Harold Halibut
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Harold Halibut Trailers
Harold Halibut - Gameplay Overview Trailer
Harold Halibut - Story Trailer 2021
Harold Halibut - Kickstarter Pitch Video
Critic Reviews for Harold Halibut
A great artstyle and flashes of brilliance never truly make up for a meandering, risk-averse plot.
A visually arresting, warm-hearted tale of a gofer searching for his purpose, Harold Halibut flounders amongst endless fetch-quests and waffle.
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 eccentric cast of characters. While I wish that there was a little more interactivity to be found throughout its subaquatic setting, and Harold’s shuffling run could have been boosted to a sprint to reduce the time spent repeatedly schlepping from one end of its levels to the other, I nonetheless remained captivated by his whimsical quest to unite his community and explore the spectacular surroundings of his sunken home. Consistently funny and full of surprises, Harold Halibut is a wholesome, handcrafted adventure with plenty of heart.
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 combination of mystery, heartfelt character relationships, and quirky artistic flair. You will question your own path in life and whether you’re truly happy, then leave you wondering how to find your own bluglglgl.
"The handcrafted, stop-motion look and feel to this world makes every imperfection just another lovely detail"
Harold Halibut is a triumph in its characters and visuals but struggles to stay afloat under its own scope and ambitions.
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.
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 the stratosphere with an approach that few will dare to replicate. It’s a bold risk; I’m sure the studio could have made a lot of commercially viable games in the 14 years it took to put this together. But why settle for stagnation?
