A Short Hike review

Intro

A Short Hike is a charming short story with a surprisingly lot to do. The visuals took some getting used to for me but especially in handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch that went rather quickly.

Graphics

In a world with stunning high resolution 3D visuals it’s a bold choice to create a 3D game with highly pixelated cartoony graphics. The default pixel size is even bigger than displayed on my screenshots, but thankfully, the developer realized this is not for everyone and added the option to choose a smaller pixel size.

The color palet is well chosen and attributes to the story setting. The camera setting also adds to the gaming experience with its dynamic isometric view. The shifting of angles keep revealing new secrets in the world.

One thing I find a shame, is that the drawing distance isn’t that big. The view from high places is obscured by a white fog. I don’t know if this is a deliberate choice by the developer, but since I’m a big fan of vistas I don’t like fog.

Graphics rating: 7

Story

The story starts rather vague with Claire, a young female penguin, arriving at Hawk Peak Provincial Park for a summer holiday with her aunt May. Aunt May tells her there is only cellphone reception at Hawk Peak. Apparently, Claire is expecting an important phone call so she decides to hike the Hawk Peak Trail to the summit of this mountain. You’ll be playing as Claire, taking the “Short Hike”.

From here, you’ll meet all kinds of other animal characters who will guide you in some way. Some of them will provide you with side quests or challenges. None of these are required for finishing the game, but you’ll miss the full experience if that’s your choice.

The reason for the phone call is kept secret all the way to the end. Of course, I won’t spoil it, but I can say it’s certainly worth the hike.

Story rating: 8

Gameplay

Thanks to the smooth controls and lively open world it feels very relaxing to travel through it by foot or by wings. The flying controls takes some practice but create a lot of movement freedom. Although I must say it’s more gliding than flying and the shifting camera at certain points can cause you to fly like a drunk.

Next to walking and flying, there’s running (after acquiring running shoes), climbing and swimming. And double jumping. All these actions require stamina in the form of golden feathers which can be collected all over the island. At least 7 feathers are needed to reach the summit, but of course you want them all! Or at least most of them.

There are some side activities or challenges like fishing, stick volleyball and parkour (reaching a point on the island as fast as you can). All of them cary over the same relax and no-pressure feeling as the rest of the game. Except for the parkour, that can be quite stressful.

You can also hop on a boat and sail around the island. The world is not very big, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to explore. The island is cleverly divided into a few areas, all with their own feeling, and contains a fair share of things to collect (like chests and coins, yay!).

Gameplay rating: 8

Audio

The game has a pleasant dynamic soundtrack which constantly adapts itself to the weather and your actions. Combining it with the excellent environmental sounds creates the perfect mix of relaxing audio for this game.

Audio rating: 7

Memorable

When thinking back what games I’ve played over the past months this game didn’t immediately came to mind. Only when browsing my screenshots I encountered this game and I really needed to dig into my memory what I thought about it. I think that says enough about the memorability of this game. Which is a shame, since this is such a good game. Maybe it’s because of it’s length…

Memorable rating: 5

Conclusion

A Short Hike is, like the title suggests, a short game. But it is a short game with a lot of details and love. Every aspect of the game is deliberately worked out. It proves that a game not always needs to have a gigantic open world filled with side quests, enemies and complicated story with plot twists.

Played on the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode.