App Army Assemble: Grand Mountain Adventure 2 - "Should you hit the slopes in this skiing and snowboarding sim?"

Grand Mountain Adventure 2 is a follow-up to Toppluva's popular snowsports sim. Now, our App Army readers are keen extreme sports enthusiasts - well, at least when there's a considerably lower chance of actual injury - so, we handed the game over to them to get their thoughts.

Here's what they said:

I found this game a little frustrating to start with because it took a while to get used to the controls. I found myself going in all directions, crashing into objects and going round in circles. However, when I eventually managed to move where I wanted to go it wasn’t a bad game. There are challenges to fill, plenty of snowboarding and skiing down slopes but watch out for other skiers - they seem to be everywhere. With good graphics and just a little more to it than the average downhill runner, it’s got plenty to keep you busy.

Grand Mountain Adventure 2 is an open-world skiing and snowboarding sequel that picks up right where the outdoor fun left off. I love how easy it is to get into GMA2, even for a novice like me, when it comes to winter sports. I always admired the pros pulling off these amazing stunts in the coolest neon-coloured gear, coming down mountains and slopes as fast as can be, and with GMA2 I can live out those dreams. GMA2 has a pretty chill vibe right from the start that really puts a focus on you playing at your own pace.

There are countless challenges and activities around every corner with new items to unlock, and while you’re exploring the wintry world around you, you’ll find that the environments really stand out with some terrific details such as snow falling, and even the day turning to night. I can’t say enough about just how intuitive the controls are. Within minutes I was pulling off some sick tricks, and I could feel the weighty realism of the movement of my character traversing the snow. It’s clear to me that the Grand Mountain Adventure series is one that’s made out of passion and love and is worthy of your mobile gaming collection.

Grand Mountain Adventure 2 is a ski and snowboarding sim that is more arcade than a serious sim. Viewed from above you control your skier/surfboarder down various courses on a mountain. As you gain passes by completing the various challenges you discover the location of lifts that will take you higher up the mountain. This is a good-looking game. The touch controls work well and you soon will be zooming down the mountain and performing jumps with ease. The sound is simple but the slicing through the snow is a good SFX. My only criticism is the text is hard to read at times but that’s more of a me problem. Recommended.

I like to ski in real life, but I've only ever done it a few times. Let's get something out of the way real quick. There's a lot you can do in this game without paying a dime. And I mean a lot. In this open world (open mountain?) you can go up and down a mountain, skiing, snowboarding, and even paragliding? You can explore freely and search for events and challenges that, if successful, will give you ski points that you can use to unlock more things on the map.

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Unlocking all the rides is a must, so you can go up the mountain, further and further, and gain access to more challenges, until you reach the top of the mountain, where you have a balloon waiting for you, which will allow you to travel to another mountain (this part, yes, after you purchase the full game). You need to explore to find stuff and unlock all that you can, so going into the map is a must to check for things glowing or specific points you want to travel to. You can place a marker on the ground, and just follow the red arrows until you reach that spot.

Further down the line, you will unlock the backpack which will allow you to have more equipment, and the telescope which focuses on the mountains around you, so you can enjoy the breathtaking views. The graphics in this game are quite something, and the sounds of our skis sliding through the snow are top-notch believable, but the gameplay is where you feel that you are really there in the snow.

Some challenges are like mini-games, where the whole game changes, be it the perspective where you see your player from the side, or even a top-down view like old classics I used to play in my Amiga 500 (Ski or Die, anyone?). This game is a no-brainer to get from the App Stores, especially because it's free to try, and you can do so much before you decide to purchase the full game. Highly recommended.

Beautiful graphics but honestly talking about controls for casual gamers more detailed interactive tutorials are needed. For a simulation game like this, it's very difficult to get those casual gamers. Maybe the developer can add a basic version of the control of casual games. On mobile, your market is always casual gamers.

I played the first game in this series a bit long time ago and thought it was neat but never really dived in all the way. With the sequel, however, I'm going to put in a lot more time starting now. I love skiing but I have not been in quite a few years. This game gives me the right vibes of skiing at a resort in Colorado! From the ski lifts, other people skiing, and buildings it just gets it right. Essentially, you play as a person on a ski/snowboard trip on a huge mountain resort.

You have a fair bit of freedom to ski on or slightly off the beaten path. You have to watch out for structures, rocks, trees, and other skiers. The feel is fantastic and there are a lot of items and tricks to perfect and unlock. The graphics are very detailed and the sound effects are nice and crisp from the squeaky crunch of the snow to the sounds of accidentally hitting something. The controls work well after a short learning curve. I can't wait to play this more than the 30 or so minutes I was able to set aside this busy weekend. The game honestly feels like a nice escape to a ski vacation.

Not a huge skiing fan really, but this is a very good simulation. The controls took a bit of getting used to, but once I had them, they were pretty effective. Sometimes it was a bit of a struggle to go uphill, and I was kind of wanting to just take my skis off and walk. But really, it was a good exercise to get used to the controls. I liked the ski runs, although at first, I was running into people, trees, animals, and fences. But again, I got better with practice. The scenery and graphics were nice, and there were lots of little details to appreciate. Highly recommend trying the demo, and odds are you’ll want the full version.

I never played Grand Mountain Adventure 1. It was always on my list, but I never got around to it. The first thing I noticed with GMA2 is the amazing graphics. The attention to detail is amazing, down to the tracks you leave behind in the snow. I have a few hours into the game and am slowly getting better. You need to complete goals to unlock the next area. It is a bit confusing on where to go next, but the map is very helpful. Little convenience things such as holding down the screen to speed up the chair lift are very useful. 

Controls are simple enough, and they add additional moves as you progress. You also can collect additional equipment once you find the backpack. The game has been quite challenging so far, but it makes me want to try “one more time” to get better. I am not doing well with flips and spins yet. It reminds me a bit of the Alto’s Odyssey games, but in an open-world environment which makes it very challenging. Overall, I am really enjoying the game and plan to keep exploring to open up additional areas. Two thumbs up.

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Grand Mountain Adventure 2