Laya’s Horizon review: Don’t miss Netflix’s mini masterpiece

What do you know about the people behind mega-hit mobile gaming? Alto’s AdventureYou can also find out more about the following: Alto’s OdysseyIn May, they released their first 3D game with an open world? It’s true, and it rules. You’ve probably never heard of this. Unfortunately, Laya’s HorizonIt is yet another victim of the murky mobile marketplace.

Netflix published the game on iOS and Android, meaning it’s only playable if you log in to the app with active Netflix credentials. However, that’s also the good news! This brilliant game can be played for free if you have Netflix.

Let me echo that word “brilliant.” Laya’s HorizonThis game applies Alto’s aesthetic to a mountainous Island. The cape is used as an wingsuit to zip down the mountainside. Two fingers on the screen allow you to steer your character at high speed down mineshafts and underneath bridges.

While loading, I admit to being a little sceptical. Laya’s Horizon. Most sprawling open-world designs don’t align with me spending a few minutes on my smartphone here and there. And how could a mobile game from a comparably small team do something new with this genre that’s been the bread and butter of big-budget console gaming for more than a decade?

Snowman, the developer, solves this issue by being smarter than his contemporaries, and not working harder. Laya’s HorizonThere are a seemingly endless number of ways to descend the mountain. The trick lies in where — and how — the game begins.

Think of the map in terms of a pizza. Imagine that you are an ant standing at the middle of a pizza with different toppings. One slice has pineapple and another one has mushrooms. As an ant, you can look at the edges of six pizza slices. You can view all the flavors by rotating 360 degrees. The farther away you are from the middle of the pizza, the larger each slice becomes, as it expands. You will soon be covered in greasy meat if you skitter on the pepperoni piece. The rest of the slices will also disappear into the distance.

That’s how Laya’s HorizonIt works as follows: From the peak of the mountain in the middle of the island, you see the hints of different biomes. For example, a swamp or a village with snowy slopes. Glide toward any biome and it spreads wider and wider the farther you travel, until suddenly, you’re in a sprawling slice of dense forest.

Image: Snowman/Netflix

What is the purpose of this game? Glide in all its forms. Once you complete three new goals, such as flying close to 30 trees or boost for 10 seconds, your level will be improved. This unlocks different capes that have different flight styles. Fly dangerously close to the ground, buildings, or trees and you’ll earn sparks that can be spent on the aforementioned boosts. And those boosts, along with gusts of wind that pepper the map, will help you reach new landing points, from which you can start your next run — or just catch your breath on your way to the ocean level.

Laya’s HorizonThis is, first and foremost, a relaxing game. It’s all about having a good time. And now that you know it exists, that’s possible!