Insurmountable is the indie game made by the developer Byte Rockers, a German independent development studio. As one of the studio’s more recent releases, they offer the player an adventure roguelike of survival. The player will be tasked with overcoming huge mountains. So, how does the new 2.0 update to Insurmountable play? Find out in our review of Byte Rockers game, Insurmountable.
Story: Basic but shows promise
With the new 2.0 update, Byte Rockers are now offering players three playable characters. Players can choose between an adventurer, scientist, and journalist, which all have their storylines. In addition, each of these characters will have three different mountains they’ll ascend, which will take the player further along in the character’s storyline.
The storylines of each character are okay, with each having their drive for investigating the mysterious forces on the mountain. With each completion, more of their story unfolds. All of the story pieces are told through about a paragraph of text. The story and characters that come with the update are okay, but if you’re looking to play a story-driven game with a rewarding plot. Maybe look somewhere else for now.
Gameplay: Survival mountain climbing
Insurmountable is simple in its basic gameplay. You will spawn into the mountain range once you choose your character and mountain. Here the landscape is laid out into hexagonal tiles, and with clicking, the character will walk there. Once skills are gained, the player can use the skill bar and the various measurement gauges of health, oxygen, energy, sanity, warmth, and experience.
Here is where the simplicity of Insurmountable ends. The second the player sets out. The Byte Rockers game quickly becomes more complicated. Here the player should be wary of their route, equipment, and status. Things can change rapidly with every step, and with random weather changes and events, the player must be even more prepared.
The gameplay in Insurmountable offers a great challenge that comes with an interesting idea. Have to force the player to plot their routes the best they can and learn to adjust according. But, even then, that may not help.
The normal difficulty offers a reasonably forgiving experience. At points, it can be relaxing, even moving from narrative events, with the only challenge from the death zone. The Death zone is a higher location on the mountain where the player’s oxygen will begin to run low, adding an extra layer of danger. After that, the challenges become even more significant, with higher difficulties forcing players to be more thoughtful about each move.
At the greater difficulties, the play will have to manage every move from dealing with various dangerous terrain, adverse random weather, and randomized world events. In addition, the constant changing of equipment to deal with and the hazardous environment add to managing the character’s basic needs.
With our review of Insurmountable, we can tell you the Byte Rockers game will offer a new challenge with some interesting gameplay ideas. Insurmountable is worth trying with the gameplay alone if you’re looking for something different to play.
Graphics/Audio: Byte Rocker Games offers a solid experience
Insurmountable is graphically not a game that has the fanciest of graphics. However, the mountain ranges offer a fair amount of detail. Weather effects and lighting look great, and there are no problems while playing. The player is provided a camera that allows a wide range of movement and zoom but will get hung up at certain angles.
While Insurmountable doesn’t offer graphics that will win any awards, they are clean and functional and have no visual bugs or problems. As a result, it doesn’t look too bad for a game about climbing a mountain.
The audio is no different, offering a decent experience. Again, you’ll find nothing fancy here, but the sound quality is good and does what they meant. Similarly, delivering what you’d find in the majority of many games.
Conclusion: An enjoyable indie mountain climbing game
The Byte Rocker game Insurmountable, while it feels basic in many ways, offers a new kind of game for players to try. Tasking the player with a face-off against nature as they make their ascent. With changing mountains, routes, and choices, the player is given hours of replayability.
With update 2.0, the developers at Byte Rocker Games are adding a story to their game. While it is basic, it may be a sign of more to come for Insurmountable and the independent studio. Even then, The fascinating gameplay of Insurmountable certainly makes it worth a try for players.
Lastly, after reading our review, if you are interested in picking up the indie game Insurmountable from Byte Rockers Games can find it available on Steam for $19.99. Additionally, information about the developer Byte Rockers Games can be found on their development page.
