Cairn Preview: Face Beauty and Danger Atop the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain - A Thrilling, Reflective Climb
Embrace the Call of Adventure: Why Mount Kami beckons the brave
When faced with the question of why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, George Mallory famously replied, "Because it's there."
After an immersive, hands-on demo of Cairn, an upcoming climbing-survival sim from The Game Bakers, I'm beginning to understand the allure of these daring adventurers. My journey on Mount Kami was a blend of grueling ascents, moments of quiet reflection, and life-or-death battles against the elements. It's a climb that tests not only your physical endurance but also your mental fortitude.
Mastering the Mountain: A Delicate Balance of Control
The deliberate, highly manual control of climbing in Cairn is reminiscent of games like Manual Samuel or QWOP. The challenge lies in precisely controlling each limb, but in Cairn, Aava, your skilled climbing partner, takes on a significant portion of the responsibility. While the player has the majority of control, Aava's connection to the cliff and her smart grips make her an invaluable asset. As I ascended, I couldn't help but feel a growing trust in Aava, a bond that strengthened with each step.
Navigating the Puzzle: Choosing Your Path
Cairn promises the freedom to climb anywhere, and all of Mount Kami's rock face is your playground. However, you can't simply stick to surfaces like a tree frog in Breath of the Wild. Picking your route is crucial to ensure you have the necessary holds to make progress. Calling the climbing a puzzle would be an understatement; it's more like a toybox filled with puzzles to choose from. There's no yellow paint to mark the path, but you can pull the camera out for a wide view to help with decision-making.
Life-Saving Tools: Climbot and Bivouacs
Aava's climbing partner, Climbot, is a trusty robot companion that carries the end of her climbing rope. By driving a piton into the rock, Climbot can build a belay, catch Aava if she falls, and allow her to lean off the cliff to rest or rappel down. These pitons are crucial for saving progress on long climbs and can be literal life savers, especially before tackling tricky sections. Bivouacs, temporary campsites, offer a place to save and pitch your tent, allowing Aava to rest, cook meals, and prepare for the next leg of the climb.
The Mountain's Secrets: Unveiling History and Identity
Mount Kami is more than just a mountain; it's a place with a complex identity and history. As I climbed, I discovered cave dwellings carefully sculpted into homes and common areas, with abandoned writings that shed light on the people who lived there and their relationships with adventurers. A broken cable car and toppled-over vending machine (with some convenient snacks) hinted at a time when the mountain was more accessible and open to the world.
The Unseen Struggles: Aava's Inner Conflict
While Cairn focuses on the journey and struggle of the climb, the story of Aava and her motivations is gradually unfolding. Her agent's calls via Climbot, her interactions with friends, and her internal monologues reveal a deeper conflict. As I climbed higher, I couldn't help but wonder what drove Aava to take on this perilous climb, and why she seemed more pained than pleased after receiving messages from her partner.
The Call of the Mountain: A Journey of Discovery
Four days into my ascent, I felt like I was thousands of feet above where I started. I was climbing with greater confidence, finding narrow footholds and recognizing more ways to maintain my grip. But the mountain's allure went beyond the physical. It was the sense of discovery, the unfolding history, and the mysteries of Aava's motivations that kept me climbing. As my time with the Cairn demo came to an end, I found myself eager to explore more of Mount Kami and uncover the secrets that awaited me higher up.
The Future of Cairn: A Test of Wits and Endurance
Cairn is set to release on PS5 and PC on January 29th, and I can't wait to test the mountain again. The game promises a challenging climb that tests your wits and endurance, and I'm eager to explore different routes, talk to friends about their experiences, and watch others take on the mountain, especially those brave enough to challenge the permadeath Free-Solo difficulty. Mount Kami awaits, and I'm ready to face its beauty and danger head-on.
