Game Bakers' Cairn demands limb-by-limb climbing, Kotaku says

Kotaku’s reviewer says Game Bakers’ new game Cairn is frustrating to play because its climbing requires controlling all four of protagonist Aava’s limbs independently, turning every ascent into a painstakingly deliberate task. Unlike many games where an analog stick guides parkour and the character autonomously accounts for gaps between holds, Cairn asks players to move each hand and foot on their own.

The reviewer, a fan of the studio’s previous title Haven, found this dense, cumbersome climbing often led to repeated restarts. Climbing in Cairn alternates between stretches of smooth momentum and sudden roadblocks where you have limited time to reposition limbs before Aava’s legs give out.

The control scheme can be awkward, requiring frequent swapping between limbs while a behind-the-shoulder camera and contorted body poses sometimes make it hard to tell which limb you’re moving. The reviewer adds that movement feels clunky even on flat ground because of Aava’s gear, so traversing requires the same measured attention as scaling a cliff.

While the game’s attempt to recreate a full-body climbing workout is admirable, Kotaku says the translation from real movement to controller falls short and rewards a level of patience the reviewer doesn’t have.

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