Dive into this nautic adventure as curiosity will guide you through a space ship wreck on an unknown planet made up of water. When one of the lead scientists still on board tries to unriddle the possibility of a relaunch young Janitor Harold is around to assist her. Join Harold in his clumsy undertakings to stir up the ark-like ship’s stale day-to-day life and find the secrets that lie behind its doors. Underwater atmosphere, self-reflective humor and contemporary adventure mechanics make up the foundation of this game created entirely out of craft supplies.
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The game started interesting visually and with quirky characters, but after a while it started to feel like walking simulation with no interaction, I still respect the devs for the art, as a Turkish I found it quite surprising and hilarious to see a Turkish soap opera show on TV. :)
The artistic value of this one is undeniable. This is one of the most unique games I’ve ever played, and it’s incredible how much work and love the developers put into all the handcrafted assets, with all the characters, props and sets genuinely sculpted and painted. Seriously, they have my deepest respect. But is it fun playing it?
Well… I definitely wouldn’t call this the revival of LucasArts-like adventure games, no matter how much charm it has. It’s more like a really long, interactive stop-motion movie, with only some minimal gameplay elements, like “go there, talk to this person, then come back here”, stuff like that, so expect lots and lots of running around and, of course, even more talking. There aren’t even any puzzles to solve, someone always points you in the right direction. The story is interesting, though, and so are all the eccentric characters the protagonist meets during his journey of self-discovery. Even though there are some really funny moments, I wouldn’t call this a comedy… Let’s go with dramedy, I’d say, with a heavier emphasis on drama.
Harold has quite a lot of psychological issues he has to work through, like how he feels detached from society, his inferiority complex, his recent break-up, and that, in general, he can’t find his place and purpose anywhere. He’s not just physically trapped in a spaceship, but also metaphorically, and thus, a kind of melancholic, bittersweet, sometimes even depressing mood hangs over the plot all the time. The underwater setting and the strange atmosphere reminded me of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, if you’re familiar with it, you can expect something like that with a bit less humour.
Anyway, if you don’t mind that you get hardly any gameplay beyond running around, and watching many, many lengthy cutscenes, give this one a try. As I mentioned, it’s a delight to look at it, no question about that.
Well… I definitely wouldn’t call this the revival of LucasArts-like adventure games, no matter how much charm it has. It’s more like a really long, interactive stop-motion movie, with only some minimal gameplay elements, like “go there, talk to this person, then come back here”, stuff like that, so expect lots and lots of running around and, of course, even more talking. There aren’t even any puzzles to solve, someone always points you in the right direction. The story is interesting, though, and so are all the eccentric characters the protagonist meets during his journey of self-discovery. Even though there are some really funny moments, I wouldn’t call this a comedy… Let’s go with dramedy, I’d say, with a heavier emphasis on drama.
Harold has quite a lot of psychological issues he has to work through, like how he feels detached from society, his inferiority complex, his recent break-up, and that, in general, he can’t find his place and purpose anywhere. He’s not just physically trapped in a spaceship, but also metaphorically, and thus, a kind of melancholic, bittersweet, sometimes even depressing mood hangs over the plot all the time. The underwater setting and the strange atmosphere reminded me of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, if you’re familiar with it, you can expect something like that with a bit less humour.
Anyway, if you don’t mind that you get hardly any gameplay beyond running around, and watching many, many lengthy cutscenes, give this one a try. As I mentioned, it’s a delight to look at it, no question about that.
The intricate world is phenomenal, and the underlying messages of the story resonate with me a lot. But this should have been a 3-4 hour experience and perhaps even a film, not a game. There was too much unnecessary backtracking and random conversations that didn't add much to character development or story. The last hour of the game is by far the best (despite next to no gameplay).
Should Not Have Been A Game.
Il ne suffit pas d'être beau pour être un bon jeu malheureusement...
First and foremost: what a visually stunning game Harold Halibut is. Everything is made out of clay models, from characters to backgrounds and props. The game's worth for its visuals alone.
Another big positive is its story. Not narrative, might I say. I'll get in the "howevers" in a while. Its universe feels fresh and thought of, especially the Flumylyn society, language and customs. Harold Halibut is also very wholesome, cozy, optimistic and soulful - it's refreshing to play a game that doesn't use violence, conflict or attrition as its basis. It's a joy to find out more and get yourself acquainted with each of the many intresting characters you'll encounter. Some people had qualms with the protagonist himself, but I didn't mind - his character arc is pretty consistent and defined. Because, while it might not seem at a first glance, it's a game about people, relationships and their sense of belonging.
However, it pains me to say Harold Halibut suffers heavily from pacing issues. I have no problems with slow games, but it is painfully, glacially slow. It has too much backtracking, too much redundant dialogue, too much downtime... which makes it even more puzzling because the good sections are really good (shout-out to the downright genial "Exchange" segment that looks something straight out of Evangelion), but you have to bear through hours of busywork and walking to get there. It's a 5h game stretched into a 14h body. That's the main reason why my score isn't higher.
Still, some story beats - especially its overarching message - are very beautiful and I surprisingly got emotional by the end. As much as Harold Halibut is a terribly bloated experience, you can't help but feel sad when the adventure eventually ends. It has a lingering charm not everyone will appreciate, but for those who do it's great.
Another big positive is its story. Not narrative, might I say. I'll get in the "howevers" in a while. Its universe feels fresh and thought of, especially the Flumylyn society, language and customs. Harold Halibut is also very wholesome, cozy, optimistic and soulful - it's refreshing to play a game that doesn't use violence, conflict or attrition as its basis. It's a joy to find out more and get yourself acquainted with each of the many intresting characters you'll encounter. Some people had qualms with the protagonist himself, but I didn't mind - his character arc is pretty consistent and defined. Because, while it might not seem at a first glance, it's a game about people, relationships and their sense of belonging.
However, it pains me to say Harold Halibut suffers heavily from pacing issues. I have no problems with slow games, but it is painfully, glacially slow. It has too much backtracking, too much redundant dialogue, too much downtime... which makes it even more puzzling because the good sections are really good (shout-out to the downright genial "Exchange" segment that looks something straight out of Evangelion), but you have to bear through hours of busywork and walking to get there. It's a 5h game stretched into a 14h body. That's the main reason why my score isn't higher.
Still, some story beats - especially its overarching message - are very beautiful and I surprisingly got emotional by the end. As much as Harold Halibut is a terribly bloated experience, you can't help but feel sad when the adventure eventually ends. It has a lingering charm not everyone will appreciate, but for those who do it's great.