A Short Hike Is a Shining Example of Non-Violent Video Games

Violence in video video games has been a heated subject of debate for the reason that medium first got here to prominence within the cultural mainstream. Mortal Kombat was one of many first video games to reveal the potential of online game graphics to indicate more and more life-like depictions of violence, sparking an issue that might observe the medium for years after. To many, the claims appear spurious within the face of numerous avid gamers who get pleasure from violent video games and handle to go about their lives with out leaving a path of destruction of their wake. As a result of let’s face it, violent video games are enjoyable as hell.

Check out a few of the most influential and common video games of the medium, and also you’ll discover that violence is a significant side of their core gameplay loop. It’s tough to consider many video games that don’t incorporate violence in some form or kind. Even Tremendous Mario, a franchise lauded particularly for its family-friendly nature, nonetheless has gamers stomping on Goombas and Koopas to achieve their purpose. Violence could also be enjoyable, nevertheless it appears for many video games to be the first means by way of which the participant can work together with the sport and its world. This is the reason it’s so fascinating that A Short Hike, an unobtrusive little indie gem, managed to do one thing fairly attention-grabbing with reference to its in-game violence; there’s none.

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A Quick Intro

A Quick Hike was launched in 2019 by developer adamgryu. The sport follows a younger fowl named Claire visiting Hawk Peak Provincial Park, the place her Aunt Could works as a ranger. Claire is anticipating an necessary name from her mom, however the park has very poor reception. Aunt Could suggests making the infamously tough hike to Hawk Peak, the tallest mountain within the park, to have a greater probability at receiving her mom’s name. From right here, the participant takes management of Claire as she explores the park, interacts with the inhabitants, and slowly turns into robust sufficient to make the fabled hike.

One other Peak to Climb

At first look, the absence of violence from A Quick Hike may appear to be an odd factor to attract consideration to. In spite of everything, there have been loads of notable video games prior to now that comprise gameplay with out the presence of violence. Tetris, The Talos Precept, Gone House, all of those are video games that don’t enable the participant to have interaction with the world utilizing violence of any sort. Nevertheless, some of these video games even have a really strict ruleset concerning how gamers might work together with the world. Puzzle video games by definition are about fixing issues inside that sport’s construction and ruleset. Gone House and different strolling simulators are most frequently primarily targeted on the narratives they’re attempting to inform, and thus don’t require extra advanced gameplay to have interaction the participant. However outdoors of some particular genres, a stunning variety of video games could be boiled right down to having an adversary standing in your means, and overcoming that adversary by drive. Even a rhythm sport equivalent to Thumper nonetheless has you taking pictures a laser right into a boss’ face on the finish of each stage. And lots of video games that supply non-lethal choices like Metallic Gear Strong, Undertale, or Dishonored nonetheless have violence baked into their core mechanics.

A Quick Hike breaks the mildew for non-violent video games by having an open-world exploration construction, fairly than the extra restrictive gameplay forms of different usually non-violent video games. Claire can climb nearly any mountain or construction by merely strolling into it. Nevertheless, the peak she will climb with out shedding her grip is dictated by a stamina meter (represented by Golden Feathers). As soon as ascending a peak, she will glide by way of the air utilizing her wings to achieve extra distant locations. If this sounds acquainted it ought to, because it’s almost an identical to the climbing mechanics in Breath of the Wild. Moreover their gameplay being related, each video games additionally begin by giving the participant a vaguely-defined goal after which letting them off the leash to roam the world as they need. “Climb Hawk Peak” is actually this sport’s “Destroy Ganon.” The place they start to vary nevertheless is how they permit the participant to work together with their worlds. With none fight, A Quick Hike chooses to go all-in on exploration.

The first gameplay motivator is the gathering of Golden Feathers to construct up Claire’s stamina and climb greater and better mountains, finally conquering Hawk Peak. On paper, the sport might sound like nothing greater than a strolling simulator with further steps, and never value noting for its non-violence any greater than different video games within the style. Nevertheless, by borrowing a few of the most intuitive climbing gameplay within the final decade, A Quick Hike manages to make exploration itself partaking sufficient to hold gamers by way of its entirety. Strategically planning out gliding paths, judging the space of a climb, and praying to have sufficient stamina to make it. Each cliffside is a peak ready to be conquered, and each leap is a leap of religion. Merely controlling Claire is enjoyable and fascinating with out the necessity to litter the world with enemies to leap on or battle. Breath of the Wild might provide a wider breadth of experiences for the participant, due in no small half to how outstanding fight is as part of its core gameplay loop. Nevertheless, by forgoing fight altogether, A Quick Hike permits gamers to focus purely on the exploration side of its world. This easy change in focus permits A Quick Hike to ship a totally completely different kind of expertise than many avid gamers is perhaps used to. The one adversary on this sport is nature itself, and the way far you’re prepared to check it on your personal curiosity.

