At times such as these, it often feels as if time had frozen from time to time. Or rather, it can be an overwhelming shift as hours begin to feel like seconds. Completing university feels like a mix of those two things. Time can be move so quickly yet when I’m confined within the chambers of my own bedroom, it also feels as if nothing has changed.
So yes, I’ve finally finished with my university and… now what?
With the current climate of the world, it’s hard to say when I’ll be able to be back out there. To be quite frank, I’ve fallen into a state where I’m frantically trying to achieve so many things at once that it has taken a toll on my mental health. A cycle of overworking and not working enough just to end up feeling disappointed about things going nowhere.
So, how does exactly “A Short Hike” allows me to take a breather from this point in my life?
“A Short Hike” is a game developed and created by Canadian developer, Adamgryu about exploration and hiking. The main aim of the game is to climb to the summit of Hawks Peaks though along the journey you’re able to encounter and tackle small quests! The game introduces to us the protagonist, Claire, who is waiting for a phone call in her pursuit of reaching the summit of Hawks Peaks. It establishes the setting through environmental sound design that I find to be unironically breathtaking, which easily swoops you into the game space.
I had difficulty tackling the controls, mainly due to my lack of experience playing games on my laptop. However, after being able to tackle that aspect, I’ve been able to enjoy this lovely piece of the game a lot! You can get yourself easily lost just scavenging through the island and finding all sorts of nooks and crannies.
Another aspect that I adore is the conversation you have with other characters. Some conversations you may have with characters in video games often can be forgettable or there are cases when it’s so charming that you couldn’t get it out of your head. The latter seems to be the case for “A Short Hike”. I took some time to complete the game, yet I never grumble about it each time I play. If anything, all I wanted to take my time and just get lost in it.
I never expected to feel so motivated from conversations between marathon participants in the game about how your worth shouldn’t be measured through sheer luck or projected onto an object. Rather, it’s the effort that you put in and your hard work. These kinds of conversations can be found with just about any characters you encounter in your short hike and it adds to the charm of the game overall.
As it progresses, it does get more and more difficult to reach the top. However, I never felt frustrated. I thought I’d be annoyed about having to collect more feathers, but having charming surprises at every corner you explore keeps me on my toes. I’m always eager and excited to discover new secret entrances or being able to meet again with Avery and tag along with her parkour challenges.
In trying times such as these, “A Short Hike” fills in a longing that I’ve yet been able to fill through this difficult time. As of now, I’m lingering in post-grad limbo, uncertain of a future in a time that’s already filled with uncertainties.
The conversation between Claire and her mom about her growing up and now having left the nest touched me in many ways than I thought it would. Being Claire and having reached Hawk Peaks after the ups and downs I had to go through to reach there, made me think about my own goals and what I want to achieve. When would it be the time for me to spread my own wings and fly?
When you’ve reached the ending of the game, you’re greeted with a gorgeous sequence where you’re able to fly along the course of the wind and become one with the northern lights. It’s such a beautiful sequence that really took hold of my heart. A very satisfying end to a not-so-short hike. “A Short Hike” came at a point in my life where I feel like I’ve achieved not as much as I’d like.
It reminds me of the hurdles that come with the journey of achieving your goals. It reminds me also to not abandon yourself and your health in your journey. That it’s important to take things at your own pace because everyone’s time is different. Perhaps it’s not yet time for you to spread your wings, so until then allow yourself to take a breather and pause.
For any fans of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”, this game is an absolute gem! However, I do encourage anyone to give this game a try. Although trying to figure out how to navigate through space was a bit tricky, I think once you’ve gotten over that small hurdle you’ll be greeted with a lovely little game, a heartwarming story, and a breathtaking world surrounded by nature.
