Alto's Odyssey

Last updated

Alto's Odyssey
Alto's Odyssey cover.png
Developer(s) Team Alto
Publisher(s) Noodlecake Studios (Android), Snowman (iOS)
Director(s) Ryan Cash
Producer(s) Eli Cymet
Designer(s) Harry Nesbitt
Joe Grainger
Programmer(s) Harry Nesbitt
Joe Grainger
Artist(s) Harry Nesbitt
Composer(s) Todd Baker
Torin Borrowdale
Engine Unity
Platform(s)
Release
February 21, 2018
  • iOS, tvOS
  • February 21, 2018
  • Android
  • July 25, 2018
  • MacOS
  • February 19, 2020
  • Windows, PS4, Xbox One
  • August 13, 2020
  • Nintendo Switch
  • November 26, 2020
Genre(s) Endless runner, snowboarding
Mode(s) Single Player

Alto's Odyssey is an endless runner and sandboarding video game developed by Team Alto, and published by Snowman for iOS, and Noodlecake Studios for Android. The player controls Alto as he explores the endless desert across different biomes, each with unique traversal mechanics and challenges. Developed over a year and a half, it was released in 2018. [1] It is the sequel to Alto's Adventure (2015).

Contents

Gameplay

Alto's Odyssey keeps the same basic gameplay of its predecessor, Alto's Adventure. The player chooses between a cast of characters, each with different characteristics ranging from a higher jump to the ability to speed through rocks. [2] At its core the game remains a side-scrolling endless runner, in which the player character now sandboards through a desert setting, instead of snowboarding as in the original game. The player can jump by tapping the screen and do tricks by holding down on it. By doing tricks the player can increase their score which is uploaded to an online leaderboard at the end of their run. The desert features three biomes that the player can unlock, each focusing on different mechanics. [2]

A sandstorm, one of the new dynamic weather events in Alto's Odyssey Alto's Odyssey Gameplay Screenshot.png
A sandstorm, one of the new dynamic weather events in Alto's Odyssey

At the beginning of the game, the player starts in the dunes, which features rolling hills and rocks for the player to avoid. Another biome is the canyons, requiring the new wall-riding mechanic, which allows the player to climb up canyon walls by holding down on the screen. The final biome is the temples, featuring vines that the player can ride on and waterfalls that can speed the player up. Later in the game, it is possible to unlock a compass which allows the player to travel between biomes for a fixed cost in coins. [3]

In addition to wall-riding, the game adds new features, such as water physics, tornadoes, falling platforms, an invulnerability power-up, balloon bouncing; alongside mechanics returning from the first installment such as a day-night cycle, weather, and the wingsuit. [4] [5] Like its predecessor, in addition to its original game mode, it also has a Zen mode, in which the player is invulnerable and can get up after hitting obstacles. [6]

The game also retains the challenge system of the first game, where completing challenges allows the player to level up and unlock new characters. In Odyssey's "Workshop", the player can spend coins they collected in order to upgrade power-ups or unlock new abilities and features. [7]

Development

Snowman and Nesbitt (dubbed "Team Alto") announced the sequel in December 2016. It was originally supposed to launch in the summer of 2017, but was delayed until early 2018, "to make it perfect", according to the studio. [8] On February 12, 2018, Team Alto announced the official release date with a trailer on their YouTube channel. [4] Ten days before, the game was given a release date of February 22, 2018 for iOS. [9]

Sandboarding, one of the new mechanics in the game Ladybird Sandboarding Cape Town.jpg
Sandboarding, one of the new mechanics in the game

The game was intended to be a successor to Alto's Adventure, rather than a game that rethought the mechanics of the series. Other mechanics such as a grappling hook were considered, but were axed because they complicated the one-touch gameplay. Wall-riding and balloon bouncing were added in order to build more verticality into environments as Team Alto felt the game world was too static in Adventure. The new biomes expanded the scope of the game a great deal, with one developer commenting "That approach required us to virtually triple the amount of assets we were producing, and item zones we were creating to place content in the environment". Each area was designed to feel distinct to play, instead of being a purely visual change. The ruins in particular were inspired by the worlds of games like Journey and Ico . [10] [11] [3]

Code from the original game was used in Odyssey, but was significantly modified. [3] Odyssey uses the Metal API on iOS, which the developers switched to for better performance and stability over OpenGL. [11] The game aims for a 60 frames per second target, and uses lower quality shaders for weaker hardware in order to maintain performance. Odyssey takes advantage of Apple's Haptic engine in order to give feedback for landing a trick or when the player interacts with the game world. [12]

