Instead of ending with a crash, the world ended with a splash. The civilization was submerged as the seas rose gradually and then abruptly. The wealthy and well-off survived the storm in fortified communities, while the impoverished were left to fend (largely) for themselves in the manner of Elysium. Soon, it was evident that the devastated ecology was becoming worse, which led the wealthy to consider taking a one-way journey to Mars. A group of daring proles chose to board the large rocket without boarding cards, instead of turning to the Left Behind literature for comfort.

A post-apocalyptic tactical narrative adventure with a unique southeast European feel, Highwater has a laid-back attitude. A vast body of water that flooded the Balkans is home to young Nikos and his motley crew of pals and acquaintances. The local rebellion and the advanced Alphaville troops encircle the gang, making it difficult for them to survive. The neighbors are agitated, the food is gone, and the water tastes bad. The only route out of there is via Alphaville to Mars, but the journey to forbidden Rocket City won't be easy.

A journey across the Balkan regions

In Highwater, your time will be divided nearly equally between areas of land and bodies of water. Every time you steer Argo, your reliable rubber boat, between the ruins of the old world, you'll be reminded of how great reinforced concrete is and how fragile nature is. The forms of well-known buildings from former Yugoslavian areas and towns will be recognizable to those who are acquainted with the southern Balkans. Seeing well-known "spomeniks" and the ruins of brutalist buildings from modern-day Belgrade is a profoundly depressing experience.

Anticipate conversation, minor exploration, and tactical fighting while on land. Even without any voice acting outside of the radio show, the conversations are brimming with genuine connection. Your survivor group is made up of resilient individuals with a characteristic Southern demeanor and inventiveness. The antagonists are mostly motivated by circumstances rather than being evil. Highwater makes it clear from the outset that most people will have to remain behind and hope for the best, since rescue them all is not feasible. Not everyone will have a happy ending, even if that is your goal.

Uncomplicated and full of jokes

Highwater's "narrative adventure" is mostly linear, with a few minor NPC-related branching points that don't change the game's conclusion. Through the use of fetch quests, the game will introduce you to everyone early on. The typical dystopian gap between a chosen few and unwashed millions will eventually become familiar to you, but the game never resorts to preaching, which is a compliment to the developers. Highwater employs parody rather than confronting radical progressivism head-on. The finest instances of that strategy, apart from the conversation, may be found in books, newspapers, and other like tidbits of buried knowledge that are just waiting to be uncovered. Some of these excerpts are spot-on, from the somewhat cringeworthy competition between Muskovic and Bozo over rockets to the lighthearted mockery of Francis Fukuyama's "end of history" theory.

In addition to moving quickly between plot nodes, exploring the area to get more gear and information is worthwhile. The group members' equipment, some of which having the ability to change the course of the game, is advantageous to the "tactical" portion of Highwater. This game has a lot of battling, yet the plot is never compromised by the feather-light difficulty. In Highwater, violence is not an impediment that necessitates arduous trial and error but rather a stabilizing force inside the story. It serves as a reminder that self-preservation in the real world is never a simple process.

slick in the rain

The real fighting takes place on a rectangular grid and is turn-based. The idea is really simple: you just move, attack, or use skills, and sometimes you take use of the environment. For this kind of exploitation, equipment like a fishing rod or harpoon are ideal as you may quickly eliminate the opponents by pulling them off the ledges or into the ocean. Not many characters possess special skills, some more practical than others. For example, Nikos may flash his camera to deny the enemy the opportunity to take the following round. Although it's nice, Josephine's chain-killing Bloodlust is much more impressive. That one is wildly unbalanced, yet it doesn't take away from the experience since the fighting is only a plot device.

There isn't much diversity in the varieties of enemies. Most of the time, you'll combat humans with the help of certain robots in the Alphaville area. There aren't any explosives or sophisticated weaponry, although some are melee-focused and others have guns. Near the conclusion, there's a lone boss who is also a pushover, spending much of the fight easily stunned. As everything starts again for the next battle, the harm and deaths sustained during this one are just momentary. There is no leveling or XP accumulation either.

The Burning in the Water

It's not only the fighting that I find too simplistic in Highwater. Though visually striking, the animation approach is straightforward and sometimes careless. Although the game might benefit from extra passes over the graphics and stricter quality assurance, everyone is currently plagued by budgetary restrictions. Thankfully, the experience isn't lessened by this discrepancy.

After completing the main tale, which should take five to six hours, you may go through two little segments of the epilogue that wrap things up. Cliffhangers are detested by Balkans, and Balkan developers are no exception. If you like the tone of this game, you should check out Demagog studio's earlier titles, since the story of Highwater is connected to them.