A short excursion review

At its core, A Short Hike is a simple game. You take on the role of Claire, a bird who is visiting Hawk Peak Provincial Park with her aunt. Unable to give up the modern technology she is used to, Claire decides to climb the mountain in the park. After all, this is the only place where she will be able to receive the cell phone signal. She thus begins a small trek through the environment while trying to reach the summit.

If all that charm and innocence seem enticing to you, chances are A Short Hike is a game you’ll love. Everything seems to have been designed to score high on a nice scale. Whether it’s the beautiful little island you explore or the adorable little bird you control, you can’t escape it. Yet, A Short Hike also manages to make a strong impact and be memorable.

Adam Robinson-Yu’s work, A Short Hike doesn’t set you homework or force you to do anything. Instead, it gives you a freedom that is unusual in video games. In a medium where you are constantly given goals to complete and items to collect, A Short Hike stands out. This is mainly because it doesn’t ask you to do anything. You are left to yourself, to find your enjoyment in a world designed to be explored. It’s a nice, relaxing break from a lot of other titles you’ve probably played in recent times.

Game

Walking simulators have become increasingly popular in recent years. While they share many characteristics with adventure games, they usually stop before including a lot of mechanics. The main thing that ties them all together is that they have a strong focus on fiction and exploration. They also generally use the first person perspective and have a serious or intellectual storyline. A short hike contrasts with some of these trends.

To begin with, it is played from a third person perspective. There is also a lot more in the way of mechanics than is generally found in walking simulators. So, of course, you can mention that it’s not exactly as serious as other games in the genre.

The main mechanics of the game relate to climbing and gliding. Finding golden feathers gives you the ability to climb higher up the mountain faster. Slipping makes getting around the park easier. It also lets you see the many shortcuts and links between the different locations. A fishing mechanic also allows you to catch a variety of different fish. However, nothing changes the formula enough to make the title something other than a walking simulator.

A Short Hike also features many other animals scattered around the park. They have a variety of tasks you can complete for them, which usually require collecting an item. Almost all of them can be lost. This ensures that you can continue playing at your own pace without worrying about progress being blocked. Even the few puzzles you have to solve aren’t too strenuous. While they provide some challenges, they don’t distract from allowing you to travel as you see fit.

Presentation

One of the best things about A Short Hike is that the developers have put a lot of effort into making the world interesting. While there aren’t many characters, they are compelling. Each has their own story to tell and lots of fun dialogue.

Mark Sparling is behind the soundtrack and he did a great job. Music can play a huge role in games like this. It has to be relaxing and intriguing, helping to tell the story in place of other traditional elements of the story. The soundtrack does it exceptionally well. In fact, it’s so good you might even find yourself listening to it outside of the game.

The other main part of the presentation is the graphics. They are nothing fancy, but they do the job pretty well. There are a few different types of environments to explore and each one has a distinctive feel to it. Stylistically, the images have a sort of scrapbook quality that helps the characters exude charm.

Final verdict

The funny thing about A Short Hike is that it doesn’t pressure you. While it is necessary to collect some feathers to get to the top of the mountain, there are no error conditions.

If you want to spend a dozen hours investigating every inch of Hawk Peak Provincial Park, then you can. It is also possible to finish the game in as little as an hour or so.

The choice is up to you and that sums up what A Short Hike is all about. Giving you the choice. However, don’t expect it to be a game you will return to over and over again.