Alto's Odyssey was initially launched only on iOS, with an Android release slated for a later date. On February 21, 2018, the game was released on the App Store at a price of US $4.99. [13] On June 4 of that year, the game was awarded an Apple Design Award. [14] Later in July it was released on the Android platform as a free-to-play game. In an interview with Team Alto, they cited disappointing revenue for premium games on Android as the reason for turning to a free-to-play model. [11]

On August 4, 2019, Team Alto announced that Alto's Odyssey, alongside Alto's Adventure, would be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on August 13, 2020, as part of The Alto's Collection. A MacOS port came out on February 19, 2020, and a Nintendo Switch version was released on November 26, 2020. [15] [16] A version for Apple Arcade with an additional city area was set for release on July 16, 2021, under the title, Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City. [17]

Reception

Alto's Odyssey received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator, Metacritic. [18]

Computer Games Magazine's Alex Handziuk praised the sound design of the game, writing that the game was "immensely calming" and "full of lush piano motifs and swelling crescendos that do a superb job of invoking emotion in the player". He also enjoyed the game's Zen mode, saying that " I genuinely felt a feeling of relaxation while playing the mode and it works surprisingly well as a form of meditation". [6]

Pocket Gamer thought that Alto's Odyssey's visuals improved over its predecessor, remarking "Alto’s Odyssey manages to one-up Adventure in terms of creating a gorgeous atmosphere". However, the outlet criticized the game for sticking too close to the first game, making the game feel familiar. [20]

Carter Dotson of TouchArcade liked the new biomes as he thought they gave more variety to each run. Dotson criticized the amount of coins required to unlock new items, saying that the game "becomes about the grind to get more coins". [2]

The game was nominated for the A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game at the New York Game Awards; [21] "Mobile Game of the Year" at the SXSW Gaming Awards; [22] "Excellence in Visual Art" and "Excellence in Audio" at the Independent Games Festival Awards; [23] "Best Mobile Game" at the Game Developers Choice Awards; [24] "Mobile Game" at the 15th British Academy Games Awards, [25] and "Best Mobile Game" at the Italian Video Game Awards. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile game</span> Video game played on a mobile device

A mobile game is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any portable device, including from mobile phone, tablet, PDA to handheld game console, portable media player or graphing calculator, with and without network availability. The earliest known game on a mobile phone was a Tetris variant on the Hagenuk MT-2000 device from 1994.

<i>Star Wars</i> video games Video games based on the Star Wars franchise

Over one hundred video games based on the Star Wars franchise have been released, dating back to some of the earliest home consoles. Some are based directly on films while others rely heavily on the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

iOS Mobile operating system by Apple

iOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple exclusively for its iPhone mobile devices. It was unveiled in January 2007 for the first-generation iPhone, which launched in June 2007. Major versions of iOS are released annually; the current stable version, iOS 18, was released to the public on September 16, 2024.

<i>Wheres My Water?</i> 2011 video game

Where's My Water? is a puzzle video game developed by American studio Creature Feep and published by Disney Mobile, a subsidiary of Disney Interactive Studios. Released for desktop web browsers and devices using iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 operating systems, the game has its players route a supply of water to an alligator. Where's My Water? has been praised for its gameplay and its graphical style, with special recognition of its lead character, Swampy, the first original Disney character for its mobile game portfolio, voiced by actor, Justin T. Bowler.

<i>Fishdom</i> 2008 video game

Fishdom is a puzzle game developed by Playrix for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Android, iOS, and iPadOS. The game was originally launched on 19 June 2008.

<i>Bloons Tower Defense</i> Video game series by Ninja Kiwi

Bloons Tower Defense is a series of tower defense games under the Bloons series created and produced by Ninja Kiwi. The game was initially developed as a browser game, built upon the Adobe Flash platform and released in mid 2007. Later games in the series expanded to support various mobile platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DSi, Windows, Linux and MacOS. Games in the Bloons series older than Bloons TD 6 are available through the Ninja Kiwi Archive on Steam. In the game, players attempt to prevent "Bloons" from reaching the end of a set course by placing towers or road items along it that can pop the bloons in a variety of ways, typically by using the power of monkeys, magic, or technology. A handful of towers can stall the bloons and give the other towers more time to pop them by freezing and gluing the bloons. Money is gained by popping bloons, completing rounds, and collecting bananas from existing banana farms which can be spent on new towers, upgrades for existing ones, or temporary items such as exploding pineapples and road spikes. They also need to make sure that they do not lose all of their lives.

