Harold Halibut

"Though plaudits will be rightly levelled at its appearance, Harold Halibut is equally as impressive when it comes to its narrative, world-building, and how both are realised. Despite being relatively light in gameplay terms, the game packs a punch where …"

"Harold Halibut looks great, like one of Aardman&s;s finest, only as a video game. Unfortunately, it&s;s the game part that underwhelms, offering a distinctly tedious narrative adventure that is a chore to play."

"Harold Halibut overstays its welcome like a free diver that descends too far. Its painfully boring gameplay consists of walking back and forth as the story unhurriedly transpires. Still, the oddball characters and sublime stop-motion aesthetics may hook a few …"

"Harold Halibut&s;s narrative, setting and visuals are so wonderful and creative from a sci-fi perspective, it&s;s an enormous shame it&s;s housed within such a one-note and heartbreakingly boring video game."

"Harold Halibut feels like a warm batch of cookies that grandma made on a nice, Sunday afternoon. There&s;s a labor of love that radiates within that made my 10+ hour playthrough more enjoyable than it should&s;ve been. Adventure games have …"

"A visually arresting, warm-hearted tale of a gofer searching for his purpose, Harold Halibut flounders amongst endless fetch-quests and waffle."

"There are some great moments in Harold of Halibut, even if it takes a while to get going, and the art style is stunning in every way."

"Transcending the line between video game and interactive art piece, Harold Halibut explores the meaning of home on an isolated alien water world. While some pacing issues exist within the larger story, the handcrafted visuals that consistently charm alongside an …"

"Harold Halibut is a heartfelt and handcrafted tale of human existence, delivering charming, profound, and deeply funny writing guaranteed to put a smile on your face. What Slow Bros has managed to achieve with its visual style is masterful and, …"

"A VERY special adventure, both in aesthetic and narrative terms. The story starts slowly and with very few explanations, but as the game progresses it becomes more and more interesting and does not disdain to touch important chords. The mechanics …"

"Harold Halibut gives shape to an attractive story led by a protagonist who manages to surprise the player. The magnificent handcrafted art section accompanies this good script, but at times its approach becomes somewhat heavy in terms of gameplay. Here&s;s …"

"With a development that lasted twelve years, it is legitimate to wonder if Harold Halibut is a fully successful operation: what we can tell you is that the work of the German studio has convinced us, thanks to a mature …"

"Though Harold Halibut leaves me with a lot to pick at, it’s a fitting debut for what’s sure to become one of gaming’s most exciting new studios. Like Harold himself, Slow Bros. finds itself pushing gaming’s mundane comfort zone into …"

"Mixing Wallace &a; Gromit with Terry Gilliam, the delightful Harold Halibut has charm and artistry to spare. It&s;s just a shame the gameplay gets in the way of a good thing, and often left me wondering whether this would have …"

"A great artstyle and flashes of brilliance never truly make up for a meandering, risk-averse plot."

"Harold Halibut is a triumph in its characters and visuals but struggles to stay afloat under its own scope and ambitions."

"Harold Halibut deliberately breaks away from the norms of contemporary gaming, positioning itself as an interactive work of art rather than a conventional adventure. It is a game that demands time, patience, and a contemplative mindset, inviting players into a …"

"2024 has been a year so full of RPGs I can’t begin to imagine ever being able to finish all of them. Coming across Harold Halibut in the middle of so many massive, complicated adventures was a breath of fresh …"

"In the end, I think Harold Halibut ought to be experienced for its amazing technical achievement, if nothing else. While its gameplay doesn’t always engage, its narrative, characters, and themes are coherent in the manner of good speculative fiction. Both …"

"It&s;s a shame that a game as high quality and unique as Harold Halibut is plagued by technical problems and bugs that can make the gameplay really unpleasant at times. It&s;s a rich and deep experience that will grab you …"

"One thing’s for certain: you’ve never played a game like Harold Halibut before. You may have played cinematic narrative adventure titles before, but none offer up such a striking stop-motion style and thought-provoking narrative, especially when paired with a winning …"

"With engaging puzzles in the mix, I truly believe Harold Halibut could have joined the pantheon of great classic-style adventure games. As is, it’s a title that consistently kept me hooked over the course of its 7-to-8-hour story but didn’t …"

"For most of its runtime, Harold Halibut is an exciting and captivating game. You can tell how much the authors loved the videogame medium. There&s;s some minor issues, but nevertheless, if you like adventure games, it&s;s simply a must play."

"Harold Halibut may not be the most innovative game in terms of intervention mechanics in the world, apart from making some slips in the rhythm of the narrative, but it is undeniable that the sum of its powerful story and …"

"Harold Halibut is an interesting adventure that, despite some flaws, shines for its uniqueness."

"Harold Halibut is an adventure game that, although reminiscent of a walking simulator due to its rather skimpy and simplistic gameplay (without any really engaging mechanics), thanks to its unique and distinctive atmosphere and visual style manages to become a …"

"Harold Halibut&s;s handmade world has bags of charm, but its sedentary pace and largely uneventful narrative might not be to everyone&s;s tastes. Great stories stay with you, but, sadly, I&s;m not sure Harold&s;s will."

""The handcrafted, stop-motion look and feel to this world makes every imperfection just another lovely detail""

"Harold Halibut is a bit of a mixed bag; its unique Stop Motion technique makes it a must-see, but its limited gameplay and pacing issues make it feel more like an animated film than a game, though it’s a standout …"

"We really wanted to love Harold Halibut, and there are some redeeming qualities. Its wonderful aesthetic is unique and detailed, it has a great sci-fi hook, and there are some good moments throughout the story. Unfortunately, these aspects depreciate due …"

"It may take place at the bottom of the ocean on a distant alien planet, but Harold Halibut’s story is an entirely human one, both in terms of its carefully handmade environments and its strong emphasis on empathy towards its …"

"Harold Halibut&s;s amazingly hand-crafted stop-motion visuals buckle under the weight of the game&s;s repetitive and shallow gameplay and drawn out runtime."

"A wonderful claymation adventure with an exciting plot that&s;s not supposed to be played if you are in a hurry. It&s;s slow and a bit lengthy, but every minute spent in it is worth it in the end."