A story marvel stuffed with contemplative mountaineering.
Developer inkle has a monitor document for making experimental narrative-focused video games dripping with vibes, together with the sky-faring 80 Days, the reverse homicide thriller Overboard, and the language-translating Heaven’s Vault. Their newest recreation is the enigmatic mountain-climbing narrative journey A Highland Track. Set within the Scottish Highlands, you management the younger woman Moira who runs away from dwelling in a mad sprint to achieve her uncle’s lighthouse and see the ocean. The fundamental plot is comparatively simple as your finish objective is laid out instantly, however by means of a number of dynamic replays, impactful revelations and a wealth of tantalizing narrative threads add a gripping emotional weight to the entire expertise.
A Highland Track tells a narrative that may solely be instructed in video games as a result of the best way it unfolds is all associated to your play, constructing as you uncover new paths and work out completely different connections. Moira initially has two maps that exhibit two completely different mountain peaks with hidden paths close by. Matching the map to the fitting peak provides you with the inclination of the place the hidden path is and as soon as you discover the trail, you possibly can transfer to a brand new space, discover a new map, and search out extra peaks and paths. It’s tough to parse out the complete scale and scope of the world, however that’s a part of the general level. You and Moira are desperately piecing collectively the fitting method to the ocean and typically that may be disorienting.
Climbing and shifting across the hills and mountains is simple, that includes loads of context delicate inputs that enable Moira to ascend, descend, run, and bounce. Determining the fitting method to climb to a brand new peak or safely get all the way down to a brand new path in a valley requires planning and timing. Or you possibly can simply say “eff it” and bounce down and incur some quantity of fall harm (or lose all of your well being and fail). A day/evening cycle and climate additionally components into your maneuvering, so it’s essential to preserve a watch out on shelters to attend out storms and relaxation.
The circulate of the sport is superb, and as soon as I acquired a grasp of it I used to be mesmerized exploring the attractive countryside, choosing up intriguing clues and studying bits of wider lore that, not less than in my time with the sport, led to some gratifying and heartbreaking payoffs. It is a stunning recreation with watercolor-esque backgrounds, spectacular lighting, and lovely animation. The music enhances the visuals with stunning Scottish people music (from acclaimed bands Talisk and Fourth Moon). I like the music, however I didn’t love the recurring rhythm recreation segments that highlighted the music. Particularly in handheld mode, it was tough to learn the variations between buttons as you moved throughout the bottom, tapping the fitting button as Moira ran over it. There are loads of choices to alter the issue of various facets of the sport, together with the rhythm recreation components, however I usually like rhythm video games and I used to be disenchanted to have a problem with it.
Even with my comparatively minor points, A Highland Track is a strong recreation stuffed with a definite mystique. The general objective requires taking part in by means of it a number of occasions, however with every playthrough, you have got extra peaks and paths accessible proper from the get-go. It is a recreation that’s about optimizing your method by means of the mountains but additionally grapples with the truth that that degree of optimization isn’t possible. That ethereal otherworldliness lingers all through each engrossing hour, beckoning you to search out probably the most environment friendly path to the lighthouse whereas additionally tying up each unfastened finish. It is a stunning, attractive recreation that shouldn’t be missed.