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Hector: Episode 1

Hector: Episode 1 Game Cover
72%Game Brain Score
humor, story
gameplay, music
72% User Score Based on 108 reviews

Platforms

PCMac OSWindows
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Hector: Episode 1 Game Cover

About

Hector: Episode 1 is a single player casual action adventure game. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Hector: Episode 1 follows the rough-around-the-edges Detective Inspector Hector as he faces a tense hostage crisis in the grim town of Clappers Wreake. Players must decide whether to negotiate with terrorists or risk innocent lives, navigating a darkly humorous and morally twisted narrative. This gritty crime adventure blends violence, corruption, and offbeat humor.

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72%
Audience ScoreBased on 108 reviews
humor68 positive mentions
music3 negative mentions
  • The game features a fantastic hint system that provides multiple tiers of clues, making it easier for players to progress without getting stuck.
  • The humor, while crude, is entertaining for those who enjoy dark and absurd comedy, with many players finding it genuinely funny.
  • The puzzles are generally logical and straightforward, allowing for a smooth gameplay experience without excessive pixel hunting.
  • The humor can be overly crude and juvenile, which may not appeal to all players and can feel forced at times.
  • The main character is unlikable and the voice acting is inconsistent, detracting from the overall experience.
  • Some puzzles are illogical and require unnecessary backtracking, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
  • humor
    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is predominantly crude and often relies on shock value, with many players finding it either hilarious or painfully unfunny. While some appreciate the dark, bawdy jokes and British wit, others criticize the humor as forced, lazy, and lacking in charm, with a heavy reliance on toilet humor and offensive themes. Overall, the reception is mixed, heavily dependent on individual taste, particularly regarding crude and edgy comedy.

    • “It's funny, the setting is unique, it isn't pointlessly obtuse and it doesn't overstay its welcome.”
    • “What follows is a fun, crude, hilarious journey that manages to wrap the events nicely while making an intriguing set-up for the next part.”
    • “The humor is dark, witty, and perverse, and doesn't pull any punches with political correctness.”
    • “Crude and unfunny humor with mediocre, partly unintelligible voice acting and no real charm.”
    • “Painfully terrible and unfunny.”
  • story
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Hector: Badge of Carnage" follows an unlikable British inspector, Hector, as he navigates a comedic and often absurd plot to thwart a terrorist. While the narrative is simple and heavily reliant on humor, particularly toilet jokes, it introduces memorable characters and offers entertaining moments throughout its roughly 10-hour gameplay. Despite some criticisms regarding outdated gameplay mechanics and a lack of depth in the storyline, the writing and humor have garnered a generally positive reception.

    • “For the full price you’ll get 3 episodes each lasting for about 3 hours (more or less), so you’re looking at a 10-hour story.”
    • “The writing and the story are entertaining enough to get my seal of approval.”
    • “While the plot is nothing special, the characters provide hilarious and witty lines as you take the role of Hector, a drunk and sometimes perverted detective who is called to help negotiate a hostage situation.”
    • “The story itself is almost non-existent and this game is just joke after joke.”
    • “The plot is basically a list that you have to complete to progress to the game's cliffhanger ending.”
    • “The plot is fairly simple, taking you from spot to spot and providing small exposition; basically, the kind of story you don't need to pay much attention to.”
  • graphics
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a comic-book art style that complements its comedic tone, making it visually appealing despite not being cutting-edge. While some users noted minor glitches, the overall aesthetic is considered enjoyable and fitting for the game's themes. The graphics effectively balance the crass humor with a lighthearted presentation, enhancing the experience of this old-school graphic adventure.

    • “The art style is comic-book-like and fits perfectly to this game.”
    • “Hard and challenging puzzles, nice graphics and music.”
    • “It's one of their earlier entries in the Telltale adventure game catalog, so the graphics aren't the fanciest but the cartoony style is enjoyable and well-suited for comedy.”
    • “The graphics are not state of the art.”
    • “It's one of their earlier entries in the Telltale adventure game catalog, so the graphics aren't the fanciest.”
    • “The writing doesn't have a lot going for it besides being unusually vulgar and British, and the graphics and music are serviceable.”
  • gameplay
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized as an old-school graphic adventure that, while somewhat outdated compared to modern titles, is bolstered by entertaining writing and humor. Players can expect intuitive mechanics and enjoyable puzzles, though the experience may hinge on personal taste regarding the game's humor. Overall, the episodic format offers around 2-4 hours of gameplay, with a focus on dialogue and comedic elements.

    • “Mechanically, it's an old-school graphic adventure, and it's a good one at that.”
    • “The developer straandlooper masterfully leads the episode to its logical conclusion with as much raunchiness and crassness as one could fit into 4 hours of gameplay.”
    • “The devs manage to fuse British humor quite well with adventure gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay may feel a bit outdated, especially when you compare it to modern point-and-click adventure games, but the writing and the story are entertaining enough to get my seal of approval (for whatever that’s worth).”
    • “Couldn't make it past half an hour of gameplay.”
    • “The writing is really good in general, and the puzzles are fun, but don't expect anything out of the ordinary gameplay-wise.”
  • music
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally described as serviceable, with a simple soundtrack that adapts to different scenes, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users note that the background music tracks are relatively short, leading to frequent repetition. Overall, while the music contributes positively, it may lack variety over extended play.

    • “Hard and challenging puzzles, nice graphics and music.”
    • “The writing doesn't have a lot going for it besides being unusually vulgar and British, and the graphics and music are serviceable.”
    • “The soundtrack is simple and changes tunes to support the scene according to the situation, while good-quality sound effects add an additional layer to the world of the game.”
    • “The background music tracks are kind of short, which makes them repeat a little bit too often.”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent freezes, crashes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. Users report issues such as getting stuck on scenes, disappearing mouse cursors, and inconsistent audio quality, making for a frustrating experience overall. While the graphics are appreciated, the technical problems significantly detract from the enjoyment.

    • “I bought this game years ago and it freezes; you can't play at all.”
    • “You get stuck on a scene and it keeps freezing.”
    • “Also, it's a bit buggy compared to the later games, and it crashed on me a couple of times. Once, the mouse cursor disappeared and I had to reset the game.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has limited replayability due to its linear structure and lack of meaningful choices, but its short length and enjoyable puzzles make it easy to revisit.

    • “It's short and, as a result, has easy replayability, and the puzzles are fun to complete.”
    • “However, there is no replayability in this game, and it's not a choices matter type of game.”
    • “Once you complete the game, there’s little incentive to play it again.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices means that replaying the game feels redundant.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is characterized by a blend of charm and despair, with some players finding the protagonist's environment both lovable and evocatively grim.

    • “Maybe you will find him lovable, and maybe you will find the depressing filth he lives in to be charmingly atmospheric.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspect acceptable, though some note that tedious backtracking can slow down the experience, particularly due to the character's slow movement across the screen.

    • “No complaints on my end, other than tedious backtracking which might seem slow since you have to wait for Hector to walk across the screen.”
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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
3-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Hector: Episode 1 is a casual action adventure game.

Hector: Episode 1 is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Hector: Episode 1.

Hector: Episode 1 was developed by Telltale.

Hector: Episode 1 has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its gameplay.

Hector: Episode 1 is a single player game.

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