HG:
Indie games are often either beautiful, challenging, or innovative. It’s not terribly common to find one deliberately shooting for all three. Highlands is an ambitious project in that respect, with a mind to hit the scene as a well-rounded, satisfying foray into the wide world of turn-based strategy, bringing with it some beautiful visuals and vibrant storytelling. Having started life as a successful Kickstarter, Burrito Studio’s debut darling is clearly a labor of love, and if floating cities are your thing, it’s something you really have to try.
Burrito Studios has brought a degree of simplicity to the SRPG genre, welcoming new players but possibly losing more seasoned players due to the lack of challenge.
Nevertheless, Highlands is a solid game at its core and a wonder to look at.
Conner writes: "Highlands is a story centric RPG set in a fantasy universe high above the earth, on cities floating in the sky, among the clouds. Whilst the general premise bears more than a passing resemblance to Bioshock: Infinite, the main meat of the game, and the story, is much more than what it seems, with a interesting (if slightly generic) storyline backed up by a unique art style and combat engine."
In this review, Alexx Discusses how Highlands blends elements of multiple strategy genres, stating - "Highlands is an interesting concept that combines the resource management and focus on strategy that fans of the Civilization series are familiar with, as well as the permadeath and emphasis on using classes effectively that one might find in a Fire Emblem title or in games like Final Fantasy Tactics."
