Hob is an action adventure with a stunning visual style, engrossing world and enjoyable combat. It is a standard bearer for what the genre can achieve at this level.
"Hob" is a single-player, open world fantasy game with a great story, marvelous mechanics, phenomenal graphics, and a wonderful soundtrack. Traverse and transform the mysterious world of Hob, uncovering the planet's mysteries and repairing it through puzzles and upgrades to your mechanical glove-arm. With an unique atmosphere, wholesome story, and a few bugs, Hob offers an immersive and unforgettable experience.
The game features stunning visuals and a unique art style that captivates players.
Exploration and puzzle-solving are rewarding, with a dynamic world that changes as you progress.
The lack of dialogue allows for a more immersive experience, encouraging players to piece together the story themselves.
The fixed camera angles can lead to frustrating platforming and navigation issues.
There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including crashes and soft locks.
The combat system is simplistic and lacks depth, with few enemy types and no significant boss battles.
story
1,429 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
67%
7%
The story of "Hob" is conveyed entirely through environmental storytelling and visual cues, with no dialogue or text, which some players find intriguing while others feel it lacks clarity and depth. Many appreciate the game's ability to create a captivating narrative through exploration and discovery, though the ambiguity can lead to confusion about the plot and character motivations. Overall, while the minimalist approach to storytelling is praised for its artistic merit, it may leave some players wanting a more structured narrative experience.
“It's beautiful how they managed to convey a story this way and it works.”
“The game tells an amazing story with great world building and not a single word needed to be spoken.”
“The story is intriguing and mysterious.”
“The story is told without any dialogue whatsoever.”
“Without any kind of story or comprehensible level design, I felt like I was in a skinner box where I was pushing whatever buttons someone had put in front of me.”
“But the complete lack of a story or any sense of direction really keeps this game from being good.”
graphics
1,220 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
37%
1%
The graphics of *Hob* are widely praised for their stunning art style, vibrant colors, and immersive world design, which many players find reminiscent of classic adventure games. The visuals are described as beautiful and charming, effectively enhancing the gameplay experience, although some users noted occasional graphical glitches and performance issues. Overall, the game's aesthetic is considered a significant highlight, contributing to its appeal as a relaxing exploration and puzzle-solving adventure.
“The graphics are beautiful, the combat is engaging and fun, and the level designs are unique.”
“The art style is beautiful, the environments varied, and the gameplay relaxing.”
“The visuals are absolutely breathtaking as you watch the world transform around you.”
“Also, the game is very un-optimized without any settings to lower the graphic settings etc to at least reduce the lag.”
“The game suffers from some graphical problems where sometimes textures disappear or flicker.”
“For an older game, it didn't run very smoothly, even on the lowest graphic settings.”
gameplay
1,074 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The gameplay of *Hob* is characterized by a blend of exploration, platforming, and puzzle-solving, reminiscent of classic titles like *The Legend of Zelda*. While many players appreciate the beautiful art style and engaging mechanics, they also note issues such as bugs, clunky controls, and a lack of clear guidance on gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience for those who enjoy environmental puzzles and exploration, despite some technical shortcomings.
“The gameplay consists of exploration, platforming, environmental puzzles, and occasional fighting.”
“The amazing gameplay mechanics, fun/intuitive/not-too-hard puzzles, cool aesthetics, great story, and incredible music make it a relaxing escape from reality.”
“The gameplay is centered around exploration and observational puzzles.”
“Mob designs are fine but the game doesn't teach you crucial mechanics to beat some of them, which I found searching online only.”
“The gameplay isn't compelling.”
“It's repetitive, stale due to the lack of enemies [and only one boss at the very end], it has unfair puzzles, some not so great camera angles mixed into its platforming, and some gameplay/graphical bugs.”
music
544 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
48%
3%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its ambient and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall experience. While some find the soundtrack soothing and fitting for the game's visuals, others criticize it for being too minimalistic or unnoticeable during gameplay, leading to a lack of emotional engagement. Overall, the music is often described as pleasant and complementary, but some players feel it could be more pronounced to better support the game's action and storytelling.
