Peaks of Yore
released on Oct 26, 2023
Travel around The Great Gales to climb challenging peaks in this physics-based climbing adventure set in 1887. Meet like-minded mountaineers, unlock helpful climbing gear, and become a pioneer of mountaineering.
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Peaks of Yore is the best climbing game to date. With exceptionally fun mechanics, intuitive controls (unlike most other climbing games), a plethora of unique and interesting mountains to climb, and a reward structure that keeps the player wanting to play more, Yore stands alone at what might be the peak of this genre.
The only disappointing part of the game is the fact that to beat the game, you don't even have to do every mountain.
The only disappointing part of the game is the fact that to beat the game, you don't even have to do every mountain.
Literally my dream climbing game
I knew from watching 10 seconds of this game I would love it.
Interesting climbing and platforming mechanics with a lot of depth, risk and reward gameplay, paired with a 19th century scottish setting.
I can't recommend it for anyone that gets motion sick, struggles with mastering movement mechanics, or has acrophobia.
If you don't have to worry about any of those points, then I can highly recommend it because this was a charming, sometimes frustrating, sometimes relaxing but a very engaging time.
The game slowly introduces basic mechanics and various types of obstacles to you, only to ramp them up steadily in difficulty as it progresses. You have to climb everything in one go, your entire progress is at stake, if you fall, and don't manage to grab onto anything or aren't tethered to your limited usages of rope, it's over.
You'll find yourself wrestling not with the controls, not with a sense of direction, but with your own wits and mind as your heart jumps out of your chest when you realise how far high up you are, and how much progress you risk losing doing even the most simple jumps.
In terms of climbing games, unlike Getting Over It, which relies on short difficult challanges and purposefully unintuitive controls that threaten to reset you back to the beginning, Peaks of Yore's climbing is a lot more consistent, and has you on edge all the time with every climb.
What it does gracefully upon failure is instead of leaving you with a sense of sheer rage-inducing frustration, it actually boosts your confidence in the climb.
As you do courses you struggle with, you'll look for shortcuts, you'll use less ropes to keep yourself from falling, you'll soar over sections that you previously struggled with and you'll gain more faith in your ability to get to the top with each repetition, until you somehow find yourself at the peak. Thats when Peaks of Yore is at its best.
Interesting climbing and platforming mechanics with a lot of depth, risk and reward gameplay, paired with a 19th century scottish setting.
I can't recommend it for anyone that gets motion sick, struggles with mastering movement mechanics, or has acrophobia.
If you don't have to worry about any of those points, then I can highly recommend it because this was a charming, sometimes frustrating, sometimes relaxing but a very engaging time.
The game slowly introduces basic mechanics and various types of obstacles to you, only to ramp them up steadily in difficulty as it progresses. You have to climb everything in one go, your entire progress is at stake, if you fall, and don't manage to grab onto anything or aren't tethered to your limited usages of rope, it's over.
You'll find yourself wrestling not with the controls, not with a sense of direction, but with your own wits and mind as your heart jumps out of your chest when you realise how far high up you are, and how much progress you risk losing doing even the most simple jumps.
In terms of climbing games, unlike Getting Over It, which relies on short difficult challanges and purposefully unintuitive controls that threaten to reset you back to the beginning, Peaks of Yore's climbing is a lot more consistent, and has you on edge all the time with every climb.
What it does gracefully upon failure is instead of leaving you with a sense of sheer rage-inducing frustration, it actually boosts your confidence in the climb.
As you do courses you struggle with, you'll look for shortcuts, you'll use less ropes to keep yourself from falling, you'll soar over sections that you previously struggled with and you'll gain more faith in your ability to get to the top with each repetition, until you somehow find yourself at the peak. Thats when Peaks of Yore is at its best.
Peaks of Yore is a game I knew I would love from the moment I picked it up, and it has very much delivered on all fronts. It's charming, exhilarating, and devilish. It's not hard, per-se, but like Getting Over It, it requires no small amount of nerves, patience, and perseverance. Not long after starting, there will be timed sections (from "crimp holds" and other, similar obstacles) and precision jumps, many of which you'll have to make without a safety rope. Add onto this that many of the game's peaks can take between tens of minutes and several hours to summit it's obvious why the game tells you to pack a light heart. I've found that, after I run out of ropes, run out of safety nets for myself, I will often go through several difficult sections right in a row with almost no difficulty. It is in these moments, where everything is at stake but you feel calm, weather the storm, and come out on top, that the game shines.
I will say, though. This game is stressful to me in a way no other game has ever been. It is a unique feeling, but it is extremely taxing. Not for the faint of heart.
At the same time, there is a unique calm that comes from revisiting older levels (something this game encouages and rewards you for doing) and blowing right through them. It is a marvellous sense of progress, usually echoed only in fighting games and roguelikes. You understand with your own eyes and hands just how much better you've become.
I will say, though. This game is stressful to me in a way no other game has ever been. It is a unique feeling, but it is extremely taxing. Not for the faint of heart.
At the same time, there is a unique calm that comes from revisiting older levels (something this game encouages and rewards you for doing) and blowing right through them. It is a marvellous sense of progress, usually echoed only in fighting games and roguelikes. You understand with your own eyes and hands just how much better you've become.