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NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Via Gematsu
Publisher No More Robots and developer RageSquid have announced Descenders Next, a multiple extreme sports follow-up to the downhill biking game Descenders. It will launch first for Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store in 2025, as well as via Xbox Game Pass, followed by PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 at a later date. A representative for No More Robots told Gematsu that while a Switch version is doubtful, it will likely appear on Nintendo’s next console.
Here is an overview of the game, via No More Robots:
Descenders Next is the long-anticipated follow-up to downhill biking hit Descenders.
Descenders Next will aim to become the only extreme sports game you’ll ever need, starting life with a couple of deeply-crafted sports, and slowly but surely adding more and more adrenaline-fueled activities over time.
Building on the success of Descenders—which has seen 30 million players since it launched six years ago—Descenders Next is the natural evolution of the original experience. We asked ourselves: Where do we go from Descenders? How do we deliver the same feel, the same sense of speed, but expand beyond mountain biking? From there, the idea of perfecting the fluidity of numerous sports was born.
When Descenders Next launches in 2025, it will begin life with a focus on boarding sports. Players will learn to conquer the snowy caps through tight, effortless snowboarding action, before taking to the highlands with the grittier feel of mountainboarding. Each sport will feel and handle completely different to the others, meaning players will have to learn to tackle and master every nook and cranny of Next.
Descenders Next will already be as meaty as Descenders when it launches, with full online multiplayer action, tons of tricks and grinds to pull off, and multiple huge biomes to explore. Players will earn rep as they scale the mountain, and use that to buy new boards, kits, helmets, goggles, and more to customize their rider.
Last time around, Descenders provided both procedurally-generated tracks, as well as a selection of hand-crafted parks. With Descenders Next we’ve brought it all together with a more natural experience, as players will tackle procedural off-piste mountains that chain together into tight, winding parks, and vistas.
The parks in particular will provide fresh new challenges, while also acting as Next’s playgrounds of fun. Sometimes you’ll be required to dash down the mountain with your friends as quickly as possible, while other times you’ll be aiming to focus on your tricks and perfect landings. Scavenger hunts will see players exploring every inch of the mountain, and unlocking special rewards for those who venture the deepest.
Top it all off with an absolutely banging soundtrack from Monstercat, and you’ve got even more reasons to spend hours on the slopes, chilling out to the latest in drum and bass hits.