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Over the Hill
Landy-ing soon
I really ought to take this particular trail with greater caution. The one that runs hazardously beside a lake, dipping and growing muddier precisely at the point where it's all too easy to slip into the water if you're not paying close enough attention. The one that appears to be the only feasible route around a mountain to the final cabin I've yet to explore in this autumn stretch of Canadian wilderness. I really should be more careful, I grumble as my Land Rover sits uselessly tilted on its side beneath the waves, its engine having drowned a good five minutes earlier.
Unlike in Saber Interactive's punishing off-road simulators - such as SnowRunner and its more exploration-focused spin-off Expeditions - getting stuck like this in Over the Hill doesn't feel like being killed by a mischievous haulage demon that's been plotting your downfall since you set off in the wrong vehicle. Instead, it's akin to being killed by a hippie who's suddenly become very angry that you're not living in the present and appreciating the surrounding nature. Less driving game Dark Souls, more driving you towards owning a pair of hiking shorts.
In both scenarios, forging a path through grassy forests, along muddy trails, over narrow river crossings, and up rocky mountain ascents are the challenge. Over the Hill's demo gives you a not-quite-Land Rover Defender and sets you free to explore Emerald Lake, an autumn corner of the broader Canadian wilderness that the full game will feature. There are no major missions directing you to specific locations, or imposing any rules on how you go about moving from point A to point B. Instead, you're free to roam as you wish, with the map offering a nice selection of points of interest to discover as you explore to the kind of relaxing soundtrack that's become a hallmark of Art of Rally and Absolute Drift developers Funselektor's various adventures in chill and/or retro vibes-heavy driving.
As you roam - solo or with a few friends - along bumpy trails or untamed landscapes, you discover cabins that act as respawn points. Emerald Lake has six, serving essentially as regional hubs you travel from and can return to whenever you need to repair your battered jeep. Starting out from them, you tackle tougher terrain to find out what the other POIs have to offer. Some are scenic lookout towers offering a photo mode-worthy view, others are tasks (like pulling another vehicle out of a tight spot), and many are just crates containing cosmetics you can apply to your vehicle next time you visit the merchant's customization shop.
Engaging with each of these activities earns you points to spend on car upgrades, such as a more powerful engine or a larger snorkel to help cross streams. Arguably the most interesting, however, are the challenge trails. These are checkpoint runs through sections of especially rough terrain and can truly live up to their name, especially if you're not quick to notice when you're about to tumble over the edge of a narrow passa-
Thunk. The faux-Landy being of the classic square variety, it's not difficult to end up slumped over on your side, wheels spinning like the flailing arms of an upended tortoise. This is where the winch and jack can come in handy, with both working exactly like their counterparts in Expeditions, right down to the winch mounting point interface being one that Saber sim veterans will instantly recognize. Ping a wire out from your car and try to drag it back upright with the help of a nearby tree, or use the jack to instantly respawn your vehicle back on its wheels. Both are simple and intuitive to use, examples of Over the Hill adopting from its scrappier inspirations in the right places. One difference arises, however, when you get stuck in a way you can't solve via winch or jack, tumbling into a lake and ending up the wrong way up and with a waterlogged engine that no longer runs, for instance.
Playing solo in SnowRunner or Expeditions, this is the point where you'd have the option of warping back to home base and picking one of your other vehicles, to ride out in and try to rescue the stuck one from its predicament. The cavalry's coming to save the pinned-down battalion, except you're at the controls of both. Over the Hill, on the other hand, only seems to offer the option of having your mates save you if you're playing in a group, leaving solo off-roaders to give up and abandon their trek home when their initial ride can't go any further. It can be a bit frustrating, but it helps to add a little more jeopardy to a driving experience that's otherwise not as punishing as Saber's sims.
It's not designed to be, though. While you can opt for manual gear changes if you like, I've been driving around on auto, occasionally switching between high or low gear settings when I need a bit more power to get up hills. There's no fiddling about with locking diffs or grinding through 50 different gear setups so far, which suits Over the Hill's more relaxed style perfectly. It wants you to be able to take in the views without being too worried that one misstep will leave you doomed to hours of futile churning. It wants you to try and spot some wildlife. It wants you to hunt for fallen meteorites using its equippable radar, and have a light rain shower begin to gently drizzle down as you search. It wants you to pitch camp under the stars as you rest up for another day of outdoor roaming.
It's a game I've got a good few hours of solo play under my belt in so far, and its Next Fest demo has left me very convinced it'll be great if you've got a group of fellow off-roaders to roam with - but still a bit unsure if the solo experience will be as consistently engaging over the length of a full game. The wilderness is beautiful, but without that sense of camaraderie when it bites, a bit of slog might start to seep in and dilute the rural relaxation.