Insurmountable:
Insurmountable: The Joys of Climbing, Without the Risk of Injury
Insurmountable: An Atmospheric Ascent
The protagonist starts at the base of the mountain, looking up. When the player clicks on a hex,Insurmountable creates a path from the hex to the protagonist. The game does not create the most efficient path. It creates the most direct path, the path that crosses the fewest hexes. Insurmountable doesn't consider the Energy expended. Managing Energy, and the other gauges, is the purview of the player. Distance and change in elevation combine to determine the Energy cost. A steeper climb incurs a greater Energy cost. Gradual climbs consume less Energy. It is more efficient to climb up two, one elevation increases, compared to a single two elevation increase. Gameplay is choosing between steep ascents or gradual treks. Every climb requires a combination of the two. The player must also decide when to plan their own path, or accept the computer's trail. My ideal strategy; click my destination, regardless of the distance. Then use the computer's recommendation to plan the long term path. Micromanage the immediate terrain to conserve Energy. Repeat until arrival at the final destination.
Managing the Energy gauge is one reason
to micromanage the hike. Another reason are Icons scattered across
the mountain. Each icon is a circle with a symbol in the middle,
occupying a single hex. Insurmountable doesn't explain what
each symbol means. Symbols are supposed to look like the relevant
Event, but they are too vague to be certain. The player has to
determine the meaning by experience. Most Icon Events have a good
outcome, while others come with trade-offs. Cave Icons always have
the same outcome.
As I've stressed, Energy is consumed by climbing. This gauge must be refilled repeatedly. Some consumables, like food, restore small amounts of Energy. For extra energy, the player needs to rest. And rest repeatedly! The player can rest in a Tent, Cave, or in the open. Tents and Caves protect the protagonist from the elements (cold), while sleeping in the open might be necessary, but risky (there are skills that make sleeping in the open tolerable). The protagonist can sleep in a Tent three times per map. I reserve tents for emergencies. To conserve tents, I sleep at every Cave. Insurmountable is a game of climbing from one Cave to another. Caves are essential, while the other Icons are inessential.
With these mechanics, the player's goal is the summit. It's not difficult to find the way to the top, the obstacles, like valleys, and false tops complicate the ascent. The more challenging objective requires the player to locate two to five anomalies.
In an anomaly level the protagonist must locate one anomaly at a time. The spot is marked with a green glowing hex. But the location, with the spurs, ridges, cols, and valleys can't be seen from the starting location. The protagonist has a tracking device. When activated the protagonist can't move. Instead the player receives a sound cue and visual indicator if they are facing toward the anomaly. Turning in place, left or right, up or down, helps the player determine the correction direction. The tracking device has unlimited uses, allowing the protagonist to check the direction, move a bit closer, and check again. Repeating this simple maneuver eventually brings the protagonist to the anomaly. Then they need to find the next one.
One issue, which affects both summiting and tracking anomalies, is the camera. In a valley, the camera is difficult to angle. If there is a wall, the camera is smashed into the protagonist's back, preventing it from looking around. Narrow defiles compound this problem. On the top of peaks (or other steep descents), it's difficult to scout for a path down if the terrain is steep. The camera views the protagonist from over overhead, and doesn't allow a look near the player's feet.
Beating Insurmountable requires reaching the summit of three mountains. Each mountain includes optional missions. The first mountain contains three mandatory missions, and four optional adventures. The second mountain has one mandatory mission and six optional explorations. The final mountain has two optional climbs and the finale. Missions aren't connected, the protagonist returns to the base after each trek. The missions don't feel distinct (aside from the final level). Insurmountable is about climbing mountains, but the developer doesn't differentiate one from another. It almost made me wonder if they were procedurally generated.
Levels don't require much time to complete. Most mountains need between twenty to forty minutes to climb. I always completed them in a single sitting. But, the player can save at any time. Unlike real mountaineers, the player isn't stuck on the mountain. I finished all the levels, both mandatory and optional. Once the player beats a level they aren't allowed to retry it. Also, once they've beaten the game, the conclusion sends the player back to the main menu, with no way to access the previous campaign. If the player has any desire to play more, they have to start a new game from scratch.
Insurmountable offers three difficulties; Normal, Difficult, and Insurmountable. I chose the first. While early mountains felt dangerous, later I felt invulnerable. Even though the mountains increase in danger, I had too many unlocked abilities, equipment, and weather/terrain bonuses. Completing optional missions makes Insurmountable easier because of the extra experience. At first I used the computer to set the long distance path and micromanaged the short term. By the end I could simply click on a far location, and accept the computer's recommendation. Even though it was Energy inefficient, it succeeded. It was unnecessary to precisely manage resources. With the right equipment (a tent or two, good wearable clothing), visiting the correct events (Caves and equipment) and with the correct abilities I could stay on a mountain indefinitely.
Not only did I beat every level, I never failed a single one.
Does this mean the game is too easy? No.
Insurmountable offers a zen experience. Despite its blocky hex terrain, it delivers a feeling of a solitary climb up an inhospitable mountain. The surrounding silence is complemented by faint noises, the crunch of snow, the clink of metal on rock from the mountaineer ice axe, the heavy breathing, and jingle of the harness. immerses the player. The visual effects of night, stars, snow storms, was thrilling. Even the terrain looks oddly ethereal; mesmerizing in the shining light of day, or the shadowy dark of night. These elements combine for an immersive experience. If that's not your thing, Insurmountable is a game that can be played while listening to music, or watching a show on the side, because it's turn based, and sounds aren't required for success. Or, if the player wants a challenging journey, I bet the higher difficulties offer it.
The final mission is unsatisfying. It is as easy as a stroll through the park. It's like a victory lap. The protagonist faces a colossal mountain, defended by false peaks, but a straightforward climb. The player brings the magic stone to the summit, breaking it to end the time loop. The resolution is two black screens with a few words. Insurmountable doesn't answer any mysteries, except to tell the player they escaped.
Then the game displays a Final Score. I don't understand how it scored me. The score comes without context. Mine is 218,464 (?) if anyone cares to compare.
Then, as I said earlier, the player is brought back to the menu. All their achievements are lost. If the player wants to play some more they must start a completely new game.
In Conclusion, Insurmountable has a throw away plot, and a slightly frustrating conclusion. Nor is the game (at Normal Difficulty) difficult, but it is surprisingly thrilling. Somehow, sitting at my computer, it gave the feeling of navigating a mountain. It feels majestic, it feels beautiful, it feels zen. I often felt threatened, like I was hanging by a thread, but I never fell, I never failed. I always persevered.
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Insurmountable: The Joys of Climbing, Without the Risk of Injury
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