The climbing genre is one dominated by struggle: the pressure as you fling yourself from one hold to another, the pervasive call of the ever-expanding abyss below, the flash of dread as a hand slips and the following frustration as the safety line snaps taut (provided, of course, you've been offered the grace of one in the first place). If it's not the physical stress of playing, then it's a narrative-driven battle of the mind; the mountain itself almost always some form of indomitable psychological proxy.

Valley Peaks, on the other hand, blissfully unbothered, is far too busy blasting anthropomorphic frogs at mach something with literal packed explosives to concern itself with precedent, flippers landing with a satisfying yet altogether harmless thud should the launch miss its mark. It's a climbing experience fancifully favouring time-warping wristwatches and jetpacks over the traditional ropes, crampons and chalk, gleefully substituting ledges, crimps, and slopers for minecarts zipping all along the cliff face and alternating 'traffic light' holds only grabbable when lit up in green, all the while keen to sweep most conventional physics neatly under the rug.

It's a wonderfully casual and lighthearted approach, so much so that you'd be forgiven for presuming that the valley's mounts aren't so much climbs as they are a colourful collection of vertical walking sims. However, while liberal use of your assorted mountaineering gadgets is more than capable of utterly dismantling and trivialising most summits, those who'd rather go it solo are in for a sizable selection of brief but genuinely formidable ascents, defined by consistently considered, varied, and distinct routing.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3315163559


Climbing is undoubtedly the centrepiece of developer Tub Club's debut title, though it's far from all you'll spend your time doing. Fittingly, the Valley floor is just as vital as the tallest Peaks, home to a jam-packed miniature open world loaded with quick quests, amusing minigames, and just about every kind of collectable you could possibly think of.

Whether it be the speed-climbing wall with all of about fifteen holds or the various lost items and odd jobs usually resolving themselves barely a hundred paces from where they began, there's really nothing here that'll take anyone longer than a minute to do, but neither are they activities you'd want to spend any longer doing. It's a carnival of low-stakes and fleeting pleasures, whisking you from one delightful little distraction to the next, and the perfect place to cool off between the valley's toughest climbs.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3312197379

Your purpose in the valley is somewhat less whimsical but no less compelling: you're here on business, tasked with establishing a radio network atop each of Valley Peaks' eleven mountains for the supposed benefit of the populace below—a job taken not only for a brief respite from city life, but also a chance to follow in the footsteps of your long-missing father, scouring for answers as you finish the mission he began years prior. Of course, its delivery is far less gritty than I'm perhaps making it out to be; however, from the collectable polaroids gradually and non-linearly piecing together both his past and the suspicious corporate moves surrounding his disappearance to the whispers of his legacy among those who knew of him, this underlying mystery is ubiquitous in the valley and honestly far more engrossing than it has any right to be.


It's the little things that define Valley Peaks: the catchy, upbeat soundtrack filling every moment, the silly humour in every interaction, the little mountainside plateaus catching many of the more vicious falls—heck, even the way you can quickly tidy people's laundry for a tiny reward just works in a way that can't be entirely expressed with words. Valley Peaks is a vibe, a wholly cohesive and brilliantly executed vision, and a title I can recommend without a second thought.

Follow our Curator page, Summit Reviews, to see more high quality reviews regularly.

A key was provided to Summit for this review.

[h1]The Freedom and Joy of the Climb[/h1] The climbing genre is one dominated by struggle: the pressure as you fling yourself from one hold to another, the pervasive call of the ever-expanding abyss below, the flash of dread as a hand slips and the following frustration as the safety line snaps taut (provided, of course, you've been offered the grace of one in the first place). If it's not the physical stress of playing, then it's a narrative-driven battle of the mind; the mountain itself almost always some form of indomitable psychological proxy. Valley Peaks, on the other hand, blissfully unbothered, is far too busy blasting anthropomorphic frogs at mach something with literal packed explosives to concern itself with precedent, flippers landing with a satisfying yet altogether harmless thud should the launch miss its mark. It's a climbing experience fancifully favouring time-warping wristwatches and jetpacks over the traditional ropes, crampons and chalk, gleefully substituting ledges, crimps, and slopers for minecarts zipping all along the cliff face and alternating 'traffic light' holds only grabbable when lit up in green, all the while keen to sweep most conventional physics neatly under the rug. It's a wonderfully casual and lighthearted approach, so much so that you'd be forgiven for presuming that the valley's mounts aren't so much climbs as they are a colourful collection of vertical walking sims. However, while liberal use of your assorted mountaineering gadgets is more than capable of utterly dismantling and trivialising most summits, those who'd rather go it solo are in for a sizable selection of brief but genuinely formidable ascents, defined by consistently considered, varied, and distinct routing. https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3315163559 [h3]As Above, So Below[/h3] Climbing is undoubtedly the centrepiece of developer Tub Club's debut title, though it's far from all you'll spend your time doing. Fittingly, the Valley floor is just as vital as the tallest Peaks, home to a jam-packed miniature open world loaded with quick quests, amusing minigames, and just about every kind of collectable you could possibly think of. Whether it be the speed-climbing wall with all of about fifteen holds or the various lost items and odd jobs usually resolving themselves barely a hundred paces from where they began, there's really nothing here that'll take anyone longer than a minute to do, but neither are they activities you'd want to spend any longer doing. It's a carnival of low-stakes and fleeting pleasures, whisking you from one delightful little distraction to the next, and the perfect place to cool off between the valley's toughest climbs. https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3312197379 Your purpose in the valley is somewhat less whimsical but no less compelling: you're here on business, tasked with establishing a radio network atop each of Valley Peaks' eleven mountains for the supposed benefit of the populace below—a job taken not only for a brief respite from city life, but also a chance to follow in the footsteps of your long-missing father, scouring for answers as you finish the mission he began years prior. Of course, its delivery is far less gritty than I'm perhaps making it out to be; however, from the collectable polaroids gradually and non-linearly piecing together both his past and the suspicious corporate moves surrounding his disappearance to the whispers of his legacy among those who knew of him, this underlying mystery is ubiquitous in the valley and honestly far more engrossing than it has any right to be. [h3]Final Thoughts[/h3] It's the little things that define Valley Peaks: the catchy, upbeat soundtrack filling every moment, the silly humour in every interaction, the little mountainside plateaus catching many of the more vicious falls—heck, even the way you can quickly tidy people's laundry for a tiny reward just [i]works[/i] in a way that can't be entirely expressed with words. Valley Peaks is a vibe, a wholly cohesive and brilliantly executed vision, and a title I can recommend without a second thought. [quote]Follow our Curator page, [url=https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/curator/41449676/]Summit Reviews[/url], to see more high quality reviews regularly.[/quote] [quote]A key was provided to Summit for this review.[/quote]