Upstream

Holy cow. What a beautiful little game. I just finished it (quicksave mode, obviously) and I can't get over how well polished and enticing this is for a first release from a studio, First of all, the idea is such a good one. A "Getting Over It" style game focused on the journey upstream at the end of a salmon's life. It's frustrating and difficult gameplay, but I didn't find that it induced the same rage level as other games because there's this underlying current (pun intended) of the finality of the salmon's journey. It's difficult because it is supposed to be, if that makes any sense. Sometimes in other rage games, you get the impression that they're making things difficult purely for the sake of being annoying. Upstream feels different, somehow. It feels wholesome in its complexity. I'm honestly surprised no one has thought to combine this genre with this premise. Super well thought out. Additionally, the creativity with this project is so impressive. I've been following along w...

I found the demo for this game during the last Next Fest & have been eagerly awaiting the release since then. This title alone made hours of scrolling through the list of Next Fest games entirely worth it, what a hidden gem! The fact that Upstream is the first game that this studio has released makes it all the more impressive. The music is perfect and never becomes grating to listen to when playing for long periods of time. The pixel art is absolutely beautiful. The controls feel fantastic are both perfectly simple and yet very unique. The game provides you with a true purpose for completion, as opposed to a hollow end goal of conquering random arbitrary obstacles like most other popular games of it's genre. Unlike most foddian games, the entire narrative is actually very encouraging and doesn't endlessly rejoice in the player's setbacks at their constant expense. As opposed to the narrator being a cause for ragequitting she is generally a catalyst for making you want to give it ...

Everything about this game is entirely amazing. The Artwork, soundtrack, and game play is great. It has a similar concept to getting over it except this game has a more impactful story and meaning behind it. This is one of my top favorite Indie games already!

I fell in love with this game when I saw it recommended as a demo during Steam's Indie NextFest. I feel that is is the most fun way to play a fish in a video game, and I have played a few fish video games. The soundtrack is fantastic, the development team is extremely kind and receptive to comments and concerns, and all of it wrapped up in an educational foidian about a spawning salmon. Triple A titles wish they had this raw aura.

I'm 8 Hours in and have made it only 50% up the stream... It's glorious! The Salmon takes some skill to control and the falls are very punishing. There is mid-air rotational control that's important to master, it allows you to glide and aim your landings, but it also allows you to save some falls. There are many optional items and secret passages to find, some of them are actually shortcuts and I recommend looking for them if you're going up with no checkpoints. There is a quick-save/load-mode which makes the climb to the top trivial. It's a solid game, but it's not for everyone. It's a bit of a niche game, but if you like the idea of climbing a mountain as a salmon, then this is the game for you.

[b]Review:[/b] UPSTREAM is a fantastic well rounded game. from the controls, to the level design, to the art. it is all very intuitive. 5 mins learning the controls and it already feels natural! (aside from the carpal tunnel from spamming the keys like a madman) the narrator has a very captivating story and i felt very engaged playing when i failed or discovered a secret. however the voice it a little monotone so it pulled me back out a bit but that's just me looking for problems. as it stands it is great! also the backgrounds are really beautiful. seriously impressive. music is really great in the later levels too. definitely keep an eye on this studio. really really good stuff. [i]Intuitive Controls - Easy to use.[/i] ☐ Very Difficult (+1) ☐ Difficult (+2) ☐ Moderate (+3) ☑ Easy (+4) ☐ Very Easy (+5) [i]Balanced Gameplay - Fair and equal.[/i] ☐ Poorly Balanced (+1) ☐ Somewhat Balanced (+2) ☐ Moderately Balanced (+3) ☑ Well Balanced (+4) ☐ Perfectly Balanc...

[h1]That which is falling should also be pushed. — [i]Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra[/i][/h1] If your heart still knows how to swim — play this game. It’s not just upstream. It’s upstream into yourself. No words - just the primal urge to swim against fate. I came as a player. I left as a salmon. 10 out of 10, on the tips of my fins. Special thanks for the amazing narrator and unforgettable soundtrack. They gave me the strength and desire to get up after another fall.

She is so stalwart and brave fr. I WILL set a time on this leaderboard if its the last thing I do.

Upstream is technical, challenging platformer where you play as a salmon. You jump and swim using just two inputs, left and right, to wiggle and gain momentum in just the right way to progress. As I write this review, I have not yet beaten the game, but I've seen enough to confidently recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a challenge. Fair warning to anyone out there that gets easily frustrated, you can and will absolutely lose progress when you make mistakes, but as long as you keep trying, you will improve, and you will overcome it. That being said, if that kind of challenge doesn't sound like your thing, there is a quicksave mode which I haven't tried, but sounds like a great option for those who want to enjoy the game in their own way.

The art is satisfying and pleasing to look at, also the different features in each biome/level make it exciting since it provides new gameplay. Very fun!