“The music is soothing, haunting, and melancholy all at once.”
“The music of this game is absolutely lovely!!!”
“The soundtrack was beautiful to listen to even while playing and the actual gameplay itself was immersive and fun and easy to learn yet still provided a challenge to keep you interested.”
“Most of the time I spent in the game, I hear no such music; it's mostly animal sounds chipping in the forest.”
“There is virtually no story or soundtrack to speak of, either - the game employs no ambient music and has no dialogue, which altogether leaves players with little to emotionally connect with in the game.”
“It really lacks any musical interest, especially during fight scenes or action moments; there's just ambient sounds which makes it feel really uneventful.”
atmosphere
286 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
19%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique and immersive qualities, characterized by stunning visuals, ambient sound design, and a captivating world that encourages exploration. Reviewers highlight the effective use of art and sound to create a serene and enchanting environment, often comparing it to beloved titles like Zelda and ICO. While some note minor gameplay issues, the overall consensus is that the atmospheric experience is a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal.
“The atmosphere is incredibly unique.”
“Hob is a game that practically bleeds atmosphere; it's one of those games that, even though it has many elements that are common in puzzle platformers, it's done in a unique way.”
“The atmosphere is just immersive and makes you want to explore every single part of the free movement map.”
“So, even though I fell in love with its stunning looks and mysterious, fairy-tale atmosphere at first, it really grew stale after a while and I just couldn't bring myself to finish it, because I learned that that would mean hours and hours of more backtracking and revisiting places I had been to a dozen times before again.”
“The fact that there's no speech at all in the game really adds to the overall mysterious atmosphere.”
“Given a more balanced gameplay and mission-tracking or hint system and some kind of discernable back story, Hob could have been a cult classic on PC, because there's not too much like it in terms of atmosphere.”
stability
196 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with character movement, camera angles, and environmental interactions, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some players found the respawn feature helpful in mitigating these problems, many reported that the technical issues significantly detracted from their enjoyment. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, with a mix of minor and game-breaking glitches that can disrupt progress and immersion.
“It's a very enjoyable game; it runs great on Deck. Pick it up during the next sale.”
“Amazing indie game; runs great on ROG Ally.”
“Hob is not completely bug-free, but most issues aren’t game-breaking.”
“The nail in the coffin for Hob was the high number of bugs and glitches that I experienced as I played it.”
“Parts of it are terrible - glitches are a common occurrence and, worse, they're the kinds of glitches that will result in the player distrusting the game going forward.”
“You will experience bugs and glitches that will halt your progress and confuse you.”
optimization
165 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
53%
31%
The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including frame rate drops, stuttering, and crashes, regardless of their hardware specifications. While some users experienced decent performance, particularly on consoles, the lack of adjustable graphic settings and persistent bugs detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game's optimization is considered subpar, leading to frustration for many players.
“The world design, seamless levels, absolutely gigantic areas, the art style, subtle but exact to the point music, beautiful animations, progression system, performance... I can go on forever.”
“But even with some performance hiccups, this is a fantastic game for those that enjoy metroidvanias or 3D platformers.”
“When they fix the performance issues and bugs it will be a very nice game, but even in its current state, very recommended.”
“The game is very unoptimized without any settings to lower the graphic settings, etc., to at least reduce the lag.”
“The engine, the same they always used, is also not handling the game very well. I've had performance issues (from inconsistent frames to horrid performance in parts for a game that is far too visually simple for this to be reasonable) to two full game crashes.”
“The one thing I hate about this game is how bad the optimization is.”
replayability
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding it limited and feeling satisfied after their initial playthrough, while others appreciate the challenge of achievements and collectibles that encourage revisiting the game. Many reviews highlight a lack of variety in replay options, suggesting that while there are some incentives to replay, such as harder difficulties and collectibles, the overall experience may not warrant multiple playthroughs for everyone.
