Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon, the tried and true for PC
For lovers of the white week the winter in which we find ourselves was stingy with satisfactions. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ski resorts throughout Italy have in fact been closed for a large part of the season, and hopefully they will be able to reopen in a few weeks. Even for the most hardened skiers, the traditional trips on the snow were therefore limited to a few fleeting moments, at least for those lucky enough to have the opportunity to find the facilities within their own region. With its Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon, the TeaForTwo development team tries to appease this hunger for skiing at least in part, proposing a management software dedicated to the winter holiday activity par excellence. As we are about to see in our Snowtopia trial: Ski Resort Tycoon, the game published by Goblinz Studio allows us to express all our imagination as builders of slopes, cable cars and more, with the aim of making a simple white mountain the most requested place by skiers from all over the world. After a few hours spent in the company of this title, here are our first impressions.
Il the starting point is obviously represented by the creation of the ski lifts, which range from the single ski lift to more complex cable cars. As the number of people in our facilities increases, it is clear that the need for a large and fast system ends up increasing over time. The design therefore requires a minimum of projection towards the future from the very beginning, to avoid bottlenecks capable of generating queues that can disappoint visitors. For the fun of the latter, the ski slopes are then created, represented within Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon with the classic color system: from green dedicated to beginners to black, indicated only for expert skiers. Designing the slopes and their slope, managing to "fit" them into the landscape on the map, is certainly the funniest aspect of this title, equal to the satisfaction of seeing the skiers populate the system without particular problems. br>
In the subsequent phases to the initial one it becomes necessary to connect all the tracks, also in this case avoiding the formation of traffic jams and providing comforts such as high altitude shelters where you can rest. All the working activity inside the resort is based on the presence of some volunteer operators, dedicated both to the construction of the structures and to their management. However, even in this case the worries are reduced, because in the hours we spent in the company of Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon we never ended up risking being short of staff. Similarly, the research and development function with which to unlock upgrades and new structures is available almost continuously, without requiring raw materials or other similar elements.
Even if the high-level glance is already positive enough, just try to zoom in to notice some aspects that TeaForTwo members still have to work on. One of these is precisely the management of the enlargement of the map, often disproportionate to the player's intentions both in the moment of tightening the shot and in its enlargement. Even the animations of the skiers still leave a little to be desired, and it is no coincidence that among the points on which the developers intend to improve Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon there is precisely the graphic detail. The audio sector, on the other hand, is already quite good, with a soundtrack able to pleasantly accompany the gaming experience.
It is therefore difficult to provide a definitive opinion on the Early Access purchase that can be suitable for everyone. If you are a ski lover and can't wait to create the place of your dreams, Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon may already be for you to start spending a few hours of fun. In other cases, before spending your money you can at least take a look at the frequent broadcasts of the developers on Steam, in order to get a direct idea of what you will find in the game.
A nice idea and great potential for a title that, at the moment, suffers from some youthful sin. The curious can already now spend a few hours of fun taking advantage of the atypical setting and some certainly particular features, while others can wait a few months to understand how the project evolves.
CERTAINTIES
High-altitude sandbox
Whoever launches Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon for the first time is faced with exactly what one would expect from a title of its kind. The game mode made available by TeaForTwo is in fact a sandbox type within which you can choose between scenarios of different complexity, starting naturally from the simplest to learn all the mechanics underlying the game from the exhaustive tutorial. From this point of view, the decision not to include any type of currency in the dynamics of Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon stands out, thus putting the player in a position to do and do as he pleases in search of the configuration with which to give life to the resort to be dream. However, this does not mean that there are no elements to keep at bay, because managing a single track may be simple, but getting to set up a five-star resort is a different matter.Il the starting point is obviously represented by the creation of the ski lifts, which range from the single ski lift to more complex cable cars. As the number of people in our facilities increases, it is clear that the need for a large and fast system ends up increasing over time. The design therefore requires a minimum of projection towards the future from the very beginning, to avoid bottlenecks capable of generating queues that can disappoint visitors. For the fun of the latter, the ski slopes are then created, represented within Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon with the classic color system: from green dedicated to beginners to black, indicated only for expert skiers. Designing the slopes and their slope, managing to "fit" them into the landscape on the map, is certainly the funniest aspect of this title, equal to the satisfaction of seeing the skiers populate the system without particular problems. br>
In the subsequent phases to the initial one it becomes necessary to connect all the tracks, also in this case avoiding the formation of traffic jams and providing comforts such as high altitude shelters where you can rest. All the working activity inside the resort is based on the presence of some volunteer operators, dedicated both to the construction of the structures and to their management. However, even in this case the worries are reduced, because in the hours we spent in the company of Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon we never ended up risking being short of staff. Similarly, the research and development function with which to unlock upgrades and new structures is available almost continuously, without requiring raw materials or other similar elements.
From Early Access to the final version
Behind the publication of Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon in Early Access, which took place a few days ago, lies the intention of the developers to continue the work in harmony with the community, collecting not only financial support but also feedback from those who want to contribute In this sentence. By purchasing it at this stage it is therefore good to keep in mind that from different points of view Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon is still a bit immature, in particular for what concerns some technical details as well as for the absence of the campaign mode that should arrive in future.Even if the high-level glance is already positive enough, just try to zoom in to notice some aspects that TeaForTwo members still have to work on. One of these is precisely the management of the enlargement of the map, often disproportionate to the player's intentions both in the moment of tightening the shot and in its enlargement. Even the animations of the skiers still leave a little to be desired, and it is no coincidence that among the points on which the developers intend to improve Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon there is precisely the graphic detail. The audio sector, on the other hand, is already quite good, with a soundtrack able to pleasantly accompany the gaming experience.
Do I buy or do I not buy?
In light of the above, it is clear that at present Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon is presented as a game with the will to satisfy a wide range of gamers. Therefore, not only management patients accustomed to having to reckon with, but also those who want to have a more relaxed approach to the issue. The downside is the presence of a fairly flattened level of challenge downwards, especially when you end up discovering that on the map there are more than a single cabin from which to start the construction of the resort.It is therefore difficult to provide a definitive opinion on the Early Access purchase that can be suitable for everyone. If you are a ski lover and can't wait to create the place of your dreams, Snowtopia: Ski Resort Tycoon may already be for you to start spending a few hours of fun. In other cases, before spending your money you can at least take a look at the frequent broadcasts of the developers on Steam, in order to get a direct idea of what you will find in the game.
A nice idea and great potential for a title that, at the moment, suffers from some youthful sin. The curious can already now spend a few hours of fun taking advantage of the atypical setting and some certainly particular features, while others can wait a few months to understand how the project evolves.