Lost in the Wilds: Why Herdling’s Emotional Trek is a Little Too Easy

In the quiet, contemplative genre of games where the journey is the destination, Okomotive has long been a master. The studio’s previous games, the FAR duology, were masterful experiences about emotional connection to a machine. Their latest offering, Herdling, attempts a similar feat but with living creatures. In this new game, you take on the role of a young traveler guiding a herd of “Calicorns,” a group of fluffy, yak-like beasts, through a stunningly rendered, post-apocalyptic landscape. The game is a beautiful, wordless trek through magical alps that, in many ways, succeeds in its emotional ambitions. However, for all its charm and heartfelt moments, the gameplay is often a little too easy, which can diminish the sense of peril that is crucial to the game’s emotional core.

The core gameplay loop of Herdling is simple: you move your character around, and your herd of Calicorns follows you, their movements governed by a subtle and elegant system of indirect control. As you move toward your herd, they move away from you, and by using your character’s position, you can subtly guide them in the right direction. It’s a system that takes some getting used to but quickly becomes intuitive. This simplicity is intentional, as the game’s focus is squarely on the experience rather than on complex mechanics. Much like Journey and other titles in the “walking simulator” genre, the game’s story is told through environmental storytelling, with the world’s bleakness and the stunning beauty of the alps serving as a backdrop for your journey. The game’s stunning visuals and a beautiful, often melancholic, score by composer Joel Schoch do the heavy lifting, immersing you in a world that is both desolate and deeply captivating.

A Lack of Challenge

While the emotional and artistic elements of Herdling are top-notch, the same cannot be said for its difficulty. The game presents a variety of challenges, from narrow bridges and icy slopes to monstrous bird-like predators that will attempt to snatch your Calicorns. However, none of these challenges feel particularly, well, challenging. The stealth sections, where you must guide your herd past the nests of these predators, are forgiving to a comical degree. Even when a predator is alerted, you can often save your herd with a quick use of the “stampede” ability, a fast dash that allows you to bypass obstacles and outrun danger.

The game’s most poignant moments are meant to come from the loss of a Calicorn, a devastating event that is meant to leave a lasting impact. But with how easy it is to avoid a threat, these moments are few and far between. The game’s puzzles, which often involve pulling a lever or moving an object to clear a path, are also incredibly simple, offering very little in the way of a mental workout. While a game doesn’t need to be difficult to be good, the lack of a real challenge can make the journey feel more like a leisurely walk than a truly harrowing and arduous trek. The sense of responsibility for your herd, which is the core of the game’s emotional narrative, is weakened when the threats to their survival are so easily overcome.

A Short But Sweet Journey

Despite its flaws, Herdling is still a worthwhile and beautiful experience. The relationship you form with your herd is surprisingly strong, and the moments where you get to rest with your Calicorns at a campfire or play a short mini-game are genuinely heartwarming. It’s a game that is a perfect fit for a rainy afternoon, with a short runtime of around three to four hours that is a fitting length for its scope. But for those who are looking for a game that will test their skills and challenge them, Herdling might be a disappointing experience. It’s a game that is all about the emotional journey, but it never fully commits to the adversity that would make that journey truly memorable. While it may not reach the heights of its predecessors, it is still a charming and evocative adventure that is a joy to experience, even if you never break a sweat.