A classic example of a game not reaching its full potential. The concept is unbelievably great. It has a clear goal: climbing a mountain in order to get cell phone reception. It has an engaging way to accomplish said goal: having to balance unique, not-quite-3D platforming with collecting upgrades through various means like exploration and interacting with other hikers. What's most impressive is how self-contained it all is- never for a second does anything feel thematically out of place, nor does it feel like any aspect was only put in to make the game "work better" as a game. It feels like an artistic vision come to life with no compromise. However, what the concept hinges on in order to be successful is unfortunately what the game fails to accomplish. The balancing act that the player has to perform should mean that it's not possible to progress in either of the two fields- climbing the mountain and collecting upgrades- without progressing in both of them, but this just isn't the case. There's not really any struggle in climbing the mountain, meaning that I was able to beat the game while picking up only a few feathers before going back down to collect everything else. The lack of challenges to overcome, and because of that the lack of multitasking the player is forced to do, ultimately make the game An Unsatisfying Hike, and the cheesy, predictable ending and Night in the Woods-esque dialogue certainly don't help.

Reviewed on Sep 24, 2020


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