Cairn

Cairn completely pulled me in from the very first seconds and did not let go until the last feet of the climb. I loved the atmosphere, the scale and the views i discovered along my journey to the very top. Every part of the mountain felt carefully crafted, making the ascent both breathtaking and intimidating. What impressed me the most is how the game captures the feeling of climbing. Every move carries weight, every decision matters, and the tension can become so hard I caught myself feeling as if my own hands were trembling alongside the protagonist's. It was a beautiful, bright and emotional adventure. Despite some minor optimization issues on lower-end hardware, Cairn is absolutely worth giving it a try.

Stamina management with a view. This game is one of a kind, and it without a doubt deserves way more recognition than it has received. There are very few games like it that I know of, but none of them are as realistic or in-depth story-wise as this one. The art style of this game, in my opinion, is absolutely beautiful and unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's like a stylised, graphic cel-shaded look focusing on bold lines to create an easily readable environment. Due to the fact you spend most of your time climbing in this game (who would have guessed), you're mainly staring at a barren rock face, which could grow rather boring if there is no dialogue or story going on at the same time. Thankfully there is, and it's an absolute cinematic masterpiece. This game has so much depth and emotion in terms of its story; it genuinely had me fully invested in the protagonist's feelings and intentions, and towards the end of the story, I was almost in tears. Something that stands out is the fact that one of the two endings you can pick from is left up to the interpretation of the player in terms of what 'truly' happens. The cooking feature in this game is really satisfying, as there seems to be an infinite amount of combinations of ingredients when trying to make different recipes, and each one you make is unique and different from the one before because of the different effects it offers. Having to manage your backpack's space is another nice addition that adds a pinch of strategic thinking, as you have to decide what you want to take with you on your ascent up Mount Kami. This game has an abundance of replayability as there are so many possible routes you can take to reach the summit. Obviously, the main storyline is linear and stays the same, but the route you take up the mountain is completely in the hands of the player, figuratively and literally. Also, to obtain 100% completion expect a couple playthroughs and a few guides as there are some achievements which are mostly, or entirely, out of the way of the main objectives. Another thing this game does well is give you a realistic perspective on what climbers do in real life, making you realise that there are people out there crazy enough to do this out of their own free will and then try to convince you that they enjoy it after! This game is a work of art and will forever have a special place in my heart. Do not rule this game off as a 'generic rock climbing game'—there is so much more beneath the surface than it seems. [i]Buy it, climb it, brag it.[/i] 9/10

[i]I actually just wanted to write a review about the mechanics, atmosphere, and storyline, but I saw a lot of negative reviews where people only complain about the main character, so I want to address that first.[/i] ​Multiple reviewers are calling the game a "narcissist simulator", "ragebait" or "unlikeable" because of the protagonist Aava. You could literally type "Cairn Aava" into a browser and almost only find negative and even hateful search results about her. The conclusion I made after reading those reviews and online posts was: A person who speaks her mind without being overly kind is automatically a narcissist. —Am I getting that right? What Aava actually does is tell people to leave her alone and ignore the calls of her agent, who is making a commercialized media circus out of her climb. She doesn't behave like that out of an attempt to hurt others, she's simply stuck in her own head, emotionally unavailable, and not capable of more than a "hello" and "bye". There's no need to label a complex diagnosis to every behavior that deviates from the norm. Sometimes humans are just humans. It's ironic that despite the widespread call for less judgmental attitudes, a character immediately faces harsh judgment as soon as she isn't the typical lovey-dovey, sympathetic character next door. ​[spoiler]What's actually concerning character-wise is her girlfriend. What kind of partner calls you up shouting during the most deadly climb of your life and makes you feel guilty for living your dream and "leaving her alone"? In terms of timing, she knew exactly what she was getting into when they got together. Trying to change Aava later because she isn't happy with what she got isn't very girlfriend-ish.[/spoiler] Also, a lot of reviews start with 'As a real climber..' complaining about realism. It's okay, we heard you, but Cairn never claimed to be a technical climbing simulator. It’s a story-driven game that balances climbing mechanics so every gamer can get into it. It's not a 1:1 sports simulation. ​Distancing from that and moving back to the core gameplay: The [u]mechanics are really innovative and well-designed[/u], though as many have mentioned, the [u]auto-limb setting can be frustrating[/u]. After the first few grabs, I decided to manually select every limb all the way to the peak to make the gameplay feel more immersive. For a game advertising "physics-based movement", there's [u]still potential for a better auto limb movement implementation[/u]. ​The [u]graphics are beautifully unique[/u], and the [u]atmosphere shifts between calming and tense[/u], changing in milliseconds like the weather on Mount Kami. ​In the end, I was deeply surprised by how metaphorically and well-designed the climbing journey silently aligned with Aava's character development. Cairn isn't just a journey about climbing a mountain, it's about a woman trying to blend out life and avoiding her own feelings through a high-functioning survival mode. ​[b]Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys psychological storylines, choice-driven narratives, and has the patience to think about every next step before it might be your last one.[/b]