A Highland Song is a beautifully crafted plot that ’s laced with whodunit and enigma . The Highlands are unforgiving , however .
I had a strange experience playingA Highland Song . It offer an authentic Scotch experience while also deport merciful down in the mouth - stakes yet brave geographic expedition .
However , the same thing it does well mother in the manner of my enjoyment . Yet , I mean I forgive the game for it . Like I allege , I ’ve had a strange clip act this biz . Journey with me through the peaks and dark troughs of A Highland Song .
A Highland Song promises greatness with its beauty and authenticity
My initial exposure to A Highland Song was during Nintendo ’s Indie World event . Instantly , it grab me with its hand - drawn visuals , authenticity , and the promise of a political campaign through the wilderness with not a forethought in the world .
And it delivered on all of those front .
As before long as I start playing , I fell in love with the mysterious care that ’s move into showcasing and setting the Scottish highlands . The voice actors are phenomenal , the music is wondrous , and the obvious research into the finish is apparent .
Screenshot: PC Invasion
I already hump I was go to have a near meter , and that was only confirmed when I learned of the mechanic of the game . With platformer elements to the geographic expedition , you ’ll be mostly running around the serene hills and climbing up and down rocky cliffs and slopes in lookup of a way forward .
If you ca n’t find the way to the next range ( storey ) , then you could recover mathematical function fragment and find out where they ’re point to . The mathematical function fragments were diverse , from sketched scratch to tourism guide . Most of these shard would play up a elbow room forth for you to progress — you ’d just have to get there .
With such a simple auto-mechanic , and a merciful life and exhaustion organisation , I conceive my prison term with A Highland Song would be carried by the simplicity and majesty of explore a vibrant , intrepid Edwin Herbert Land . And that was what I got , but it would soon turn out that those same systems that hooked me would be the same scheme that would bedevil and gravel me .
Screenshot: PC Invasion
A Highland Song is carried by whispers of mysteries
There are two main driving forces in A Highland Song : beat to the Lighthouse , your ultimate goal , and exploring the mysteries of the highland . The secret plan is meant to be represent more than once — as once you ’ve made your first trip , you may merely play the biz again , keeping all of your items and mathematical function . As Inkle place it , one trip-up is n’t most enough to key all of the game ’s enigma .
Honestly , I amsointrigued by the mysteries and strange things I still have yet to discover , and I ’ve played the game twice already . It ’s just inauspicious that the unassailable desire that A Highland Song cultivates to discover all the peaks and mysteries is overshadowed by the simple and merciful auto-mechanic that had elevated it to begin with .
In the thick of the game , I recover myself frustrated with the travel machinist . After a while , those sprint sections and what feels like hopeless piloting grow erstwhile . The exhaustion and wellness mechanics become more of a boring obstruction than an immersive challenge to sweep over .
Screenshot: PC Invasion
A Highland Song is supposed to be played slowly , while relish every detail and relishing the slip . So , if you do n’t enjoy walk and climb and retracing your step again and again , then you ’ll shinny to require to discover the game ’s mystery .
Even completing the first trip became a chore as I had to keep stopping and starting — skin to find a map fragment that showed me a path inspired a strong thwarting . To get the map , I had to explore , but geographic expedition was render difficult due to the surroundings I found myself in . Every clip I determine a map , I had to travel to a tiptop to confirm it before progress to another tripper .
My impatience gave elbow room to mistakes and slips , which only prepare me back further and further . Getting stuck in those sprinting sections time and prison term again — no matter how amazing they objectively are — was simply another annoyance I tried to avoid whenever I could .
Screenshot: PC Invasion
I empathize that a core pleasure of the game is simply walk over the beautiful landscape . As they say , you should delight the journey . However , I could n’t help but enjoy the splintered narration and mysteries and secrets so much more . So , wanting to find them and being forever hamper by the mechanics of the game did spur irritation .
If you are to delight A Highland Song and make the slip more than once as intend , you ’ll have to really enjoy the dewy-eyed prowess of walking around and take your fourth dimension while wanting to figure out the mysteries .
Without the narrative and mysteries , if you were to look at A Highland Song mechanically , you would get that it is rather uninteresting to meet . I consider that alongside have an interesting secret plan , a game should also have interesting mechanics , so if you strip forth the story and thematic medical dressing , it ’s still an interesting game to play . Unfortunately , A Highland Song does n’t have mechanics that make me want to play again and again . It is hold by the promise of secrets .
Steam
The magic of the Highlands
Despite my pity party of frustrations , I still find myself wanting to head back in and play . I find some really interesting things , and I really want to explore and find out more . Iwantto rise each vizor . Iwantto see all that the game has to declare oneself . Iwantto find every map sherd .
I do n’t understand that , despite the bangle of the mechanics wearing off rather quickly , I still cogitate A Highland Song is a strong success . Perhaps in this casing , the spirit of the game and the ravisher of sound and intention exceed the difficulty I had with it .
When I got to the Lighthouse , I excogitate on my aggravations . Suddenly , they were deserving it , and I was happy to have made the trip . Perhaps my impatience was a part of the journeying . Perhaps sighing when have to go the long way of life around for the third meter was an integral part of the process . Something not to be ostracise and criticized , but something to squeeze . Nothing deserving doing is sluttish .
I still stand by my criticism of the game , and everything I ’ve said is lawful . But that does n’t imply that A Highland Song is a unfit secret plan . Not by a long jibe . I believe that everyone will love their first stumble to the Lighthouse , no matter how long it use up them .
That being sound out , the plot is n’t for everyone . Yet I ca n’t help but conceive that the magic of the Highlands will overcast any grievances that anyone would experience along the path .
And lastly , reviewer , I have n’t even touch upon Moira or her story , as I need you to go through and let out her as I did . I ’m certain you ’ll love get to know her .
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