There was a meme doing the rounds some time ago based on one of the scenes in Blade Runner 2049 (spoiler) centered on the idea that, deep in the masculine psyche, there’s a deep desire to slowly bleed out in a place of peace and solitude (spoiler over). Whilst this was just another incarnation of us millennials’ death focused nihilistic humour* it spoke to some deeper themes about having done something (in most iterations, something heroic), then being able to pass on to the next whilst being unbothered by the rest of the world. It was this complex melding of themes that played through my head constantly during my playthrough of Cairn as the main character seems to be engaging in that very meme just with a few more steps inbetween.
The peak of Kami stands unconquered, it’s slopes before the summit littered with the gear, memories and corpses of all of those who have dared tried it. Aava though is unperturbed as she has conquered every other mountain in this world and so there is only this left for her. This is no simple lonely mountain however as for many years it was home to a number of Troglodyte villages which have all long since been abandoned. So whilst Aava intends her journey up the mountain will be a solitary one Aava will be accompanied by the ghosts of the past and the handful of those who have decided to remain. All the while the outside world continues to intrude: her sponsors asking for updates, her partner with updates on life outside the mountain and the memories of those left behind who tried the same climb as her. None of this seems to phase Aava though as all that exists for her now is the mountain.
Cairn’s cel shaded aesthetic is as crisp as any implementation I’ve seen before with incredible levels of details in the models, texturing and lighting. As you’d expect the game is at its strongest when you’re out on the side of the mountain, taking in the wide ranging vistas that stretch on well into the horizon. This isn’t to say that the interior sections aren’t well done as well though, more that the lack of details in some areas are more apparent when you’re forced up close. The environments also feel alive thanks to the dynamic weather and day/night cycles which form a key part of the game’s core climbing mechanics. Whilst I’m starting to get the feeling that cel-shading is the next low-poly/low-texture aesthetic trend for indies I can’t say I’m completely upset with that when it’s done this well.
If it wasn’t obvious from the game’s screenshots Cairn is a climbing simulator, one that pits you against a single mountain. You’ll be scouting out for holds, cracks and crevices everywhere in order to make your way up whilst also balancing the numerous survival mechanics to ensure you don’t black out halfway through a climb. You have a few modern conveniences to assist you on your journey: self drilling pitons that serve as rest stops during a climb, a climbing robot that will act as your belay and communications with the outside world and your hiking pole/light. Whilst there’s no in-built progression system you can find certain items along the way that will make certain things easier although they’re by no means required. After each section you’ll likely find a place to bivvy up for a short rest to cook food, bandage your fingers and repair broken pitons. All in all it seems like a very well realised climbing simulator.
The climbing can feel a little GIRP-ish at times as Aava seems to be able to contort herself into all manner of weird and wonderful shapes in order to get herself a good hold. I’ll lay the blame partly for this on the game’s automatic next move system which, depending on how Aava is situated, will select the “best” limb to move with next for you. Now this works most of the time, I’d say maybe 60% or so, but it fails often enough that you can find yourself moving something that doesn’t quite make sense. This can quickly end you up in a tangle as you try to reposition your limbs which, even when selecting them directly, can feel a little bit more like an art rather than a science.
However it seems that being contorted in all sorts of unnatural ways isn’t usually something that’ll send you off the mountain. Most of the time it’ll be a bad grip on something, like if you’re just jamming your foot against the rock face or gently caressing a rock rather than gripping it. That seemed to be what would trigger Aava’s shakes and wobbles the most as no matter how strange of a position I was in as long as I had a firm grip or hold on all my limbs I could stay there basically indefinitely.
After awhile you start to get a good feel for how the automatic system works and how to best position yourself for it to make the right moves far more often. I still found myself reaching for the manual limb selection pretty often to make certain moves but once you’re in a flow with it you can breeze through lengthy climbing sections with ease. What usually becomes the issue at that point though is the fuzziness in gripping your preferred holds as it can be hard to get your hands or feet in the right position so they grip rather than just simply hold. There was many a panicked piton slammed into the mountain because I didn’t manage to grab the hold I was aiming for and the shakes set in with deadly speed.
The increase in challenge is done pretty linearly, giving you plenty of time to get familiar with your limits before the game starts to send some real pearlers your way. I can distinctly remember the first climb where I found myself on my last piton, staring up at the finish line which was still some ways away. Thankfully with careful planning, chalk and smashing some of the carefully hoarded supplies I had in my backpack I made it up there on the second attempt, the first failing because I found myself stuck under a bridge and not being able to climb up on it.
Which is probably the only kind of technical issue I came across throughout most of the game. The detection of walkable areas is pretty on point for most places but there was a non-zero number of places where I found myself flopped over the edge, scrambling to try and somehow get upright before my grip gave out. I did have 1 or 2 deaths because of this as well which was annoying but nothing game breaking.
Cairn’s narrative takes the hard road with such a deeply unlikable character in Aava. To be sure I can understand and share her motivations, putting everything to one side to achieve something that no one else has before, but the vast majority of her interactions with others speaks to that behaviour not being constrained to just when she’s on the mountain. Of course part of this is to highlight the cost that comes with the pursuit of goals such as these which isn’t just limited to the toll it takes on a climber’s body. To be fair to the game though I have it on good authority that you have some level of influence on how that all plays out in the end. I won’t spoil much but for those who’ve seen the below scene in the game will know which path I took.
Cairn was something I waxed and waned on multiple times throughout my playthrough. It was something that’d been on my radar for a while and I was excited for it, but the game’s slower opening hours coupled with the frustration with the movement system made it slow going initially. But after a while of getting into the flow of it suddenly the game became more about conquering the challenge more than anything else and that’s when it’s mechanics really began to shine. I wish I could say the narrative was more of a highlight but, in the end, it just felt like the selfish tale of a climber who put everything else aside in pursuit of one thing. All this being said though there’s precious few games that manage to build an experience like this so just on that point alone I think it’s worth a look in.
Rating: 8.75/10
Cairn is available on PC and PlayStation 5 right now for $43.95. Game was played on the PC with 11.1 hours of total playtime and 51% of the achievements unlocked.
*This is embodied ratherwell in Taylor Tomlinson’s recent special riffing on the concept of Christianity being “Won’t it be great when we can all be dead with Daddy?” and, well, all the dead mum jokes that followed.
