Review: A Highland Song, more like a sirensong, amirite? Seriously, the music is good.

I’m a sucker for a good exploration and walking sim, so when I saw A Highland Song, I knew that it was an immediate need to play. I was taken in by the art style and the promise of finding mysteries. I didn’t expect to be rewarded with a fantastic soundtrack.

A Highland Song is the story of exploration and discovery.

You play as Moira McKinnon, a girl who has never seen the ocean. It’s clear there’s some tension with your mother in the opening scene, so it makes a bit more sense when you just decide to run away.

You’ve gotten a letter from your Uncle Hamish, urging you to come to the coast and reach his lighthouse with the promise of a waiting surprise if you can get there before Beltane. Honestly, writing that sentence felt like a horror story. Especially when you know that Moira is just 15 years old. Uncle Hamish sounds like the baddest of bad news bears.

However, you do trigger voiceovers that tell a story as you progress and the creep factor of Uncle Hamish gets dispelled early on. Even still, creepy or not, encouraging a young girl to climb treacherous peaks to see the lighthouse seems… unwise, but we wouldn’t have a game otherwise.

Running through the hills, you’ll come across all kinds of mysteries and stories. I highly encourage you to search out every nook and cranny that you can because you never know when you’ll find a small bit of map to help you figure out where you are or find something to collect.

There are choices in this story that change your path, but not your destination. As the devs say, “the narrative is not branching, but weaving.” As you progress, you’ll discover history, mythology, and family secrets. In fact, you’re unlikely to find everything in one playthrough, so you’ll want to play through several times to discover as much as is possible.

Every so often, you’ll find a deer in your path and if you sprint along with it, you’ll be supplied with a rhythm game where you have to hit 1-2 buttons to the beat of the music. Not only is it a faster way to climb areas, but the music is some of the best I’ve encountered in games. If I knew how to trigger it more often, I would.

As far as controls, they’re pretty straightforward. The only time I felt like I had a curveball thrown was when during the rhythm game there was an additional button (the second one) added to the sequence that I hadn’t been expecting until I was in the thick of the song. 

Step into a picture book and listen to some of the best music.

I don’t usually pay attention when games put out soundtracks for games, but when this one drops: get it! You get mostly atmospheric sounds during actual exploration, which I enjoy, but it’s only during the times when you’re sprinting/following the deer that you get the music. I wish there was an option to play the music outside of the rhythm sequences.

The art style is an interesting mix of chalk and, what I assume is, oil, creating a very storybook vibe. It feels like you’re running through pages, especially when the viewpoint is from a 2D slider with 3D themes built in. Hills in the immediate background are climbable 90% of the time. So, you have to think about how the entire space can be explored, not just the ground immediately beneath your feet. 

Additionally, all hills in the background are hills you can explore eventually, you just have to find your way to them.

It’s as cozy as it can be when you’re following a deer through the Scottish hills.

There are only a few things that knock the cozy score on this one and it’s not big things. Mostly, it’s the aimlessness of where to go. I understand that the whole point is discovering where you are, but I got stuck in a loop and it took too long to figure out how to get out of it.

The rhythm game isn’t high-stress, but once they added in a second button to keep track of, my heart rate got up a few times. Not in a frustrated way, I just got too invested in getting it right.

Other than that, the weather can be a frustrating thing. If it’s windy or raining, Moira automatically gets negative health. It makes sense, but when you can’t find a shelter to let her recover and rest, it can feel a little aimless to even worry about.

Most of the time, it’s a pretty chill experience where you get to explore and exist. If you do not care about getting to the lighthouse in the time allotted, then you likely won’t find anything to be frustrated about.

Would have been nice if Uncle Hamish included a map with his invitation…

There’s a lot to love about A Highland Song, but knowing where to go can be a problem, especially if you’re following the deer. I had it in my head that following the deer was what I should be doing and would lead me in the right direction. But, in hindsight, I don’t think that’s actually the case. It’s a mild quibble soothed by the music, but I’m still left lost when the song ends. 

Truly, that’s my main issue. I know a larger map defeats the purpose of the smaller map pieces that you find, but some little way to get pointed in the right direction would be nice. Again, I thought that was the purpose of the deer and all I got out of following it was learning I’d follow a wild animal aimlessly. Worst Disney princess ever.

There are options in the menu to turn off flailing when climbing, tripping less in music sequences, and making the weather effects less or more harsh. So, if any of these things is proving to be a hindrance to you, you can adjust the settings and see if that helps.

Verdict: Buy the game, explore the hills, and join me in the soundtrack obsession.

I highly recommend this game to anyone who wants to go on an adventure with a picture book art style. Hell, at this point, I’d recommend this game just to listen to the music. Good thing that the gameplay is good too and it’s not just carried by the excellent soundtrack.

A Highland Song is on both Steam and Nintendo Switch for $17.99 but will be available at a 10% discount for the first week. Personally, I think this is a fair price, especially when the replay value is there.