Hob Reviews
Hob is a genuinely beautiful game, as you'd expect from the very talented people at Runic Games, the developer of Torchlight, but I do feel that there could've been, at times in the game, a bit more detail about the world the game's set within, what has happened and why, as wel as more information on Hob himself!
It's a shame that less than tight platforming controls and major framerate issues hinder Hob overall. There is a fantastic game here that will just have to settle for being a really good one.
Hob is a solid adventure game. If you can live with brief moments of frustration when you're lost and nothing is going on, you'll often be rewarded with a large chunk of the game where the pacing is just right and the balance between combat and puzzle elements is fair. Despite a few issues with stuttering, the presentation is exquisite, and the game comes in at a satisfying length. Adventure fans would do well to give Hob a look.
Occasionally the art direction of a game is so striking, so inspired, and so beautiful one cannot help but be awed while playing. Hob, the newest adventure from Runic Games, embraces this notion and around every corner is a new canvas for the player to marvel. But does the rest of the game live up to the stunning art? Let’s dive in.
There’s an awful lot of depth to Runic Games’ action adventure indie game, Hob. Exploration of the huge steampunk-inspired world is exceptionally rewarding: secret rooms can be discovered, shortcuts can be accessed and mysterious green orbs hide in machines and tiny crevices which allow you to level up.
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.
Hob presents a remarkable visual style, a beautiful world that shapes as the player advances through it and concise gameplay. Even though the developer has chosen to follow a more secure path, some points could be better developed, specially a better polishing in the technical part.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
A gorgeous world eager to be explored with satisfying puzzles and fun, if occasionally clumsy, action.
Raising and cleansing Hob’s world was, for the most part, a good time. Nicely-flowing puzzles and platforming with a massive result in literally shifting the world around, coupled with combat encounters that were sensibly placed made sure of that.
Hob is Runic Games’ first, and only, departure from Torchlight. And by most accounts it is a success. Hob packs so much personality into its world despite never uttering a word, letting every carefully placed object and interaction speak for itself. The game loses itself in moments where its camera works against its own goals and the ease with which a player can become lost before grasping the layout. However, the competent combat and engaging puzzle solving save Hob and make it a notable platformer to lose yourself in.
In the end as critical as I’m being with Hob it’s a pretty enjoyable game, and I like it, but it’s just aggravating so see an effort with so much apparent care get held back by a collection of lesser issues that unfortunately do add up...
The occasional design issue aside, restoring Hob's ramshackle world is satisfying, with its cel-shaded art style and tech-infused nature concealing a complex network of pulleys, valves and hidden paths.
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.
Hob is an enjoyable experience, providing hours of great puzzling and platforming fun – despite the game's face-value story and technical issues.
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.
With a below average combat system, a lot of technical issues and almost no story to speak of, Hob is a hard sell for lovers of the previous Runic games. Still, it is graced by a very good art design and clever puzzles.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Runic Game's Legend of Zelda inspired adventure takes players on a mundane journey through an extraordinary world.
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.
For all it's worth, Hob is a genuinely fun Zelda-like exploration game that despite not being a classic, is worth the asking price.