July 11, 2023 - Day 192 - PlayOn Bonus Review

Game: Insurmountable

Platform: Epic/Steam
Release Date: Apr 29, 2021
Library Date: Apr 14, 2022/Nov 22, 2022

Playtime: 8h43m (7h19m/34m)

Decided to throw in a little something for the games I've played a lot, and come back to. Welcome to "PlayOn".

Insurmountable is a hextile-based roguelike adventure about climbing mountains. This is not a game, in any way, that interested me. I hadn't even heard of it when Epic gave it away for free. On one particularly down day, I was looking for something laid back to play, and was sorting through the games I'd gotten free on Epic and I installed it just for the hell of it.

The reason for the split scores in the summary, is that despite my antipathy towards the Epic Games Store, Insurmountable kept me coming back.

When it came up on special on Steam in November, it was an instant buy. It then sat unplayed because I started this whole thing.

The game's storyline is that of a mountain climber who comes to a remote island for a bit of climbing, and find themselves caught in a time loop, with a stranger.

As you go on, you can unlock two other characters, a scientist, and a journalist.

There are three mountains to be scaled, with each mountain having a number of quests on procedurally generated maps.

Some of the quests are suited more to one specific character, with extra rewards if completed with that character.

As you go on, you level each of the characters, and pick up gear that can be used by all three characters.

Each map presents a number of challenges and terrains; with a limited carrying capacity, you must decide which gear to take with you.

All characters have a set of five stats: Sanity, Temperature, Energy, Oxygen, and Health.

Events on the mountain will affect each of these stats. Get caught in a crevasse? Might affect your sanity & health. The further you move without resting, the more energy you use.

Climbing during a blizzard, down goes your temperature. When you hit the "Death Zone", your energy & oxygen use increase.

Unexpected events can suddenly wipe out your energy, which means that while you can continue moving, the risk of further events shoots up exponentially.

When you run out of energy, if you have food in your pack, that might save you, but otherwise you need to rest.

Sleeping where you are can recover some energy, but out in the open? Temperature drop. You can carry a tent in your pack that takes up a lot of room, but gives you three safe sleeps before it crumbles to dust. Or you can hightail it towards a cave.

Make it to the summit, then to your destination, or fail and die; each time you're returned to the bunker, and "the stranger" to start another loop.

For a game I didn't think I'd like, Insurmountable is:

5: Excellent

#Insurmountable #Roguelike #Adventure #MastodonGaming #Gaming #Project365ONG #Project365 #PlayOn

Do YOU know about No More Zero Days?

Sometimes we get stuck in a bog. Everything seems impossible, #insurmountable, too much. No #motivation, no #energy, why bother? where to start?

The school of No More Zero Days simplifies things down to a single binary. Do one thing, no matter how trivial – make it a Not Zero Day – and you win. Because *anything at all* is better than *nothing*.

https://awadwatt.com/tezoatlipoca/the-school-of-no-zero-days

#NoMoreZeroDays #motivation

Time to take a look at Insurmountable, which is about climbing mountains!

https://www.twitch.tv/badchop

#twitch #streaming #Insurmountable

Still playing #Insurmountable and dear random person on the mountain

No. No you can't have an entire fucking tent for some warm gloves

what the fuck

I wish that #Insurmountable game had like...a quick into mode. Pick a few settings for a mountain, and bam, you are in the mountain quickly. Sometimes I just want to climb a mountain without extra steps such as story (I did like the story though)

I wish that #Insurmountable game had like...a quick into mode. Pick a few settings for a mountain, and bam, you are in the mountain quickly. Sometimes I just want to climb a mountain without extra steps such as story (I did like the story though)

So far we've discovered our first time anomaly in #Insurmountable.
Will probably be #streaming for about an hour more at https://twitch.tv/FiXato

#FiXatoStreams #gaming

Preparing to finally stream #Insurmountable again; doing the third expedition we were supposed to start on last time I was planning to do #FiXatoStreams. :)

https://twitch.tv/FiXato

Right, time to get ready for a couple of hours of #streaming before it's time to pick up the little one.

