Overland Reviews

[h1]Short Review:[/h1] – Fun, challenging gameplay – Variation and choices = never the same twice – Silly and poignant – Doggos that can wear hats and backpacks – Beautiful art style – Moody music – Little details, like weather and time of day – Overall just fantastic! [h1]Full Review:[/h1] *My actual playtime is 20+ hours. I played this elsewhere but now have a Steam copy too.* This is one of my all-time favorite games, and the more I played it, the more I found to love! [b]Puzzles/Strategy Gameplay:[/b] This is a post-apocalyptic turn-based strategy/puzzle/survival game. For each “level," you move around a small grid collecting supplies, rescuing people, clearing the road, repairing/filling/equipping your car, etc., but you can only do so much or move so far in one turn, and then the creatures get their turn to try and kill you. And the further you get, the harder it gets. There are no instructions, but the more you play, the more you start to understand, like how each creature moves, what items do, etc. Or you can find a guide. Though part of the fun was not knowing all the tricks and having it really be a struggle the first time I played. Every level is the same type of challenge, but it’s a fun challenge! And the game manages to stay engaging and addictive. It’s a game that will never be exactly the same twice because the element of making decisions about supplies and passengers, the randomized maps, the many locations to choose from, the changing time of day, the randomized strengths of different characters, and the different ways to play creates variability. Achievements also provide great ideas for different challenges or things to try. There’s even a small bit of lore to uncover, and you won't find it all in one run. So there’s a lot of replay value. Difficulty is very customizable. (It was only hard mode on release, but options were added later. I recommend hard to start if you do want some challenge. Like I said, the struggle was fun in my first run.) There's normal, hard, and expert mode, plus further options for each. Most allow you to restart levels if you mess up. There's also tourist mode, if you just want to see stuff stress-free without fighting creatures. You can also make your own adjustments. If it’s too easy, try playing with a smaller group, or go for some achievements that make the game harder, like completing the game without killing anything, or playing in a timed mode. If it’s too hard, check out some guides and tips. The game auto saves, which means you can’t save, try out a location, then go back and try out a different location. If you make a bad map choice, you’re out of luck. If you just want to see other locations, you have to play again. Part of me finds that frustrating, but part of me appreciates it. It adds a lot of risk, gravity, and tension to the decisions you make about where to go. It makes the game feel more real and dangerous, which is fitting for the post-apoc theme. [b]Characters & Story:[/b] It does not have an actual story or characters, but every playthrough becomes a story, and it sort of has however much depth you give it. Sometimes you have to make hard decisions. Are you willing to steal to get what you need to survive? How about to murder? Are you willing to leave someone behind, or purposely sacrifice them, if it means getting the rest of your group out alive? What do you do if you come across multiple survivors who need rescuing, but you only have space for one in your car? I also love reading the two-sentence mini bios for characters. (I call them characters, they’re just randomized people you move around the grid.) I can’t tell you how times I’ve started a new game, quit, new game, etc. just to see more bios. Sometimes they’re silly. Sometimes they’re poignant. That’s kind of how the whole game is. Silly yet poignant. It makes you laugh but also makes you think. Sometimes it makes you sad. I came across one character who was looking for her kid. One who had been living in his car. Some miss things from their old life. Some like the way things are now. There’s even diversity! None of it has any effect, but I still dig it. I’ve come across disabilities mentioned in bios (prosthetic leg, asthma, losing sight in one eye). Characters have mentioned partners of the same gender. There are POC and elderly characters (that last one is a bit of an assumption since I’m pretty much basing it on white hair). For a game that’s not character-based, the devs managed to make me care about these little people a heck of a lot. The ending was fitting and very in-keeping with the silly yet poignant vibe. It made me feel things, and I wasn’t expecting it to. I loved that the developers gave players a quiet moment to reflect like that. Also, there are dogs! And they have the cutest names! And you can pet them! And bring them with you! And they can wear backpacks and hats! (There's even an all dogs mode, and yes the dogs can drive.) In my first playthrough, I used one of mine to steal supplies from traders for me since he could move farther in one turn and I could keep the car running for our quick getaway, and it always gave me a good laugh to frantically shout-whisper, “Get in the car, Prinkles!” at my computer as though it were happening in real time and I were really there. It also cracks me up that when you “inspect” items as a dog, they’re described from the dog’s POV. It’s useless when you actually want to know what an item does, but funny enough that I wasn’t even mad. And I love it when they carry knives around in their mouths. Warning, dogs can get killed, but just keep them safe and you’re good! There's also a bit of lore and interesting weirdness to uncover if you hit up the landmarks and scenic overlooks, which you need in-game maps (found on the ground, already equipped, or at trading posts) to get to. [b]Everything Else:[/b] The graphics are interesting and beautiful, both the gameplay grids and the little cut scenes. I also appreciate the attention to detail, like how the characters wrap their arms around their bodies and shiver when standing around in the cold settings. How the time of day shifts with each stop. How there’s weather, like snow and rain. The music is great, sometimes tense, sometimes eerie, and really adds to the mood of the game. The radio plays music too, and especially when you use it at a rest stop, it is such a vibe. I don’t know how long my first run took me because I didn’t get this on a platform that keeps track, but it had to be at least ten hours. And I’ve played for many more since then. I initially got it in a bundle but have now paid $6.99 on sale on Steam. (It deserves full price, but I have limited money.) There is just so much interesting stuff in this game, with the opportunity to choose how you want to play and what kind of people you want your team to be. Overland combines humor, poignancy, and fun, challenging gameplay in the perfect way, not to mention the beautiful graphics, moody music, and attention to detail. This is going down as one of my favorite games, and I absolutely recommend it! *Review can also be found on my blog (link in profile).* [h1]Accessibility:[/h1] (May not include everything) – No blind / screen reader accessibility features. – UI scale adjustment – Mouse required, keyboard not required, don't know about controller – Keyboard shortcuts not changeable – Difficulty options, including “tourist mode” in which you can just visit locations without danger