One of the best mobile games around is finally getting the sequel it deserves. On Monday, developer Snowman said it would be launching Alto's Odyssey on February 22 after missing its original launch window.
Snowman initially aimed for a summer 2017 launch although as that date approached, the team knew it needed more time. "We're firm believers that it takes longer to build things right," the company said in today's blog post, adding that they think the extra time has given them the chance to bring players a world that feels more alive and responsive.
In designing Alto's Odyssey, the team at Snowman approached it as more of a companion to the original rather than a true sequel. Ryan Cash, the studio's co-founder, said they wanted gamers to be able to discover the series through either title and have the transition between them be nearly seamless. As such, they had to design Odyssey with both audiences in mind. It had to be different enough as to not turn off existing fans while simultaneously not scaring off newcomers with overly complex mechanics.
Alto's Odyssey seems to do that perfectly. The game introduces a number of new gameplay mechanics yet at its heart, you're still snowboarding across a procedurally generated world, just like in the original.
Alto's Odyssey arrives in the Apple App Store on February 22 priced at $4.99. Snowman hasn't yet said if the game will come to other platforms although if history is any indicator, it'll probably eventually find its way to Android devices.