Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands review for Nintendo Switch, PC

I?m a lousy Canadian. Despite the stereotypes, I dislike most winter sports: I don?t care for hockey, I can?t skate, and I?ve been skiing twice in my life, the last time being about thirty years ago.

Yet even someone like me is able to play Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands and feel like downhill skiing is the most relaxing sport in the world.

A lot of this comes down to presentation. Not only does the small size of everything make it look like you?re spying on some magical, snowbound village, the visuals have a gauzy quality that make the whole thing seem like a dream.

On top of that, despite a decent amount of content ? which frequently includes time trials ? Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands doesn?t have a huge sense of urgency. You?re free to explore the dozen mountains here, entering slaloms and jump competitions as you come across them ? or, alternatively, you can just ski around, gliding down hills to your heart?s content.

Just about my only problem with it is that exploration isn?t as easy as it could be. You move your skier in Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands by swaying from side to side, and while that couldn?t be smoother when you?re going downhill, it?s a little slow-moving when you?re simply trying to go across even ground ? or, worse, uphill in the places where there are no ski lifts.

Even so, there?s plenty to do in Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands that won?t leave you frustrated. There?s lots of events, a nice variety of hills, and, as I said, the presentation is so gorgeous you?ll be lulled into a zen state. Even if you?re not a fan of skiing, it?s one of those games that?s so pleasant, it?s impossible to resist.

Microids provided us with a Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands Switch code for review purposes.