PAX East 2025: Fresh Tracks brings big thrills and bigger tunes

A Norwegian winter wonderland. A tale of God and Goddess. All that is missing is a good best. A fresh track. Sometimes all you need for a new path is a fresh pair of tracks. 

Fresh Tracks uses its name in a lot of ways. It's a skiing game where you lay down a fresh path. But most importantly, it's a music rhythm game with some truly sick beats. Ultimately, it's a unique game that does the rhythm genre differently and in many good ways. I had the opportunity to play a demo of the game at PAX East this year, and I came away from it wanting more. 

Bring the Beats

The land is broken and corrupted, but for Skaii, a great journey has just begun. Skaii must confront Mar, the Queen of Terror, and mend the pantheon of Norwyn to bring light back into the land. To do so requires a magic sword, sick skiing skills, and attention to the beat. 

My demo introduces the basics initially. The game takes place on a linear pathway, but soon evolves into various mechanics. The path is littered with obstacles. These obstacles can be dodged, jumped, or chopped. They consist of temple pieces, trees, and stone structures. The goal is to gather whips and use the sword in a timely fashion. 

Mix it up

The first track was an electronic, slow-going tune with female vocals. I was able to learn the mechanics well, but I couldn't help but genuinely vibe with the music. It sounded elegant, beautiful, different, and flowed well with the action of the game. The environment lent itself to the track as well as Skaii skied through the open snow plains. Between levels, players can purchase items and abilities to help them on their journey.

The second stage did something similar but much faster, introducing more obstacles to avoid and whips to collect. At times, trees would have to be chopped, and when prompted, I was able to chop through trees. The music was faster and more upbeat this time around, and still just as fascinating as the first. 

Ice Ice Baby

Fighting one of the malevolent Gods was a massive fear, filled with challenges from obstacles to enemies, and even a blinding blizzard. The level accelerated into a hard score electronic tune that I couldn't help but best my head to. I felt the hairs stand on the back of my neck as I made my way through this challenge. 

The boss fight was no pushover. Enemies filled the screen, and the level did everything possible to stop me. But it all culminated into an experience I haven't felt in a long time. I felt ice coursing into my knuckles. It was locked in trying to fight that boss, and while I was unsuccessful, I did appreciate the challenge and the feel of a good battle. 

Talkin' About Fresh Tracks

Fresh Tracks is a rogue-like driven by the story. When the player dies, it resets to the beginning, but it also unlocks alternate pathways, which unlock different songs. There is a bevy of music tracks, ranging from the vocal-focused to hardcore electronic dubstep and EDM.

Fresh Tracks was incredible! Its unique lore, rhythm-focused gameplay, and song selection kept me invested. I simply wanted more from the demo, and that is the sign of a great game in the works. What more secrets this game holds, I'll have to find out when it launches. For what I played, this is a rhythm game that is shaping up to be unforgettable.  

Fresh Tracks arrives soon.