Peak review: Yet Another Indie Hit.

 Overview

Peak is another Steam Indie co-op hit that has been dominating the sales charts. A friend convinced me to play it and I quickly racked up hours climbing the peak with friends.

(No plot section)

Gameplay

The gameplay of Peak seems simple at first but the farther you climb the more you realize there is much more to it than that. Inventory management, smart use of important items and much more come into play here. Knowing when to use and when to save an item could mean the difference between life and death. Teamwork is also key in this comedic climber. Knowing when to use key items like rope, chains and food is extremely important.

Solo climb on Shore.

Under the cover Peak is a very deep Survival game. The main feature is climbing, but trying to climb straight up will get you killed almost instantly. Stamina monitoring and just overall planning is just as important.

Inventory management is key to survival.

While playing solo is an option I definitely recommend having at least one friend along for the climb. Peak itself is a very accessible game, with a price of 7.99 USD and being available on Nvidia GeforceNow which is available for mobile and console. But mastering its many systems is difficult. Making it to the Peak is something that takes many hours of practice. Peak's entry point may not require much skill but getting to the late game is no easy task. 

A 2 Player game at Caldera

Keeping track of your stamina is also extremely important. Using healing items at the wrong time could spell your defeat, but too many status effects could also end your run. Peak brilliantly balances all of these aspects to create a surprisingly deep survival adventure.\

The maps in peak are most likely procedurally generated. Making monstrosities like this.

Peak also has a map that refreshes daily. Some are ridiculous (See above) Some are impossible, and some are really easy while others are in the mid range. The maps are divided into 4 biomes. Shore is the basic biome, Tropics is the most frustrating and the poison biome, Alpine is a frozen area with varying difficulty from time to time, and Caldera and the final areas are all full of molten lava. 

A 2 player run at the end of Caldera

Peak also has some fun side goals. These range from uncovering the diary entries of Scoutmaster Myers and taking Bing Bong to the peak. These goals should keep you interested for a long time.

Verdict

At first glance Peak may seem like a simple indie game. But under the cover is a unforgiving survival game that nails the mark and perfectly balances its many systems.

Graphics: 77

Peak's cartoony style may look good, but it's on the simpler side and there are a few graphics issues.

Soundtrack: 79

Peak only has a few tracks that play at certain intervals. But they fit the atmosphere perfectly and add to the tension of later areas.

Gameplay: 92

Peak's perfectly balanced gameplay is an absolute blast with friends.

Overall: 90 🌟

Peak is a perfect game to play with friends. With it's endless replayability, well balanced systems and more. Peak is an excellent Co-op hit.