Harold Halibut

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 742 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Harold Halibut Game Cover
A gorgeously hand-crafted adventure about escaping mundanity by taking chances.
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In Harold Halibut, you play as a lab assistant on a spaceship that has been submerged in an alien ocean for 250 years. While most of the ship's inhabitants have accepted their life aboard the ship, you help the lead scientist, Jeanne Mareaux, in her quest to find a way to leave the planet and find a new home for humanity. The game features unique stop-motion aesthetics and allows you to explore a diverse and vibrant retro-future world. Join Harold as he navigates the challenges of life on the FEDORA I and uncovers the true meaning of "home."

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 742 reviews
story222 positive mentions
optimization8 negative mentions
  • The stop-motion animation and art style are stunning, creating a unique and visually captivating experience.
  • The storytelling is engaging, with well-developed characters and a charming narrative that explores themes of connection and purpose.
  • The voice acting and music enhance the overall atmosphere, making the game feel immersive and heartfelt.
  • The gameplay is slow-paced and repetitive, primarily consisting of walking from point A to point B with minimal interactivity.
  • Many players found the dialogue lengthy and drawn out, leading to a lack of engagement and interest over time.
  • Some technical issues, such as bugs and performance problems, detracted from the overall experience.
  • story608 mentions

    The story of *Harold Halibut* is a unique blend of humor and emotional depth, centered around a relatable protagonist navigating a quirky, handcrafted world. While the narrative is rich and thought-provoking, some players find the pacing slow and the gameplay lacking, often feeling more like an interactive movie than a traditional game. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its charm and creativity, though opinions vary on its execution and engagement level.

    • “The art, music, and characters come together beautifully to tell a very emotional story.”
    • “Harold Halibut is an extraordinary accomplishment in a lot of ways, presenting a gorgeously-realized handcrafted world and a story swimming with unique sci-fi ideas and affecting emotional beats.”
    • “The story highlights the 'human experience' in a relevant, relatable, and non-pretentious way while still managing to add a few twists here and there.”
    • “The story is a slog though.”
    • “The dialogue is boring, the gameplay is boring, and the story is boring.”
    • “The story is not captivating.”
  • graphics259 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning claymation art style and meticulous attention to detail, creating a visually immersive experience reminiscent of stop-motion animation. Many reviewers highlighted the beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, which enhance the storytelling, although some noted that the gameplay can feel repetitive and slow-paced. Overall, the game's unique aesthetic is a major draw, appealing particularly to those who appreciate artistic visuals and narrative depth.

    • “The visuals are beautiful, the music well chosen, the characters are well drawn and you are encouraged to care about them.”
    • “Graphically, the game is a feast for the eyes.”
    • “The art style, crafted entirely in claymation, is nothing short of stunning.”
    • “Completely unplayable unless you have a dedicated graphics card.”
    • “Even the visuals leave a lot to be desired.”
    • “The graphics and tech level was pretty clunky polygonal but really failed at the cartoony style everything was in.”
  • gameplay211 mentions

    The gameplay of "Harold Halibut" is primarily characterized as a slow-paced walking simulator with minimal interactive elements, often involving repetitive fetch quests and dialogue exchanges. While some players appreciate the narrative and artistic aspects, many criticize the lack of engaging mechanics and the monotony of traversing limited environments. Overall, the game is more of an interactive story experience than a traditional game, appealing mainly to those who prioritize narrative over gameplay complexity.

    • “Amazing quality and gameplay!”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it's a nice mix of exploring, solving puzzles, and chatting with folks.”
    • “The gameplay, although a bit barren, was also rather fun, and again fits that 'unique genre' defining game that this is.”
    • “The gameplay is so unfortunate.”
    • “There is no engaging gameplay at all, and after a while you just wonder why this was made into a video game in the first place.”
    • “The gameplay loop mostly consists of fetch quests with a little bit of puzzle sprinkled on top of it.”
  • music134 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and atmospheric quality, effectively complementing the stunning visuals and storytelling. Many reviewers highlighted the soundtrack's ability to enhance the overall experience, with specific praise for its serene and immersive qualities. However, some players noted a lack of variety in the music, which could detract from the pacing of the game for certain audiences.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals beautifully, enhancing the overall atmosphere and drawing you deeper into the story.”
    • “The art, music, and characters come together beautifully to tell a very emotional story.”
    • “Gorgeous soundtrack, absolutely cannot wait to own this one way or another (please god do a vinyl release, I'll give you all my money) but it comes in the strongest during its most 'artsy' moments.”
    • “There's a severe lack of music and sound effects that makes this very, very slow-paced game even more grueling.”
    • “I only recall one in-game music track, and it was a whistling tune that sounded like I was in a western about to go to a showdown; it was very confusing.”
    • “The music is fine with a bit of a nod to Philip Glass, though it still feels like a half-effort in comparison to the visuals for me.”
  • emotional82 mentions

    "Harold Halibut" is widely praised for its emotional narrative, combining beautiful art, music, and character development to create a heartfelt experience that resonates deeply with players. Many reviewers noted that the game evokes a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, particularly through its exploration of self-discovery and social connections. While some found the pacing slow and gameplay limited, those who engaged with the story were rewarded with profound and thought-provoking moments that left a lasting impact.

