A Highland Song

A Highland Song is a charming 2D adventure game with platformer and survival elements, in which we traverse the Scottish hills. It was created by an indie British studio inkle, also known for Overboard!, 80 Days and Heaven's Vault.

Plot

Fifteen-year-old Moira McKinnon had never seen the sea. She spent her entire life so far living with her mother amidst the Scottish hilltops, getting to know their every nook and cranny.

One day Moira receives a letter from her uncle, Hamish. He asks her to head to the coast, to his lighthouse, promising a surprise if she reaches it before the solstice in three days. Moira thus sets off on a long journey through the hilltops, full of hidden stories and song-worthy memories.

Mechanics

The gameplay of A Highland Song consists of two layers, both in form of a 2D side-scrolling platformer. Moira must climb subsequent hills, carefully choosing her path through rocky trails, fissures and ruins.

She's far from a typical platforming hero, as she can't deal with long falls, staying in rainfall or out in the cold for too long. Such accidents and inconveniences gradually deplete her health and endurance, making it difficult to reach the goal within three days.

Moira must thus seek shelter from the weather beneath trees, in crevices or other hiding places. She can also meet NPCs or find gifts left behind by them.

Once at the top of the hill, learning the way forward, A Highland Song turns into a rhythm game. While the perspective doesn't change, the player must run down the hill to the music, jumping to its rhythm. These sequences are much more carefree from climbing and don't punish players for mistakes.

Moira has only three days to reach her destination, though she's unlikely to succeed on her first try. Furthermore, A Highland Song is full of secrets, while the locations are partially procedurally generated at the start of the game. These aspects encourage replayability.

Technical aspects

As the title suggests, music plays a big part in A Highland Song.The soundtrack mainly consists of folk music composed by studio composer Laurence Chapman, as well as the bands Talisk and Fourth Moon.

The graphics are two-dimensional and hand-drawn, just like in the studio's other games.