Cloud gaming, sometimes called gaming on demand or game streaming, is a type of online gaming that runs video games on remote servers and streams the game's output directly to a user's device, or more colloquially, playing a game remotely from a cloud. It contrasts with traditional means of gaming, wherein a game is run locally on a user's video game console, personal computer, or mobile device.

<i>Temple Run</i> 2011 3D endless runner video game

Temple Run is an endless runner video game developed and published by Imangi Studios. The player controls an explorer who has obtained an ancient relic and runs from demonic monkey-like creatures chasing him. The game was initially released for iOS devices on August 3, 2011, and later ported to Android systems and Windows Phone 8.

<i>Ridiculous Fishing</i> 2013 video game

Ridiculous Fishing is a fishing video game developed and published by Vlambeer. In the game, players use motion and touch controls to catch fish and subsequently shoot them out of the sky for cash. The game was released for iOS on March 13, 2013, then later that year for Android.

<i>Threes</i> 2014 video game

Threes is a puzzle video game by Sirvo, an independent development team consisting of game designer Asher Vollmer, illustrator Greg Wohlwend, and composer Jimmy Hinson. The game was released on February 6, 2014, for iOS devices and later ported to Android, Xbox One, Windows Phone, and Windows. In Threes, the player slides numbered tiles on a grid to combine addends and multiples of three. The game ends when there are no moves left on the grid and the tiles are counted for a final score.

<i>Vainglory</i> (video game) Multiplayer online battle arena video game

Vainglory is a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game, developed and published by Super Evil Megacorp for iOS, Android and PC. As many games in its genre, Vainglory's gameplay focuses on player versus player battles, with players split into two teams of three or five with the ultimate goal of destroying the opposing team's base. The game was released for iOS on November 16, 2014, after being soft-launched for over half a year, with the Android version being released on July 2, 2015. A Mac and Microsoft Windows version of the game was released in July 2018. Through cross-platform play, players on all four platforms can play together simultaneously.

<i>Altos Adventure</i> 2015 video game

Alto's Adventure is a 2015 endless runner snowboarding video game developed by Team Alto and published by Snowman (iOS) and Noodlecake Studios (Android). The player-character automatically moves to the right of the screen through procedurally generated landscapes. The player taps the screen to jump and perform tricks (backflips), and works towards goals, competitive high scores, and upgrades. Snowman, a Toronto-based, three-person indie development team, previously worked on productivity apps before Alto's Adventure. The game was made to emulate the ethereal atmosphere of snowboarding, and was inspired by Ski Safari (2012), Tiny Wings (2012), Jetpack Joyride (2011), Journey (2012), Monument Valley (2014), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (2000), and Windosill (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowman (company)</span> Canadian video game developer

Snowman is an independent video game developer and publisher best known for Alto's Adventure (2015). The three-person, Toronto-based team previously worked on productivity apps before starting work on the game in 2012. In the snowboarding endless runner game, the player taps the touchscreen to make the on-screen character jump and perform tricks through procedurally generated landscapes.

<i>Blackbox</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Blackbox is a 2016 puzzle game developed and designed by Ryan McLeod. In Blackbox, the player solves puzzles by discovering and exploring the device's hardware and operating system; rarely do solutions involve touch mechanics. As the player progresses more puzzles are unlocked. Blackbox won a 2017 Apple Design Award for innovation and excellence in design and accessibility and was recognized as a 2018 Webby Award Honoree in the Puzzle and Best Visual Design categories. It has also won a Golden Apple from Apple Vis as “Best iOS Game” for 2017.

<i>Hytale</i> Upcoming video game

Hytale is an upcoming sandbox game by Hypixel Studios. Production began in 2015 by developers from the Minecraft multiplayer server Hypixel with funding from Riot Games, who later bought the studio in 2020. It is scheduled to release for Windows and macOS as well as consoles and mobile devices.

Apple Arcade is a video game subscription service offered by Apple. It is available through a dedicated tab of the App Store on devices running iOS 13, visionOS, tvOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS Catalina or later. The service launched on September 19, 2019.

<i>Bloons TD 6</i> 2018 tower defense video game

Bloons TD 6 is a 2018 tower defense game developed and published by Ninja Kiwi, where various monkeys pop "bloons". The sixth and latest entry in the Bloons Tower Defense series, it first released on June 13, 2018, for iOS and Android. It was later released on Microsoft Windows in December 2018, and macOS in March 2020 via Steam. It was later released in Epic Games Store on June 19, 2022. In February 2022, Bloons TD 6+ was released for Apple Arcade. On June 12, 2023, Bloons TD 6Netflix was released on iOS and Android for Netflix members only. On September 5, 2023, it was released on Xbox One and Xbox Series X, and on July 31, 2024 on PlayStation 4 and 5, And on January 24 2025, Bloons TD 6 is added to the Epic Games Store Mobile and it is free until February 20

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bootloader unlocking</span> Process of disabling secure device booting

Bootloader unlocking is the process of disabling the bootloader security that makes secure boot possible. It can make advanced customizations possible, such as installing custom firmware. On smartphones, this can be a custom Android distribution or another mobile operating system. Some bootloaders are not locked at all and some are locked, but can be unlocked with a command or with assistance from the manufacturer. Some do not include an unlocking method and can only be unlocked through a software exploit.

