A Short Hike, Short Game that made me Smile

Short Hike is an adventure game. It has similarities to Firewatch but with a more laid-back atmosphere. The only thing you have to do is take a hike to the top of a mountain and then return to your Aunt May.

The graphics remind me of a good-looking PS1 game. It seems like more indie developers are taking inspiration from the late 1990s era of video games when choosing an art style. I don’t know if that is what the developers did here, but it is where my mind went when I started playing this game.

It is a fun little game that offers a great distraction. You can beat the game in a couple of hours if you want to find everything. Short Hike is an easy game, but it was fun and made me sit back and smile.

TLDR: A Short Hike is a fun little adventure game.

Narrative

This has a very video game story. You’re given a simple task: reach the top of Hawk Peak, and then the player gets distracted by side quests and mini-games. You can keep playing to finish the side quests even after you finish your goal.

There is a lot of character and charm in the game. Each character greets you and has something to say. Not all of them give you things to do; some want you to meet them in another location. It’s nice to wander around a place where people are friendly to you.

The game starts with you trying to call your mom without cell service. You need to climb to the top of a mountain to call your mom. It is such a simple thing, yet it is a wonderful setup for the game.

While playing this, I kept thinking about being at my hunting cabin in northern Michigan. There is no cell service there, so you have to walk up to the top of a hill. You’re doing the same thing in A Short Hike that I have to do every time I go up to my cabin. It is one of the parts of this short story that made me smile.

Gameplay

This is a very relaxing game. There are no enemies; everything is geared toward helping people, making new friends, and exploring the map. It made me feel happy.

The gameplay is very simple. There are a few actions you can do like:

• Jump
• Fly
• Climb
• Parkour
• Dig
• Break Rocks

Some actions require you to find, buy, or trade for items. This includes shovels, pick axes, and golden feathers. You’ll also collect money as you wander through the park.

The golden feathers are the only item that you need to collect. These feathers act as your stamina meter and allow you to jump multiple times. Once you reach high enough on the mountain, you run into snow. When this happens, you’ll need to find hot springs and fires to fight off the cold.

The game has a large area for you to explore. During my first playthrough, I didn’t see all of it. It took me about an hour and a half, and if I thoroughly explored the game, it would’ve been two hours or so.

Visuals

Most of the graphics are great. It reminds me of a PS1 game from the late 1990s or the early 2000s. Once you reach the top of Hawk Peak, the game gets really cool looking.

It is easy to tell where you need to go. There are paths and signs that will lead you up to the peak. You can also easily see the hidden items, places you can dig, and the money you can collect.

The only thing I had a problem with was the camera. It sometimes has a mind of its own and positions itself in unhelpful places. It isn’t the worst camera I’ve ever seen, but I would’ve liked to have some control over the camera’s position.

Once you reach Hawk Peak, the visuals get really good. It looks like you’re staring at the northern lights. It was awesome and went well with your character having a long call with her mother.

Overall, I liked the way the game looked. It was relaxing to wander through it and meet all of the little anthropomorphic animals. It feels like I’m playing a spinoff of Animal Crossing.

8/10. This was a fun but short game. It told the story that it wanted to, and some things in it made me smile. It reminded me of when I was a kid; I would go camping by a lake in the summer. It also reminded me of trying to get cell phone reception at my family’s hunting cabin.

Conclusion

I don’t know about you, but I spent a lot of time outside when I was a kid. I still love being outside now that I’m a grumpy adult. This game reminds me of some of the trips my family would take during the summer. We would go to a campground near a lake without electronics like our computer or NES.

I liked the art style of this game, but the camera was sometimes an issue. The gameplay and characters were adorable. I also liked how the story was simple and led to other quests.