A Highland Song is 2D platformer published by Inkle Studios (80 Days, Heaven's Vault).
The game is a non-linear Cinematic Platformer in which you play as Moira McKinnon, a teenager who runs away from home to head to her uncle's lighthouse by the sea after receiving a letter from him. In order to reach the sea, however, she must traverse through the treacherous Scotland Highlands and climb mountains, spelunk through caves, and deal with unpredictable weather conditions, amongst other dangers, all while finding out various secrets and folklore related to the highlands along the way.
The game is full of multiple pathways and shortcuts and requires multiple playthroughs to see everything, as the developers say that one trip is not enough.
The game was released on Steam and the Nintendo Switch on December 5, 2023.
This game contains examples of:
- 2½D: The world is multiple 2D layers, in which you can travel between the current mountain/layer and one in the distance. You keep moving to further and further layers until you reach the end.
- Dialogue Tree: Conversations with the game's rare NPCs give you a handful of choices to pick from, often without the ability to go back and make a different choice or ask a different question, hurrying things along.
- Exact Words: In one of his letters, Uncle Hamish says "Yer mam would never forgive me if harm came to ye." He's referring to Moira's real mother, who is revealed to be a selkie.
- Funetik Aksent: Taking place in Scotland, the dialog is written to emphasize a Scottish accent from every speaker. Words like "mebbe," "cannae," and "willnae" are spelled out phonetically.
- Ghibli Hills: The game takes place in the Scotland Highlands, so this is to be expected, with the game being set behind beautiful green valleys filled with mountains, wildlife, and rivers.
- In-Universe Game Clock: Time passes over the course of the game, with different times of day such as "morning," "early evening" and such shown in the corner of the screen. These affect your need for sleep, and there's a time limit of seven days to reach Uncle Hamish in time for Beltane to receive the best ending as well.
- New Game Plus: After you reach the Lighthouse, you can start over with all your maps, all unlocked shortcuts, and much of your inventory. This is especially useful for getting to the Lighthouse in time for Beltane, to get the best ending.
- Platform Game: One of the multiple genres this game fits into. There are elements of jumping from grass, rocks, walls and other things.
- Replay Value: An intent of the developers, as they say the game was meant to be played through repeatedly. Reaching the ending results in a New Game Plus which can make the next trip easier, as you try to find the most efficient path to arriving in time for Beltane.
- The Reveal: If you reach the Lighthouse in time for Beltane, Uncle Hamish reveals that he's Moira's real father and that her mother is a selkie, who welcomes her daughter to join her in the sea.
- Rhythm Game: From time to time, you enter moments where you must jump according to the beat of music.
- The Runaway: Moira is described as having run away from home to seek out her uncle by the sea after receiving a letter from him.
- Story Branching: Due to choices you can make and paths you can take during each playthrough, the playthroughs play out differently and reveal different details.
