I by no means get uninterested in this view. Claire, you are gonna have a good time this summer time!
With 2023 drawing to an in depth, the conversations within the gaming neighborhood naturally flip in direction of among the greatest and finest video games of the 12 months, with enormous AAA titles from main studios sometimes dominating that dialog. However for the November 2023 TA Playlist ballot, we wished to focus on some nice video games on the different finish of the spectrum… no massive studios, no enormous budgets, only a solo dev with a imaginative and prescient for an awesome recreation.
The nominees included a variety of solo-developed video games from the final 15 years, together with Braid by Jonathon Blow, Axiom Verge from Thomas Happ, and Return of the Obra Dinn by Lucas Pope, however the overwhelming winner (due to its present inclusion in Xbox Sport Cross) was A Quick Hike!
Delivered to life by Canadian indie developer Adam Robinson-Yu, A Quick Hike started in December 2018 as an on-the-side artwork mission that ultimately blossomed right into a full recreation, releasing for PC in 2019, adopted by Nintendo Swap in 2020, and eventually PlayStation and Xbox in 2021.
PeriodicRx mentioned:
I loved this recreation. I just like the informal nature of it and the flexibility to discover with out penalty. Actually stable recreation as a solo growth effort.
A Quick Hike is assessed as an journey recreation with some gentle platforming parts and a concentrate on exploration. However above all else, the sport is most well-known for its cozy and stress-free vibes (helped by an amazingly chill soundtrack from composer Mark Sparling), permitting the participant to set their very own tempo as they make their manner round Hawk Peak island.
Flash VI mentioned:
It was my first time taking part within the TA playlist, and was actually positively shocked about A Quick Hike. I had a brief however very enjoyable time with a recreation I would not have touched in any other case. It acquired the right size for a Sunday afternoon to play by way of. I wasn’t a fan of the graphics at first, however there are many choices within the menu to regulate it to your liking. Exploring the island was enjoyable. I would like to see a DLC or a second set up.
Reelbiggerfish mentioned:
Very cozy little indie recreation that does not outstay its welcome. Straightforward completion, and you do not remorse the time spent, in my view!
You play as Claire, an anthropomorphic chicken who’s spending the summer time along with her Aunt Could, a ranger at Hawk Peak Provincial Park. Claire is a metropolis chicken and at first appears a bit bored by the agricultural environment, however she’s additionally a bit fearful; she’s ready for an essential telephone name however cannot get any cell reception. Aunt Could informs Claire that her solely hope for getting any bars is up on the summit of Hawk Peak, and so the younger chicken units off to make her manner up the mountain.
Bieber Sheenis mentioned:
PLEASE take your time with this recreation, it is extremely satisfying to climb the mountain for the primary time by yourself. You will solely want a information for amassing all of the feathers and possibly the fish and sprouts, however even with out steering, it is solely about 4-6 hours to 100%.
Aunt Could says the hike to the height isn’t any downside, however different characters you meet warn you that it is could be a robust climb. In actual fact, you will not be capable to make it with out gathering some golden feathers, a collectible merchandise that serves as a type of stamina bar for Claire. The extra golden feathers you have got, the upper you’ll be able to climb or fly, and you will want these expertise in an effort to make the ultimate push as much as the summit. However amassing golden feathers is way from the one motive to take your time and discover the island; there are lots of completely different characters to satisfy and actions to maintain you busy alongside the best way.
Piemanns Bakery mentioned:
I loved enjoying this one! Was on the to do record anyway however no higher time to leap in than now! Good and chill simply flying round discovering cash and seashells, doing aspect missions for characters. The stickball recreation was really kinda enjoyable, after all some strain to get the achievement however the mechanics have been high quality. Agree with some others on having a map would have been very good. The fishing acquired slightly redundant not lucking out for the fish wanted to fill the journal however there’s some meals guides and ideas on the market of locations sure fish seem extra typically. General a enjoyable time, suggest enjoying it!
Beachstickball – principally, utilizing a stick with hit a beachball forwards and backwards over a volleyball web — was one of many extra irritating actions for a few of our commenters, as an achievement required you to get 30 consecutive hits. As Robinson-Yu himself mentioned in an “Ask Me Something” publish on Reddit, the minigame might be fairly a problem. “It begins off non-random however slowly turns into extra random as you progress. By 19 hits the ball can go just about wherever on the courtroom!”
TriRock mentioned:
First TA Playlist participation for me! The primary two hours have been fairly nice, however after that the expertise soured. The stick ball recreation particularly left a nasty after style.
Kriskiills mentioned:
Stick ball and the boat race have me fkin heaaaaaatedd. I am going to come again to the sport ultimately. I did like gliding in every single place although lol.