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Breathe That Recent Mountain Air

However exploration can be meaningless if there was nothing to find. Fortunately, A Quick Hike has no scarcity of surprises and challenges for gamers. Whereas amassing Golden Feathers is the first focus for gamers, the sport gives a wide range of methods to go about it. A number of charming NPC’s litter the park, providing actions starting from scavenger hunts, fishing, races, and even a volleyball match. Most rewards from these actions do find yourself being Golden Feathers. Nevertheless, since Golden Feathers assist construct your stamina in service of your final purpose, it’s a neat means of preserving gamers invested in exploring the park whereas ensuring they at all times really feel like they’re progressing.

Even nonetheless, gameplay mechanics on their very own are solely part of constructing participant funding. The ambiance of A Quick Hike is the ultimate ingredient to its success. If you’re not actively trying to find the following peak to ascend, merely basking on the planet of A Quick Hike is an indescribably nice expertise. The crunch of grass beneath Claire’s toes, the chirps of birds hovering overhead, the light winds softly dancing among the many treetops. A Quick Hike places within the effort to create a world that’s, for lack of a greater phrase, cozy. Paired with a soundtrack using a mix of sunshine acoustics and piano melodies, and you’ve got a sport world that merely feels good to exist in. As many similarities one might be able to level to between this sport and the common strolling simulator, having a larger mechanical funding of their capacity to work together with this world signifies that the cheerful ambiance turns into all of the extra tangible to gamers. By having such partaking exploration and motion mechanics, the participant turns into an energetic a part of the world fairly than a spectator. It’s the distinction between seeing an elephant in captivity, and actively watching one march throughout the Serengeti. Reducing down as many limitations for gamers between them and interacting with the world makes all of the distinction when creating engagement, particularly in a sport with out fight of any kind.

A Distinctive Case, or Untapped Potential?

There are admittedly a couple of features of A Quick Hike that help in its success as a non-violent title. Firstly, the title is greater than only a snappy moniker. The primary purpose of climbing Hawk Peak could be accomplished in a single to 2 hours. Finishing all of the achievements takes round 4 to 6 hours in complete, relying on how lengthy gamers take to bask within the surroundings. One might argue that the foremost purpose the sport works on a non-violent foundation is its brevity. {That a} longer sport wouldn’t be capable to maintain gamers’ consideration as properly with out some type of fight or adversary-based gameplay. One might additionally argue that non-violent mechanics work properly for a sport as lighthearted in tone as this one, however video games desirous to sort out extra severe material can be hard-pressed to not have some type of violence current because of this.

Relating to the primary level, the counterargument can be that if the gameplay is attention-grabbing sufficient and totally fleshed out, builders can get gamers on board with absolutely anything. Papers, Please proved you can make submitting paperwork entertaining given the fitting context. As for the second, the concept that video games can’t sort out darker material with out placing a weapon within the participant’s hand or abusing violent imagery is indicative of an absence of creativeness greater than something.

However maybe one of these gameplay philosophy is simply inherently extra area of interest than extra combat-focused video games. Effectively, all it takes is a look at A Short Hike’s Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam to indicate that avid gamers are greater than receptive to one of these gameplay expertise. It simply relies on how builders current their sport’s mechanics and situation their gamers to have interaction with their video games primarily based on mentioned mechanics.

Over the Subsequent Horizon

Regardless of how attention-grabbing it might be to take a position on the potential for extra non-violent mechanics in video games, the reality is that violence in video video games isn’t going wherever. And in all honesty, that’s an excellent factor. One of the best video games of the medium are about gamers overcoming challenges and conquering obstacles. For higher or worse, fight is without doubt one of the easiest methods to ship that kind of expertise. Nevertheless, because the medium of gaming continues to develop and mature, each avid gamers and builders ought to maintain an open thoughts to those much less frequent forms of experiences. A Quick Hike shouldn’t be distinctive in its lack of violence, however it’s a uncommon instance of such an idea outdoors of the standard genres we’ve come to anticipate this from. If gaming is to develop and develop as a medium, there must be alternative ways of interacting with titles past preventing each foe that comes our means.

Because the outdated saying goes, if all you have got is a hammer, the whole lot seems like a nail. If extra builders change into courageous sufficient handy avid gamers a distinct software than they’re used to, it may possibly solely imply good issues for gaming as an entire.

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