Highwater from Demagog Studio and Rogue Games inc is a post-apocalyptic visual feast for the eyes. This is a title from the same studio that created Golf Club Wasteland a few years ago and the visual aesthetic that they nailed there is back and improved upon here in Highwater.
Highwater was originally released as a mobile game exclusive to Netflix subscribers but has since transitioned to PC. So is Highwater worth checking out? Let’s dive right in and find out!
Highwater
In Highwater players will take on the role of Nikos travelling the flooded wastes of the Earth near Alphaville trying to find a rocket to escape to Mars. Protagonist Nikos, along with his friends, will have a lot of problems to deal with though since in this flooded future, there’s wild animals and heavily armed insurgents to contend with.
The world of Highwater is fascinating and the game’s visual aesthetic really sucks you in. You’ll want to explore more, discover more and interact more with everything on offer. The game’s radio station and DJ are great with a lot of information being disseminated to you via in-game text, collectibles and audio on the radio. The storytelling is one of the game’s best features and if you’re a fan of games that tend to focus more on story rather than gameplay, Highwater will appeal to you.
Moving on the gameplay of Highwater, players will traverse the flooded remains of civilization on a small boat and occasionally hop onto land or floating platforms to explore. It truly is a shame that the game is so linear because if you were able to freely explore the flooded wastes, it would have been a much better experience overall. Instead, you’ll be moving from point A to B in a linear fashion while encountering enemies along the way. The game is therefore very linear so don’t expect much with regards to exploring.
Combat in Highwater is turn-based and plays out with a top-down isometric view. Fairly standard stuff but where the game differs is in its emphasis on environmental puzzle-solving. You will be able to use objects in the environment to assist you in battle and this is something that makes the battles feel very satisfying to play through.
The visual effects of causing environmental damage and heavily affecting your enemies with the objects laying around is great. The only major gripe to be had lies with the fact that battles take too long to play out. A fast-forward option as seen in other turn-based games recently would definitely have been appreciated here. This becomes even more apparent the later you get into the game where battles really do start to feel repetitive.
Highwater’s visual aesthetic is the best part of the game in combination with its storytelling. The gameplay suffers from being too linear and the combat being a slow burn exacerbates the problem but Highwater still manages to scratch a certain itch. There’s just something about the game’s ragtag bunch of characters, unexpected storytelling moments and sheer whimsical nature despite the dark undertones (Very dark at some points to be quite honest) that makes it a fascinating game that I recommend playing through.
Highwater’s soundtrack is also quite interesting with a range of tunes played by Highwater Pirate Radio that really help elevate the game to another level of quirky. Unfortunately, there’s no real voice acting here apart from the DJ himself.
Final Verdict
Overall, Highwater’s PC port gets a solid recommendation from me. The game’s mobile roots still show through on PC but it runs perfectly fine and despite its slow turn-based battles, the storytelling, soundtrack and visuals shape it into an enjoyable 4 to 5 hour long adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Definitely give this game a try if you’re a fan of story driven titles but don’t expect too much from it.
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