Minor frustrations with sure minigames apart, the commonest criticism was the dearth of an in-game map that will help you navigate your manner across the island.
CamTheeGamer mentioned:
This recreation wasn’t too unhealthy total, a easy manner the gameplay may very well be improved is by having any type of map or minimap. Flying round aimlessly on the lookout for a small and particular place to earn among the achievements undoubtedly takes away from the general enjoyable expertise. That being mentioned, enjoying it whereas it is nonetheless on gamepass is definitely worth the effort and time.
mapphew mentioned:
Began and accomplished it in the present day, for one particular person to make this recreation, it is fairly spectacular and has the bones to be even higher. Every little thing was responsive, the glide mechanic labored properly, and I loved the dialogue. It was a reasonably brief and easy completion which can be fairly good as properly. What I believe might have been higher is having a map could be good, in addition to a menu or one thing to let you know your aspect missions/targets and stat tracker for “collectibles” just like the sprouts. I additionally felt there was a ignorance about gadgets you may get within the recreation. For example speaking to the parkour particular person, they point out that you may want trainers, however makes no point out of the way to get them. Have been we supposed to speak to each single particular person on the island to search out these sneakers? Identical goes for the gray feathers as properly. For my part, it is a 3/5, as a result of by the tip of the completion, it felt tedious and directionless.
For at the very least one commenter, the dearth of a map was sufficient to sentence the entire recreation:
Khyser Bier mentioned:
Twee terrible garbage with no map. Little or no to love about this one
Which simply goes to point out that no recreation can please everybody. However whereas a map and a guidelines might need been useful for these seeking to get the achievements achieved as shortly as potential, some commenters puzzled if which may run counter to the themes the sport was making an attempt to painting.
RiBoP mentioned:
Fast and simple, chill and stress-free: good little recreation for a TA Playlist! Had little or no time the previous few months, so was proud of a fast completion this month.
The title A Quick Hike definitely lives as much as its expectations in that matter: even the collectible half does not require quite a lot of time. Good to see that an indie recreation developed by only one particular person, will get such optimistic critiques. I assume everyone likes to play a brief and respectable recreation from time to time.
It isn’t solely brief, clearly: it is undoubtedly a feel-good kinda recreation, particularly good on this time of 12 months. The sound of nature and the stress-free music (at a naked minimal) additionally provides to this relaxed really feel of the sport, in addition to the conversations with among the NPCs.
There are some little issues that I want to have seen completely different within the recreation: as some others talked about as properly, a map would have definitely been useful, and I at all times wish to have some targets/checklists for issues that must be achieved.
Then again, whereas I kind this (the guidelines half), possibly that is simply additionally a part of the aim of the sport: let go of the checklists and simply discover the sport (and island) with out questioning in regards to the belongings you nonetheless must do. Meals for thought, maybe.
Studying up on among the recreation’s growth historical past, it definitely looks like the concept of “letting go of worrying about issues you need to do” was high of thoughts through the early design part. See, Robinson-Yu was deep in growth of a distinct recreation – a “Mario-style RPG” – however was beginning to get burnt out by the strain. He determined to take a break from that mission in an effort to clear his head and as a substitute began an on-the-side artwork mission as a little bit of a launch. Once more, from the Reddit AMA: “I believe I used to be feeling boxed up within the metropolis and anxious about quite a lot of issues. A Quick Hike type of started as slightly escape from my regular mission! I went on a bunch of mountaineering journeys the 12 months prior – and I puzzled how I might try to translate that peaceable expertise right into a recreation.” From the responses we have seen, it appears he succeeded!
FinderKeeper mentioned:
As I become old (“OK, Grandpa”) video games like this are a great way to me to maintain having fun with the interactive component of gaming (versus simply watching exhibits or stay TV) and likewise a technique to calm down and never take into consideration anxious issues (exterior of the sport, that’s, haha).
So the notion of placing apart the lists and targets and simply exploring the house in all probability was an intentional alternative, even when it is a bit counterintuitive for us Achievement Hunters!
Spa1h mentioned:
For me, ‘A Quick Hike’ is a satirical brief open-world journey. (It is really extra open world than journey, which is, for no matter motive, not represented within the genres). I believe not providing you with a map and a quest journal is a design choice right here. It actually goals to stimulate exploring by yourself, and utilizing your brains because the journal.
The sport clearly factors fingers at Open World Monsters like ESO or Murderer’s Creed Valhalla. My private spotlight: “Oh thanks’ for the 15 shells! What you need a reward? I did not promise a reward! Okay okay Take this necklace. in the event you insist”.
I believe that fishing is simply included for that goal.
