14 DAY TRIAL // 
There’s a sheer ice face right in front of my capable adventurer, almost daring me to use a ton of energy and risk an injury to climb up it and reach the safety of a cave, which delivers good rest and some warmth. Trying this big move would save on oxygen, which is a great idea given that I only have one canister in reserve. To the right, there’s a more manageable snow-covered path. It would cost more energy and might lower my temperature more, but it does mean a smaller energy use and eight hours of sleep inside my tent. Regardless of which I choose, I also need to think about sanity, given that the summit is still far in the distance.
Insurmountable is developed by ByteRockers Games, with publishing handled by Daedalic Entertainment. I played it using Steam and, on the PC, but it is also offered on the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X and S, the Nintendo Switch, and older devices from Sony and Microsoft. This is a mountain climbing adventure that incorporates rogue-like concepts. The review is based on the big 2.0 update for the game.
One of the big additions is a narrative structure that incorporates the core elements of the game, including the three characters and an explanation for why they keep climbing mountains on their own. A mysterious stranger is involved and the whole affair reminds me of Lost in some ways. This means that in 2.0 the three big mountains are no longer the main focus. There are side missions to engage with and the game now features proficiencies, team upgrades, and character-specific unlockable skill trees. I liked the pure nature of the three-mountain challenge of the initial release but this new structure will probably be more successful in keeping players interested and focused.
The gameplay remains centered on the difficult puzzle of mountain climbing. For each mission, players need to ascend to a summit and then make it back down to a safe location. On the way, a variety of hard terrain will hinder progress. There are also places of interest to visit. And the climber needs to carefully keep track of his health, energy, sanity, warmth, and (when above 6,000m) oxygen.
Initially, it is easy to pick a destination, click on a mountain terrain hex, and simply watch the little mountaineer move towards it. Bigger differences in height mean more energy expended to get there. Nighttime and storms mean limited visibility and big drops in temperatures. Some environments slowly drain sanity. Oxygen is a precious but circumstantial resource, easily consumed too fast on the way up, with no reserves for the climb down to base camp.
There are plenty of events on the mountain, split into categories, which can range from interactions with other humans to lone explorations of a hidden crevasse. And every summit chaser carries equipment. The most important is the tent (which weirdly has three charges), while hot tea, flowers, canned food, and canisters replenish warmth, sanity, energy, and oxygen. Equipment, lacking at the start of the climb but found on the mountain, can reduce energy expenditure or provide temperature boosts, but can also force painful trade-offs. Gamers will also unlock special abilities for their climbers, both on the strategic level and on each actual mountain.
Players need to take into consideration all these elements and then put together a strategy for getting to the top of the mountain and then back down to base camp. I tend to max out my energy whenever possible, opting for the quickest way up but always detouring to get to caves, mainly for sleep. I often complete the level with low sanity and warmth, but with my health mostly intact. Canned food is my best friend.
Insurmountable keeps it simple when it comes to presentation, with a focus on ease of play. One can zoom in to see the mountaineer moving across rock and ice but it’s a good idea to stay zoomed out most of the time, keeping in sight the next goal and the peak that is waiting. The soundtrack stays in the background, which is a good idea, with the entire game becoming more immersive when the focus is squarely on the unforgiving mountain and tough decisions.
The Good
- Climbing mechanics
- Event interactions
- Choices matter
The Bad
- Overall story
- Limited mountain variety
- Some camera issues
Conclusion
The problem is that there’s not enough variety, even with the newly added campaign structure. After 5 or 6 climbs, nothing is surprising. The player can try new synergies or new ideas, but the mountains remain largely the same. Insurmountable has a great concept and some solid mechanics but can struggle to entice players to reach more than one summit.
Review code provided by the publisher.
