A Highland Song Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)

by Jim Smale · Published December 5, 2023 · Updated November 21, 2023

For this A Highland Song Review, To reach the sea, Moira must first cross the Scottish Highlands—a wilderness of paths, peaks, shortcuts, dangers, and song. For fifteen years, Moira McKinnon has lived with her mum in a small house on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. Then one day she receives a letter from her Uncle Hamish urging her to come to the coast. If she can reach his lighthouse for Beltane, a wonderful surprise will be waiting…

A Highland Song Review Pros:

Beautiful hand-drawn graphics.
1.2GB download size.
Platformer gameplay.
Best experienced with headphones.
Music calibration tool.
Gameplay and accessibility options – trip less when running to music, never flail while climbing, easier music rhythms, single jump button only, and weather and environment (mild/moderate/harsh)
In-game cutscenes.
Excellent voice work.
Platformer gameplay.
2D perspective.
The camera can be zoomed in and out.
Fantastic locations and vistas to admire as you play.
The world is multi-layered so you can go into different layers like into the background or to the foreground.
The map fills in as you play and mark things.
Play how you want.
The story unfolds as you play.
Rest and sleep when you want to regain health but comfort is important and if you are uncomfortable you get less health.
Multiple routes happen all the time from paths to ledges.
Full day and night cycle with weather effects.
A chilled game.
Anything shiny is either something Interactive or a point of interest to mark on your map.
Multiple choice encounters and questions.
Find little mini-game-style sequences like stone skipping.
You can run out of breath and have to stop to compose yourself.
Discoveries get marked down in your notebook.
You get ever so slight help with markings.
Climbing and running can have you running out of breath.
Find resting spots.
It pays to explore and check out everywhere you can.
Really clever level design.
Puzzle elements throughout.
Simple controls.
Sleeping or resting will advance time and change the weather in real-time.
Very accessible.
Find and climb up all the peaks.
You get told when you last saved when you quit out.
Rhythm action platformer sections with the deer actually make you stronger so you can run and climb for longer.
You can find shortcuts and ways to change the layout of the world.
When asleep you can ask questions and get new discoveries.
Find the map locations marked (you get visual and audible feedback) to get new paths and name locations.
Items can be found and used in situations as a solution.
The game just compels you to keep going as every new discovery or shortcut is so rewarding.
You cannot die, if a fall would take you out then you simply respawn before.
The overall goal of the game is to make it to the lighthouse for the special event.
At the end of a run (when you make it) you get a breakdown of how many peaks and map pieces you found and used along with how many days it took you.
Each time you start again you keep all map shortcuts, discovered peaks, and items collected.
You Learn and earn every time you play a new run and it’s fascinating to see how different and deep this world actually is.
Every subsequent playthrough feels new and unique even when retreading old ground.
The level design is fascinating in that you are always looking at peaks, shortcuts, and more.
A great handheld game.

A Highland Song Review Cons:

The performance in docked mode is not always smooth.
It’s not always clear where and when you can change between the layers of the game world.
She is very vocal and noisy.
It’s not very good at explaining itself and helping with things like map marking and traversal in general.
I got stuck a few times.
It’s a lot of going back and forth and learning where to go.
You don’t get to move the camera around outside of the designated viewpoints.
Learning and marking the map pieces you find is really difficult with not great feedback.
You never feel like or know when you are making actual progress.

A Highland Song:

Official website.

Developer: inkle (inklestudios.com)

Publisher: inkle (inklestudios.com)

Store Links –

Nintendo

9/10
Graphics - 9/10
9/10
Sound - 9/10
8/10
Accessibility - 8/10
9/10
Length - 9/10
10/10
Fun Factor - 10/10

9/10

Summary

A Highland Song is a visually stunning game with beautiful hand-drawn graphics that are best experienced with headphones. The game is a 1.2GB download and offers platformer gameplay from a 2D perspective. The camera can be zoomed in and out, allowing players to admire the fantastic locations and vistas as they play. The world is multi-layered, offering different layers to explore, like the background or the foreground. The map fills in as you play and mark things, and the story unfolds as you progress.

The game offers a variety of gameplay and accessibility options. These include the ability to trip less when running to music, never flail while climbing, easier music rhythms, a single jump button only, and weather and environment settings that range from mild to harsh. In-game cutscenes and excellent voice work add to the immersive experience.

Rest and sleep are important game mechanics that allow you to regain health and stamina. However, comfort is crucial, and if you are uncomfortable, you get less health aswel as trying to rest in the open during rain or snow is bad. The game features a full day and night cycle with weather effects, and anything shiny is either something interactive or a point of interest to mark on your map. You can find little mini-game-style sequences like stone skipping, and discoveries get marked down in your notebook.

A Highland Song does some niggles. The performance in docked mode is not always smooth, and it’s not always clear where and when you can change between the layers of the game world. It’s not very good at explaining itself and helping with things like map marking and traversal in general. Learning and marking the map pieces you find can be difficult with not great feedback. However, each time you start again, you keep all map shortcuts, discovered peaks, and items collected.

Despite any niggles, A Highland Song is a truly compelling and addictive game that encourages exploration. Every new discovery or shortcut is rewarding, and you cannot die – if a fall would take you out, then you simply respawn before. The overall goal of the game is to make it to the lighthouse for the special event. At the end of a run, you get a breakdown of how many peaks and map pieces you found and used, along with how many days it took you. Each subsequent playthrough feels new and unique, even when retreading old ground. The level design is fascinating, and the game is a great handheld game. It is just a beautiful genre matched with a good story solid gameplay and a real masterclass, I cannot praise or recommend this game enough.