I assume the purpose of this recreation is that you do not essentially have to supply “checklists” in an effort to inspire folks to do some stuff in an open world. (Though we, as achievement-enthusiasts, have an “goal” record that represents 80% of the sport content material)
I loved my time on this recreation, particularly as a result of I used to be enjoying Assassins Creed Valhalla for the complete week and acquired fairly fed up with open world job lists. This various method was refreshing.
And the scene the place you lend your feathers to the guy close to the highest, adopted by a selfie-session was a bit heart-warming
Practically all of the character interactions on this recreation are heart-warming, in reality, from the tortoise who provides his headband to a race competitor in an effort to construct up her confidence, to a painter who learns to trust in his artwork (definitely an autobiographical insertion from Robinson-Yu), Claire goes across the island assembly all of the inhabitants, serving to some to unravel their issues, and being helped by others. All of it provides to the comfy, conflict-free vibe that’s the coronary heart and soul of this recreation, and within the typically contentious world we stay in, that in all probability accounts for a big a part of this recreation’s attraction.
Catching ZZZs mentioned:
As others have talked about, this was a brief, stress-free recreation. Nothing too tough or annoying, besides possibly the volleyball minigame on the seaside for some, however fortunately I had no points with it. Exploring the map was very pleasant, and I laughed out loud just a few instances after interacting with sure characters.
The one factor that confused me was the actually pixelated look to the sport. I can’t for the lifetime of me work out the attraction of it. I performed many video games again within the day that have been pixelated, however they did not look so….blurry as properly? I couldn’t play this recreation for quite a lot of minutes with out my eyes beginning to actually pressure. I’m so grateful it was an choice you would change within the settings. I turned it off instantly and was pleased. General, actually loved this one.
I personally did not know in regards to the choice to alter the pixel dimension till I used to be roughly 90% of the best way by way of my playthrough. The “massive and crunchy” pixel look was based mostly on Robinson-Yu’s earlier expertise growing an entry for a “Sport Boy Jam” the place the entrants have been challenged to make a recreation utilizing the look and colours of the unique Nintendo Sport Boy. That look caught with Robinson-Yu, and he determined to maintain the same look – low res, however with extra colours than the Sport Boy – for A Quick Hike.
All of this led to A Quick Hike being a shock hit for Adam Robinson-Yu and a enjoyable, stress-free recreation for all of us. The sport went on to be nominated for a number of awards, successful each the Viewers Award and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize on the 2020 Unbiased Video games Pageant.
Legohead 1977 mentioned:
Typically a recreation is hyped and does not stay as much as that hype, pleased to say this was one of many different video games, which might be as pleasant as folks say. Chill, stress-free and good enjoyable.
We had a complete of 1,775 tracked avid gamers enjoying together with A Quick Hike in November, with 1,532 of them beginning the sport for the very first time. Regardless of the comparatively straightforward completion, “solely” 614 of the tracked avid gamers completed off the sport throughout November, however that was nonetheless sufficient to make it the most-completed TA Playlist recreation (through the energetic month) since final December’s featured recreation, A Plague Story: Requiem. In all, the neighborhood unlocked 10,904 achievements in A Quick Hike through the month of November, value a grand whole of 870,950 GamerScore and 1,263,068 TrueAchievement Rating.
Essentially the most unlocked achievement throughout November was Hawk Peak, for making it to the summit the primary time. It is a bit of a shock to me that that is the lowest-ratio achievement within the recreation since there are definitely a number of different achievements that may very well be unlocked previous to that one, however since attending to the highest of the mountain is ostensibly the “aim” of the sport, it is sensible that gamers concentrate on that first.
On the flip aspect, the least unlocked achievement for the month was a tie between two of the tougher collectible achievements within the recreation: The Fish Are Biting Right this moment, for catching each kind of fish, and Feathers Perpetually, for locating all of the Gold and Silver feathers. Every achievement was unlocked 670 instances through the month of November.
Not surprisingly, with a brief and simple recreation like this, we now have an extended record of Shout-Outs for the month, with 504 whole avid gamers making the record. Particular kudos to JhosetLR, who turned within the quickest completion for the month at simply 49 minutes from first achievement to final.
And with that, our Quick Hike involves an finish. We’re on a for much longer journey with the December 2023 TA Playlist recreation, Starfield, so whether or not you are out exploring the Settled Methods or not, drop in to offer us your ideas within the Spoiler-Free and Spoiler Dialogue Threads, and advance your TA Playlist badge rely on the similar time. And remember to vote within the ballot for January’s recreation of the month, the winner of which shall be introduced subsequent week.
Thanks for an additional nice 12 months of TA Playlist! Merry Christmas, Completely satisfied Holidays, and we’ll see you within the New Yr!