Fresh Tracks Review – A Rhythmic Adventure on Skis

Developer: Buffalo Buffalo
Release Date: August 26th, 2025
Price: $24.99
Platforms: Steam, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5

Gameplay Experience in Fresh Tracks

Screenshot of gameplay from Fresh Tracks. A character on skis is going through a neon forest in the snow.

In Fresh Tracks, players will navigate their way through the world of Norwyn. Norwyn is a snowy land full of powerful mythics and interesting lore. On their journey, Fresh Tracks players will be accompanied by various Gods of Norwyn, who each have their own unique perspectives regarding the land.

Fresh Tracks begins by familiarizing players with some of the controls and settings. At this point, players will be able to select a difficulty level to start with. These difficulty levels are presented as player types, and offer different players a chance to enjoy the game their way. Whether a player is new to roguelites and rhythm games or considers themselves a champion, there’s something for everyone.

Fresh Tracks players can easily switch between difficulty levels at any time during the game in the settings, without losing progress. This is a great way for players who may be stuck in an area to take a step back and try a slower pace. Likewise, players who feel the game is too easy can switch to the Champion mode for more of a challenge.

In addition to the overall difficulty level settings, players are also able to choose which paths they want to take on the journey. These paths also range in difficulty, so players can choose to take an easier route or go all in and try the harder routes.

Screenshot of enemy warriors standing in front of a sword weilding skier.

No matter the route, players will eventually find themselves facing off against boss levels. These levels are very challenging and may take several tries to complete. And while getting sent back to the beginning by Gods like Sogvar can be discouraging, it is also beneficial.

Throughout the game, players will have a chance to unlock power-ups and abilities such as invincibility timers and air jumps at the merchant’s wagon. These upgrades can be purchased using the whyspers they collect throughout the various stages of Fresh Tracks. Additionally, players can unlock new skis to aid them in completing their journey. These skis also grant things such as damage immunity and bonus whyspers.

Since these items require whyspers and echoes to unlock them, it becomes beneficial to be sent back to the beginning and retry routes to collect more of these items. And eventually, once Fresh Tracks players take on those difficult bosses again, the experience will help them overcome them.

A Musical Snowy World

A screenshot of a winter landscape from the game Fresh Tracks.

Fresh Tracks features a genre-crossing 28-track soundtrack that responds to a player’s movement in the game. The tracks playing in each area of Fresh Tracks pair very well with the obstacles and how players can overcome them.

It pays to pay attention to the lyrics in the songs, because at times they’ll offer an auditory hint to picking a path. Likewise, in combat scenarios, it becomes a fun challenge to take down enemies blocking your path to the beat to get those perfect hits.

The art style in Fresh Tracks is very whimsical and fun. Even areas that are intended to be darker are still very vibrant.

One issue players may run into is that there are times when it can be hard to see what is on the screen. If the character is moving quickly through a very obstacle-heavy area, things can blur together, making some areas harder to get through.

Final Thoughts on Fresh Tracks

Overall, Fresh Tracks is a fun blend of roguelite and rhythm game elements. The soundtrack is catchy and makes redoing runs worthwhile. The story and lore throughout the game are interesting and work with the soundtrack. Fresh Tracks is challenging, but also having the ability to set a playstyle and then pick paths by difficulty level makes it more inviting to a wider range of players.

Fresh Tracks is currently available on Steam and PlayStation 5 for $24.99.