Hob Reviews
Intricate and ingenious, Hob is a true spiritual successor to A Link to the Past.
Hob is a beautiful Zelda-like puzzler with fun combat elements that takes place on an enchanting world where nature and machinery alter the landscape as easily as a twist of a Rubik's cube. The wordless approach to the story creates some confusion and the fix camera sometimes results in unnecessary deaths, but never does the time spent with Hob feel wasted.
A gorgeous world eager to be explored with satisfying puzzles and fun, if occasionally clumsy, action.
Hob delivers meaningful, wondrous exploration in an alluring and enigmatic world, but the combat and technical issues hold it back
Were Hob a tightly-scripted action adventure that guided the player from point to point and told them exactly what was expected of them, it wouldn't be nearly as magical an experience, and certainly not as personal. Making my own decisions (and my own mistakes) makes the impressive, world-changing moments feel like something I did.
Hob tries to do a lot of things within its beautiful world but never does any of them very well. The platforming feels janky and slow, combat is basic and meaningless, and the puzzles will make you wish you were back in 10th grade listening to your Geometry teacher explain proofs for the millionth time. A great game was not too far away from what eventually was delivered, but outside of the stunning visuals and world design, Hob falls frustratingly short.
Runic fans waiting on Torchlight III may be feeling sore, but the developer's decision to take a gamble on something new has certainly paid off. Hob demonstrates just how well this team can create a world and stitch it together with intuitive level design. Although some parts are clearly stronger than others, as a whole Hob is easily one of the best indie games of 2017.
A pretty good action-adventure, with a fantastic world design. The combat system is a little bit too simple, but the experience is really positive. Recommended.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Hob is a game that feels like it could be much more than it is. It's a game that draws inspiration from the best in the business. It's a game that looks and sounds great. And it's a game that offers something unique for players. Yet it falls short of the heights that it could have reached due to a few key failings.
With great level design and a satisfying mixture of puzzles and combat, Hob is one of the most beautiful adventures in a while. From humble beginnings, its scope will often take your breath away.
Hob is like a beautiful example of how to make a third-person action game.
Perhaps this is due to my less than favorable inclination for puzzle/platformer action games as I seldom search out for games of this genre, but Hob felt lacking an identity- a clear element to call its own that really makes it standout amongst the rest of the games in the genre.
Hob is an enjoyable experience, providing hours of great puzzling and platforming fun – despite the game's face-value story and technical issues.
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.
Runic Games take you on a wondrous mysterious journey through fantastic environments making HOB well worth your time.
Hob is a beguiling action adventure that's hamstrung by its platforming and a sub-par second half.
There is something about Hob that I really enjoy. I'm not quite sure if it's the cartoonish art style, clever puzzles, or an amalgamation of the two, but my overall experience was quite pleasant. However, frequent frame rate drops, mindless combat, and its open-world facade hindered my amusement and often relinquished any feeling of consequence while exploring the game's dangerously portrayed world. Similarly, the unspoken and symbolic mystery that unfolds begins as an interesting tale, but quickly becomes shallow when there are no other factors to create a meaningful and emotional conflict. Hob boasts a lot of promising ideas at the outset, but ultimately fails to fulfill those promises by the game's end.
Hob is a charming action adventure that shows that the way is more important than the goal.
Review in German | Read full review
Overall Hob is a fantastic game and just be on a play list for anyone who enjoys puzzle platformers and wouldn't mind some light RPG elements thrown in. The story is told organically and beautifully through gameplay and has some of the best sound design I've seen in a game.