This is a very well done winter sports game. Even though the game is set up as primarily a snowboarding/skiing game, I hesitate to call it that. The developers have added paragliding and (what I consider to be just as fun as snowboarding) wing suits. The game takes several famous peaks in the Alps and brings them together in a large open playground. Controls are quite good once you get the hang of them. Be sure to turn off the trick safety option to fully enjoy the game. The different sports each have a different feel and each one controls well. While the controls feel solid, I did find a little bit of randomness when landing jumps. The game uses g-forces as a sort of life bar-experience too many g-forces in too quickly and you will crash. It is an interesting effect but can be a little annoying as the game does not do much to allow you to set up a landing. The game also does not have a grinding mechanic. This is a game where you have to be able to make your own fun. There are quite a few challenges available on each mountain and you can share runs as races, freestyle, etc. but you really don't have traditional races like in games like SSX. Much of the time spent is spent exploring. You can unlock items that have no effect other than visual but you never expand your skill set. If you need a feeling of progression or unlock able skills to enjoy a game, you may not be happy with this. You see other players populating to world and easily group up if you want to. It makes the mountains seem less desolate. One word of warning: this game REQUIRES an online connection. I was surprised by this and I hope the servers last a very long time. I personally hate this but I enjoy the game so much I can overlook it. I also want to touch on the world map. In short, it's amazing. It is shown in 3D and real time. That means you can go from a entire map view all the way down to seeing sparkles in the snow. If another play shoots by you will see them too. On top of that, you can instantly fast travel to peaks or drop zones you have unlocked. You will seen now loading screens once you get past the title screen. It truly is impressive. That also means if you crash during a run, simply holding a button will warp you back to the start. It is great tech that I hope to see in other games. All in all I would say this is a tremendous first effort in what I hope becomes a franchise. There are certainly things that are missing from the game that could come in a sequel but this is a very solid effort. Many Ubisoft games have come out that have an okay-at-best first offering but with solid bones underneath. It takes a sequel to work out the kinks. This is not like that. I feel that it is one of their best first efforts and I will continue to play long after I complete the challenges.