“It's got a lot of replay value with the achievements.”
“Other than that, this is an amazing game with a very high replay value.”
“Lots of replay value and has hard mode and a speed run achievement.”
“I greatly enjoyed this short yet engaging game and felt like wanting to come for more every time, although replayability is limited and I found myself satisfied upon reaching the endings (did not feel like going for the remaining achievements).”
“This game is more for the puzzles and the visuals than anything else and has near zero replayability.”
“We're talking about a game that doesn't offer very much in replayability; you can find all the collectibles or replay the game on a harder difficulty, but there's no variety to it in that sense.”
grinding
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
7%
85%
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and repetitive, particularly in combat and puzzle-solving scenarios. Many find that the need for precision and the slow pace of traversal contribute to a frustrating experience, especially during backtracking and enemy encounters that feel overly drawn out. While some elements of the game are engaging, the overall grind can detract from enjoyment, leading to a sense of monotony over time.
“Hob is a very engaging game, I love the puzzles which are not too easy, not too tedious.”
“The combat is punchy and feels good and the puzzles are not too difficult but aren't tedious, which is a great thing.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“On hard mode, it could become a bit tedious since later enemies are quite spongy - and it isn't very interesting to repeat the same 'recipe' over and over to down a single enemy.”
“Unfortunately, the tedious backtracking choked out all the fun for me in the end.”
emotional
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the touching story conveyed through environmental storytelling and minimalist design, others feel a lack of depth due to the absence of dialogue and a traditional narrative. Many find joy in simple interactions, like petting animals, which enhance their investment in the world, yet some express a desire for more substantial emotional stakes and character backstories. Overall, the game evokes a range of feelings, from happiness and engagement to a longing for deeper emotional connections.
“Amazed by how such a touching story can be told without a single word.”
“I've hugged, patted, nuzzled and belly-rubbed my way through this amazing world and it made me feel so much more invested in it than I might have been otherwise.”
“To be sure, the wordless approach allows for touching moments, as when your golem buddy releases a butterfly while our hero looks on in admiration.”
character development
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
43%
10%
The character development in the game is highly praised for its stunning visual design and animation, which breathe life into the characters and enhance the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the unique and diverse character designs, as well as the emotional depth conveyed through subtle animations and reactions. While the story may not be the main focus, the appealing character aesthetics and immersive world contribute significantly to the game's charm and encourage players to seek a continuation.
“Right away I want to say I adore the visuals of this game - the environments, the character designs (and their animations! All the subtle detail in reactions and emotions breathe life into the characters, which I really appreciate). All the color choices and atmosphere of each location has its own feel and at the same time manages to mix it all together without overclogging everything with detail, flowing into each other nicely and being very pleasant to the eye.”
“I don't expect too much from this story, but because I like the character designs so much, I would love to see a continuation.”
“Character design and animation is also top-notch and full of personality.”
“The character designs are all unique and help add to the feeling of this place being a real live world.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it entertaining and funny, particularly in relation to unexpected glitches and quirky design choices. However, some critiques highlight that the humor can be overshadowed by frustrating gameplay mechanics, such as poor controls and repetitive elements. Overall, the game is described as a funny and enjoyable experience, despite some areas that could benefit from improvement.
“Anyway, a very funny and entertaining game and definitely not a bad investment.”
“A bug or a glitch is unintentional, and they can even be funny, like the invisible guy.”
“After all the energy spent on crafting Hob's world - and the world is very pretty - I can sympathize with Runic's solution to the bug, even if as cynical patches go, it's a devilishly funny one.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The monetization approach of the game is praised for its refreshing absence of microtransactions and loot boxes, contrasting sharply with the prevalent practices in many $60 games today. Players appreciate the narrative elements presented in the advertising, which enhance the overall experience without additional costs.
“There are narrative elements the development team thought were important to convey when advertising the product, but not in the product itself.”
“This game is a breath of fresh air in a time where $60 games are filled with microtransactions, loot boxes, and other ways to drain money from players.”