    • “The art, music, and characters come together beautifully to tell a very emotional story.”
    • “I just finished the game and it's such a beautiful story, I cried like a baby.”
    • “The back half of this game is so full of beautiful, emotionally impacting and surreally affecting moments it has become an instant classic for me.”
    • “My game crashed after 2 1/2 hours of boring story, boring dialogue, and boring gameplay.”
  • humor52 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of situational comedy, dry wit, and charming character interactions, often with a cynical edge. While many players appreciate the clever dialogue and expressive characters, some feel that the humor can be hit-or-miss, with moments of unintentional fun and a desire for more consistent comedic delivery. Overall, the game balances heartfelt storytelling with a quirky sense of humor, appealing to those who enjoy a narrative-driven experience with a touch of whimsy.

    • “The storytelling is well done, and the characters have a specific sense of humor that makes every twist pretty funny to witness.”
    • “The interplay of the characters was consistently sweet and funny, all while having a cynical edge regarding bureaucracy's hold over people.”
    • “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.”
    • “The humor is not funny; the subjects and themes attempted are far over a kid's head, yet the atmosphere and dialogue are cartoon-like.”
    • “The humor is not funny; the subjects and themes attempted are far over a kid's head, yet the atmosphere and dialogue are cartoon-like.”
  • atmosphere34 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive soundtrack, and unique art style, which collectively enhance the storytelling experience. Reviewers note that the attention to detail in the graphics and sound creates a captivating environment that draws players in, even if the gameplay itself may not be as engaging. Overall, the atmosphere is described as immaculate and a key reason to play the game, overshadowing other aspects like puzzles or humor.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals beautifully, enhancing the overall atmosphere and drawing you deeper into the story.”
    • “You can tell there was love and care put into this game because the artwork, soundtrack, and overall atmosphere were phenomenal.”
    • “Once I had my fill of atmosphere, which did not take long, I came back once more hoping against hope that the game would pick up.”
    • “The humor is not funny, the subjects and themes attempted are far over a kid's head, yet the atmosphere and dialogue are kids' cartoon-like.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game is fantastic, and because of your role as a handyman, the quests make total sense.”
  • optimization30 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly for poor performance on various devices, especially Nvidia graphics cards, leading to stuttering and janky transitions. While some users noted that the visuals are detailed and the voice acting is impressive, the overall gameplay experience is hampered by these performance issues, which may require future patches to improve.

    • “Needs some tweaking for Steam Deck performance, but overall it was a good game.”
    • “The game is not without its issues though, primarily in the realms of design and performance.”
    • “Performance is a more obvious issue: the things on screen may not move quickly, but they are detailed.”
    • “Performance is terrible on a lot of devices (especially NVIDIA).”
    • “The performance (especially if you don't have a controller or a very good PC) is not the best, and this game is pretty much a movie with some optional side storylines, meaning there is very little gameplay/reward for playing.”
    • “It currently suffers from bad stuttering issues, even on high-end hardware.”
  • grinding20 mentions

    The aspect of grinding in this game is widely viewed as tedious and repetitive, with many players noting the slow pace and the nature of tasks, such as fetch quests, as detracting from the overall experience. While some appreciate the relaxing and quirky elements, others find the gameplay frustratingly monotonous, especially given the price point. Overall, the enjoyment of the grinding aspect seems to heavily depend on individual preferences for the game's art style and storytelling.

    • “The gameplay is dreadfully slow and tedious.”
    • “$35 for this is actually kind of insane considering how little there is to do, and what is here is extremely tedious and repetitive.”
    • “In many RPGs, 'fetch quests' feel demeaning and tedious.”
  • character development12 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and quality, with reviewers highlighting the impressive world-building and character design that evoke a nostalgic artistic style. However, some critics note a lack of connections to past plot points, suggesting that while the characters are well-designed, their development may not significantly impact the overall narrative experience. Overall, the game's character development is seen as a strong point, contributing to a rich and immersive environment.

    • “The richness of the environment along with the beautiful soundscapes and character design that is reminiscent of 60's Eastern European animation art houses make this a delight to play.”
    • “The visual style is, of course, its big standout, but it's remarkable in pretty much all other aspects as well - voice acting, writing, story, music, sound design, animation, character design, etc.”
    • “None of it made any connections to past plot points or character development.”
    • “The visual style is, of course, its big standout, but it's remarkable in pretty much all other aspects as well - voice acting; writing; story; music; sound design; animation; character design; etc. it isn't an especially 'gamey' game, and (afaik) your experience won't be much different from the experience of others, so if any of this bothers you then you might want to avoid it, but that's the only warning I'd provide.”
    • “The devs and artists at Slow Bros truly hit the nail on the head with the world building and character development that instantly made me a fan of the studio.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent clipping, animation glitches, and dialogue interruptions, leading to a frustrating experience that often requires reloading. Overall, players report that the game remains quite buggy.

    • “Plenty of clipping, weird leg positions, animation glitches, dialogue getting stuck, etc.”
    • “It's still quite buggy, and there were many instances where I had to reload the game.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Users appreciate the inclusion of small TV ads, suggesting that the monetization strategy is unobtrusive and potentially adds to the overall experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

Buy Harold Halibut

Play time

15hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
13-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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