Cairn looked like a fun mountain climbing game and soon became much more before the tutorial was even over for me. The control of each limb was instantly enjoyable and enough of a challenge to keep pushing me to do more. The accent up the mountain was soon to begin, right after the two hours it took me to get to the title screen. Then we ended the day’s climb and I came back for a full stream of Cairn the following day.
The game awards you for exploring off the clear paths and we spent a lot of time doing just that. Getting rewards for doing so was helpful later on. And of course we spent a ton of time collecting parts for a doll that I never actually used for anything. The survival elements are enjoyable and the loot goblins probably suffer with limited inventory space the force you to make many decisions along the way.
Mechanics is only half of it though. An unexpected story follows you up the mountain and you may say it’s a little dark and moody at times. Beautiful visuals and great audio also help set the mood.
Cairn was stacked from the beginning. In the end it burned bright and fast.
Will I play more? We finished the game on stream, don’t expect to.
Pronouncement: Dead, after a great climb.