting story devices that factor directly into the gameplay. You’ll have a narrator throughout your run, and their personal style and tastes dictate the types of music you’ll play. In total, there are four narrator options you’ll eventually have the choice between.
One is into pop music, another prefers metal, then a duo of theater fans, and finally a rap/hip-hop maestro. It’s really, really cool to see how each new narrator changes up the feel of the game, ratchets up the challenge level, and also gives you more tidbits of the world’s lore and stories along the way. To see everything Fresh Tracks has to offer, you’ll need to complete a run with each narrator. Thankfully,this isdefinitelyworth it.
The actual narrative of Fresh Tracks itself isn’t revolutionary, but it is nice and fits in with the vibe of the game wonderfully overall. It also becomes fun as you learn that all of your narrators know each other extremely well, so there’s fun banter between them at times, as well as little personal grudges you’ll become privy to eventually as well.
Needs A VR Mode
I want to be clear here that I totally understand that adding a VR mode into a video game isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. It is atonof extra labor and development, and I do not fault developers Buffalo Buffalo for just making this a standard, flatscreen experience.
Still, it’s impossible to play Fresh Tracks and not think about how slick and insanely fun it would be in VR. The rhythm plus melee weapon gameplay style will immediately remind you ofBeat Saber, which is my personal pick forbest rhythm gameof all time.
In fairness, there is alotgoing on visually during Fresh Tracks, and it flies at a pretty blistering pace with tons of obstacles and enemies all over the screen at times. It would be a lot to take in with a VR headset on your face, and I wouldn’t be shocked if it turned out to be a motion sickness trigger for many. But I’d still like to try it someday!
Fresh Tracks is a blast regardless, so this is just a personal tangent as the resident VR believer at DualShockers. I don’t know if it’s something the devs have considered at all, but I truly think Fresh Tracks could jump into theall-time great rhythm gamedebate if it did happen to become VR-capable at some point in the future.
Closing Comments:
Fresh Tracks took an hour or two to click for me, but I was addicted once it did. This is a really unique and fun rhythm game featuring awesome original music that all ties together with an increasingly fun narrative. You’ll want to turn off the game’s extra/optional sound effects to be able to completely lock-in to the groove, which is a little awkward for a title where sound should be completely dialed in. Still, I can’t wait to finish writing this review so I can jump back in and attempt to improve all my high scores in one of my new favorite rhythm games on the market.