I think for this #FiXatoStreams I'll continue once again on my quest to take on the mountains in #Insurmountable. :)

Quickly tried some different #streaming settings in #OBS so I can run #Insurmountable at a higher quality setting.
Seems to be working fine, so hopefully we can enjoy more details during the next #FiXatoStreams. :)

While I had the game open, I finished the second expedition. Not sure if I end up posting the footage, but if I do, I guess I should add commentary separately.

#BeardGrabber was sitting on my lap and asking what all the stat bars were for, and as soon as I understood what was what, he was commenting on my every move what resources (oxygen, body temperature, energy, sanity) I was gaining, and which ones were decreasing.

#parenting #DadsOfMastodon #ParentsOfMastodon #gaming

Certainly enjoyed finishing the first mountain, and discovering the unexpected turn the story in #Insurmountable took.
So far I'm quite enjoying the game, though I'm not sure it's the right game to #stream?

Yay! We made it to the summit! Now to see what the next mission holds...
#Insurmountable #FiXatoStreams

https://twitch.tv/FiXato

Getting ready to #stream some more #Insurmountable over on #Twitch! https://twitch.tv/FiXato

Will you join me as I try to conquer the mountain and perhaps learn something about myself?

#FiXatoStreams #streaming #gaming

Getting ready for a couple of hours of late night #FiXatoStreams!
I'll start off with some #PacMan Championship Edition, and after that probably some #Insurmountable or #Hearthstone.

I'd love it if you'd pop by for a cup of #tea, a #chat, and some #videoGames! :D

https://twitch.tv/FiXato

#streaming #Twitch #FiXatoGames #PacManChampionshipEdition

I'll be #streaming in about an hour or so on my #Twitch channel at https://twitch.tv/FiXato

Not quite sure yet what I'll be streaming. I think I'll start off with a couple of #Wordle words in the #8bit #MSX version, #Wörd, where everyone of course is welcome to pitch in with their word suggestions!

Maybe some #DemonsTilt #pinball, #Insurmountable, #LoopHero, #SunlessSea, or #Windbound?

#FiXatoStreams

A reminder for #strategy and #narrative #adventure #roguelite fans that #XCOM2 and #Insurmountable are still #free as in #gratis on #EpicGames store for a couple more hours.

Deal ends this Thursday at 17:00 CEST.

#GratisGames #FreeGames #WindowsGaming #gaming #XCOM

XCOM 2 is free to keep on the Epic Games Store right now - https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/xcom-2-is-free-to-keep-on-the-epic-games-store-right-now #Insurmountable #EpicGamesStore #Freegames #Strategy #firaxis #XCOM2

Some excellent #free #games on Epic Games for the next two weeks!
This week the #rogueLite "Rogue Legacy" and the horror #adventure and exploration #game "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter" are free, and I can at least highly recommend the former if you like #platformers.
Next week you can get the adventure #strategy game "Insurmountable" and the turn-based #tactics strategy "XCOM 2" for free as in #gratis! I liked the first XCOM remake as well as the original UFO: Unknown, and I enjoyed watching Many a True Nerd's playthrough Insurmountable, so I'll certainly be picking those up. :)

#FreeGames #GratisGames #gaming #EpicGames #XCOM #XCOM2 #Insurmountable #RogueLegacy #EthanCarter #TheVanishingOfEthanCarter

Insurmountable review: a clever roguelike about mountaineering - http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RockPaperShotgun/~3/F-SDKw4R4d0/insurmountable-review #ByteRockersGames #Insurmountable #WotIThink

The Weekspot podcast #036: Stir of Echoes - http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RockPaperShotgun/~3/f66xjC_SwFo/the-weekspot-podcast-036-outer-wilds-dlc #ThePCGamingWeekspot #MicrosoftStore #Insurmountable #SiliconDreams #HaloInfinite #Blockbuster #OuterWilds #SkateCity #Podcast #Indie #Video