Summit Drive Review (PC)

There are a lot of things that I would do to soak up the panoramic goodness of a sun-kissed plateau at the crack of dawn, but booting a camper van up a vertical incline isn’t one of them. In Summit Drive, though, it seems that I have little choice but to bite the bullet and take the risk. I’m an anthropomorphic bird with a thirst for the horizon—an idiotic symbol who would seemingly bend over backwards to catch just the faintest glimpse of an idyllic world in motion. I’m desperate, frustrated, and about to put the pedal to the metal in a final attempt to reap the benefits of my labor. The thing is, I’m not even sure I want to reach the apex. I actively hate this camper van, and I’m pretty sure it hates me.

There is a spiritual message hidden between the crags and crevices of Summit Drive’s antagonistic nature, but it seems that I’m far too stubborn to sit and peel back the layers and figure out what that meaning is. It’s a game about pain and torment—the highs and lows of an uphill climb and the feats one would travel to capitalize on their weaknesses. In other words, it’s a game about climbing a hill in a camper van.

Here’s the catch: the camper van doesn’t like you. It isn’t that it’s difficult to drive; in fact, it’s as “easy” as using one button to steer and drive, and the other to shift gears and operate the brakes. And if you think that sounds like a walk in the park — it isn’t. Think Getting Over It or RV There Yet? and you’ll have a rough idea of what we’re getting at here. That, in short, is Summit Drive: an annoyingly catchy tall order that relishes your failures. You’ll love it, and you’ll probably come to regret ever touching it. But, that’s a small price to pay for a stunning view, right? Eh — right.

The Power of the Horses

There’s a stupidly simple idea here that, frankly, doesn’t require much effort to thread together. There’s an ambitious bird, a shoddy camper van, and a steep mountain that’s chock-full of random objects and inconvenient curveballs. The idea, really, is that you take said camper van, and shove it up the mountain in any manner you deem appropriate. There isn’t much of a point to any of this, but it’s best not to dwell on it.

As I said, the mechanics are pretty straightforward here. On the one hand, you have a button that steers and handles the tactical maneuvers, and on the other hand, you have gears and brakes. To think, with just the two prompts to stow beneath your belt, there isn’t all that much for you to fret about. But that’s just it. See, while the mechanics aren’t all that demanding, the terrain and the layout of the mountain are made to keep you on your toes and essentially battling for your life. A bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

What entails over a relatively short journey from the pit of a mountain to the pinnacle is a brash display of ridiculous theatrics and unpleasant speed bumps, ungodly amounts of rocks and a bouquet of sinkholes that stand only to mock you as you gradually shovel and tumble through to the apex. It’s silly, irritating, and weirdly, a lot of fun to work through. Well, sort of.

Soaking Up the Sights

In an attempt to kick you whilst you’re down, Summit Drive has this awful habit of spoon feeding you an annoyingly giddy soundtrack and a minimalist look to keep you “immersed” and emotionally stable. It doesn’t always do the trick, but I’ll give credit where it’s due and say that its basic audiovisual elements are complimentary to the general aesthetic of the game. And that’s about the only positive thing that I can say about it.

The good news here is that, despite the game being all rather feeble and of a one-track mind, there is a level of replay value to it, with checkpoints, time records, and various incentives to keep you coming back for a second round behind the wheel. It starts out a little frustrating I’ll admit, yet the more you devote your time to the absurdity of the situation, the more you begin to find joy in the simple pleasures of it all. It’s still a short game that doesn’t do much to entice you into playing for the long haul, but it fits the price of admission surprisingly well, all things considered.

Verdict

Summit Drive delivers the exact kind of rage-baiting uphill expedition that I share a love-hate relationship with, much like Bennett with Stockholm Syndrome. I find myself somewhere between mixed emotions—in a purgatory of loathing and anger, joy and sadness. On the one hand, I’m loving the idea, as well as the small feats that I frequently clamber over. But on the other hand, I’m growing weary of the constant struggle to inch just that little bit closer towards the ever-allusive apex. It seems that, if I’m not celebrating the brittle victories, then I’m pulling the hair from my scalp over the constant failures. In other words, I simply cannot win.

To state the obvious, Summit Drive falls into a rather niche category—a field that usually appeals to fans of back-breaking labor or satirical content, tongue-in-cheek jabs or, more specifically, games that take joy in your frequent downfalls. It’s a game that you might just find yourself enjoying after several hours of pain or emotional turmoil, but not before. No, never before the pinnacle. If that sounds like your idea of a good time, then you’ll probably love giving these ol’ wheels a good booting for a short while. However, if you’re expecting the be all, end all of road trip excursions, then to be honest, you might want to give this summit a wide, wide berth. You can thank me later.