- Publisher: Rogue Games
- Release Date: Mar 14, 2024
- Also On: iPhone/iPad, PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
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Apr 4, 2024Highwater could be the dictionary example of an indie game: it is based on a trending topic with social implications, it marches to its own tune without trying to fit into one specific genre, it has a distinctive visual and musical style that build a great atmosphere, and the developers cannot be bothered to fix the bugs they left in the game. It is an artistic production and a social statement that would badly need some polishing and fixing to be a completely enjoyable video game. By smoothing down the edges it can become the atmospheric trip the developers imagined, and the magic wouldn’t be broken by the hiccups.
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Mar 14, 2024There are moments of beauty in Highwater, most of it instigated by environmental design – I loved coming across surprises and marvelling at how even after catastrophe, human beings continue to do their thing. But unfortunately, as much as I love the game’s aesthetics and very competent turn-based combat, it doesn’t have all that much to say about its complex themes, and finishing it felt like a relief.
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Apr 12, 2024Highwater understands its limitations. It’s not a game that tries to do too much and fails. Some aspects work well, like the world-building, premise, and combat. But I wanted to be told less, and discover more. Given a bigger budget and less restrictive, more open-ended gameplay, Highwater could be a standout in a crowded field. Highwater has good intentions, but it needs a team of writers who understand character and dialogue a little better, and that showing is better than telling.
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Apr 9, 2024Whilst Highwater starts with some rather lovely visuals and whimsical charm, it soon devolves into a tedious, languid affair that failed to launch. If you can endure the droning voices and hackneyed lyrics in here, you may enjoy this turn-based nautically-induced apocalypse adventure.
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Mar 28, 2024Highwater is certainly a looker (and a sounder(?)), but its predictable combat and uninteresting story make it difficult to drudge all the way through.
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Mar 28, 2024Highwater is an adventure with a heavy focus on its narrative, and a turn-based combat system that presents its battles as puzzles. It is a modest but correct game in its technical aspects and the music is frankly spectacular, but each of its goals runs out of steam halfway.
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Mar 14, 2024Highwater tells a fairly interesting story about a planet on the brink and offers solid, if simple, tactical gameplay, which I mostly enjoyed. Add in a great art style and a winning soundtrack, and there’s a lot to interest fans of the strategy genre. The rest of the world around all of this largely lets the game down but the players Highwater grabs will get lost in the beautiful tragedy of it all.
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Mar 25, 2024I really wanted to like Hightower and I kind of do, thanks to all of the passion and cute touches that are peeking through the cracks. Whether it's the inclusion of old movie trivia that can skip a battle, some Charlie Chaplin footage, a scene where you're trapped behind a wall and more, it's clear there was a real vision here, and while it may not be fully realised, I admire the effort. The end product falls short on a number of levels, but I have a soft spot for it regardless and will be keeping an eye on the developer's future games.