Descenders
" Thrilling action-racing sports game with procedural tracks and tight controls but punishing difficulty "
Descenders Review
Descenders is a highly praised downhill mountain biking game blending procedural generation, roguelike elements, and fast-paced gameplay. Players enjoy the immersive sense of speed, tight controls, and impressive stunt mechanics, with multiple camera angles enhancing the experience. The game features a variety of unlockable bikes, gear, and cosmetics, alongside pre-made tracks and strong mod support, increasing replayability and community engagement.
However, some players find the procedural track generation occasionally unfair, with awkward ramp placements and difficulty spikes, especially in career mode. The health system and roguelike progression can feel punishing, requiring cautious play rather than pure fun. Multiplayer suffers from connectivity bugs and limited lobby features. Despite these issues, the game's audio, visuals, and overall design deliver a compelling challenge for MTB enthusiasts and trick lovers alike, making it a recommended title at its price point.
Highlights
Players highly praise Descenders for its tight and responsive controls, delivering an intense sense of speed and satisfying stunt mechanics. The graphics and audio design are noted for their quality, with immersive sound effects and a fitting soundtrack. The procedural generation and roguelike progression add freshness and replayability, while the variety of bikes, customization options, and community-made maps keep the gameplay engaging. The mod support is also a strong plus, expanding content possibilities.
Overall, the game is celebrated as a fun, skill-based MTB experience with excellent visual and gameplay polish.
Criticisms
Common criticisms focus on the
Pros
- • Tight and responsive biking controls provide an immersive and skillful gameplay experience.
- • Procedural generation keeps tracks fresh and increases replayability significantly.
- • High-quality graphics and immersive sound effects enhance game atmosphere.
- • Roguelike progression system adds depth and challenge to career mode.
- • Wide variety of bikes, gear, and cosmetic customization options available.
- • Multiple camera angles allow personalized viewing preferences.
- • Strong mod support enables community-created content and extended gameplay.
Cons
- • Procedural track generation occasionally creates unfair or awkward ramp placements.
- • Career mode difficulty spikes and health system can feel punishing and frustrating.
- • Multiplayer suffers from connectivity bugs and lacks important lobby features.
- • Unlock progression and cosmetic rewards are slow and somewhat uninspired.
- • Controller and keybinding issues on PC reduce accessibility for some players.
- • Camera angles sometimes cause turning drift, affecting precision in tricky sections.
- • Procedural objectives sometimes require risky maneuvers not worth the reward.
Rating Criteria
Descenders is extreme downhill freeriding for the modern era, with procedurally generated worlds, and where mistakes have real consequences. Will you lead your team to glory and become the next legendary Descender?
