Hob Reviews
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.
The most important thing though would be to address the common praise of the game, that this is “Zelda”. That would be true if Zelda lacked a story or interesting characters, or really a purpose had simplistic dungeons and more platforming than combat. Also, the enemies are repetitive and there are no interesting bosses as well.
Hob is a beautiful but unoriginal Zelda-like that lacks an interesting story and has mind-numbingly dull combat and exploration.
Hob is a beguiling action adventure that's hamstrung by its platforming and a sub-par second half.
Though it pains to proclaim such a promising title as this — given how obviously ambitious its world-building stands, how undeniably strange-but-enticing its organic-mechanical aesthetic is or how inviting the otherwise isolating ambience of its sound design is — Hob may well be one of the more disappointing showings for the genre this year when all is said and done.
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.
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.
Runic Game's Legend of Zelda inspired adventure takes players on a mundane journey through an extraordinary world.
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
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 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.
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.
Over the course of ten to fifteen hours, Hob will test your patience and strategic thinking in a casual action-platformer that offers players a story open to interpretation. The game world isn’t particularly vast, but its vertical diversity makes it incredibly interesting, with many hidden nooks and undiscovered secrets. The game suffers from minor technical glitches and a fixed isometric camera that will surely elicit more than a few curses. Despite this, Hob has plenty to offer and has more than a few surprises up its sleeve.
Review in Czech | Read full review
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...
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.
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.
A gorgeous world eager to be explored with satisfying puzzles and fun, if occasionally clumsy, action.
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