Kamibox is an independent German video game developer founded by Philipp Stollenmayer. Stollenmayer is the sole employee of the company, which creates almost exclusively mobile games. Some of Kamibox's games have received awards for their design, including an Apple Design Award. Kamibox games often have a philosophical element to them, such as see/saw and Sometimes You Die, which explore the concept of death in video games.

<i>Layas Horizon</i> 2023 video game

Laya's Horizon is a 2023 action game developed by Snowman and published by Netflix through its subscription service. The game features the player character, Laya, exploring a small, mountainous island via repeatedly gliding with a wingsuit down from peaks to the coast. The player controls the wingsuit to steer Laya throughout the open world area, exploring the island and completing challenges from other non-playable gliders.

References

  1. "The addictive endless snowboarding game is back". Red Bull. Archived from the original on 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "'Alto's Odyssey' Review: Once More Down the Mountain". TouchArcade . 2018-02-22. Archived from the original on 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  3. 1 2 3 Maggio, Edoardo. "'Alto's Odyssey': How the team behind 'Alto's Adventure' came up with one of the best smartphone games ever made". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  4. 1 2 Alto's Adventure (12 February 2018). "Alto's Odyssey Trailer – Launching February 22nd. Pre-order now!". YouTube . Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  5. Gartenberg, Chaim (14 June 2017). "Altos Odyssey shows off some new desert moves in E3 gameplay reveal". The Verge . Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  6. 1 2 Handziuk, Alex. "Alto's Odyssey (iOS) Review - A Symphonic Success | CGMagazine". Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  7. "Review: 'Alto's Odyssey' for iOS heads down the mountain as an excellent sequel to 'Alto's Adventure'". AppleInsider. 27 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  8. Gartenberg, Chaim (7 December 2016). "Alto's Odyssey, the follow-up to Alto's Adventure, is coming in 2017". The Verge . Archived from the original on 8 December 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  9. Webster, Andrew (2018-02-12). "Beautiful iPhone adventure Alto's Odyssey is finally coming out this month". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  10. Couture, Joel (28 January 2019). "Road to the IGF: Team Alto's Alto's Odyssey". www.gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  11. 1 2 3 Axon, Samuel (2018-02-25). "The state of iOS game development, according to the creators of Alto's Odyssey". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  12. Swanner, Nate (2018-02-23). "'Alto's Odyssey': How a Winning Mobile Game Is Made". Dice Insights. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  13. England, Rachel (21 February 2018). "'Alto's Odyssey' arrives on the App Store a day early". Engadget . Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  14. "Apple Design Awards". Apple Developer. Apple. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  15. "Alto's Odyssey Now Available on macOS". MacRumors. 19 February 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  16. Lyles, Taylor (August 4, 2020). "Indie darling Alto's Adventure and its sequel are finally coming to PS4, Xbox One and Switch". The Verge . Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  17. Webster, Andrew (2021-07-09). "Alto's Odyssey is adding a vibrant new city for its Apple Arcade debut". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  18. 1 2 "Alto's Odyssey for iOS Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  19. "Alto's Odyssey (iOS) Review". Computer Games Magazine . Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  20. 1 2 "Alto's Odyssey review - Is this a desert boarding adventure worth embarking on?". Pocket Gamer . 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  21. Keyes, Rob (3 January 2019). "2018 New York Game Awards Nominees Revealed". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  22. Trent, Logan (11 February 2019). "Here Are Your 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards Finalists!". South by Southwest . Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  23. Fogel, Stephanie (3 January 2019). "'Return of the Obra Dinn' Leads IGF Awards Nominees". Variety . Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  24. Good, Owen S. (4 January 2019). "Red Dead Redemption 2 tops list of Game Developers Choice nominees". Polygon . Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  25. Fogel, Stefanie (14 March 2019). "'God of War,' 'Red Dead 2' Lead BAFTA Game Awards Nominations". Variety . Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  26. "Italian Video Game Awards Nominees and Winners". Italian Video Game Awards. 11 April 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2019.