Horace Reviews

Horace is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10
Jul 28, 2019

Horace is a very, very good game. A humour filled but emotionally charged plot delivered via beautiful and well-paced cut scenes, some of the most gorgeous pixel released this year, a smorgasbord of pop culture references and mini-games and a hand crafted feel to the platforming, as if everything has been placed with care and attention, combine into one of the most surprising games of 2019.

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9.5 / 10.0
Oct 21, 2020

Horace is a game of great challenge, quirky humor, and heart-wrenching storytelling, all wrapped up in an adorable package. You simply cannot let this game pass you by. I’m certainly glad I didn’t.

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Unscored
Oct 21, 2020

It’s hard to recall the last time I honestly laughed and was so emotionally invested in a game in such a short period of time as I did with this Horace. The fact that it’s now being brought to more systems and storefronts will hopefully put it into more people’s hands and give it the attention it so rightfully deserves. If I ever were to classify a game as a complete gaming experience, very few would make the cut, and I’m ecstatic to say that Horace is most definitely one I would happily do so.

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85 / 100
Oct 21, 2020

Horace is a beautiful yet extremely profound tale about death, life, and purpose. With a robot’s adventure starting with it attempting to find his family but evolving into a tale with many layers. The visuals may convey a lighthearted tale and there are plenty of moments that complement this theme with funny jokes but the game evolves into a darker narrative as you progress. The platforming involves precision timing and a lot of critical thinking to solve but the overreliance to create so many challenging platforming sections can become overwhelming. Especially when needing to backtrack through nightmarish areas if you happen to take the wrong path, or being forced to swim in general. The boss fights and environments, while varied, often highlight Horace’s overreliance on stiffening many of the robot’s cooler abilities. Discouraging creative solutions in favor of strict direction. Despite the steep challenge, Horace is something special, full of memorable moments both dark and stirring that you won't want to miss out on.

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Noisy Pixel
Jahanzeb Khan
9 / 10.0
Oct 27, 2020

Horace is a challenging platformer with strong core mechanics and inventive design, all of which gradually build up into something truly amazing and satisfying as a video game. Its homage to the heart and soul of video games as an art form and its deep insight into human nature all come together to make it an experience that is both memorable and important.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 4, 2020

Horace offers a very unique experience. The game mixes competent platform challenges with a well-constructed narrative, which proposes a reflection on existence from the dramas present in all of us. Horace learns little by little to understand people, understanding what feelings, pains and joys are. At the same time, we identify with the protagonist because he himself demonstrates that trait of sensitivity that characterizes us as humans. In the end, it is not just a journey of a robot understanding the human life, the player reflects about life as well.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Dec 3, 2020

On the surface, Horace may seem like just another 2D platformer on the Nintendo eShop. It’s hard to summarise the entire story, so the description of a robot trying to reunite with his family while picking up rubbish left over from the Robot War doesn’t particularly stand out. I’ve played many whacky indie games in my time at Rapid Reviews, with weird and wonderful stories, and initially Horace doesn’t sound too different.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 9, 2021

The story, gameplay, and presentation are all almost totally spot on and even if you don’t like platformers you should get someone to play it for you so you can experience the story for yourself.

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4 / 5.0
Mar 10, 2022

All in all, I can’t help but rave about Horace. While it’s challenging and may prove troublesome for those not comfortable with their platforming skills, it nevertheless features a ton of content and an engaging story. And while I was frustrated by some of the glitches and occasionally lackluster design, this is still a game I would highly recommend, especially for fans of older games and indies.

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4 / 5.0
Jul 18, 2020

Horace is a difficult 12-15 hour experience. The platforming and Metroidvania components are incredible. They’re continually obstructed by backtracking and difficult circumstances that could’ve been tended to with little upgrades. Horace is an indie game that will test gamers’ skills and a story loaded with heart-touching minutes.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 21, 2020

Horace is an odd title in that much like the title character robot of the same name it is quite unassuming and humble but there’s so much more to it...

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Renan Fontes
Top Critic
9 / 10
Jul 26, 2019

While Horace himself might not be the most emotionally intelligent protagonist, the same cannot be said for his namesake game.

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7.5 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2019

In the end, Horace is an engaging experience if you're patient or don't get riled up easily.

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5 / 10
Apr 18, 2021

Maybe it's the throwback design influences that are slightly too far outside of this reviewer's reach to appreciate and retro fans that remember playing the ZX spectrum will find a lot more to get out in this title. The desire is strong to get on with Horace, it really is, and he might even make you laugh at times, but just like the guy wearing socks and sandals, there are too many things holding it back.

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8 / 10.0
Aug 13, 2019

Technical difficulties aside, Horace is an endearing, nostalgic, platforming masterpiece. Even after having to start fresh at one point, I could not wait to jump right back in and play more.

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GameSpace
M Alexander
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Aug 1, 2019

Horace is a tricky one to recommend. It's certainly a good game. It's got challenge, it's got style, and it's got heart. The story takes you through a rollercoaster of a robot's life and while there's no narrative decisions to be made, becoming invested isn't hard at all. However, the mad difficulty spikes will put casual platformers off. But if they stick with it, there's a corker of a game here.

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7.9 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2020

Horace is a fun but not so forgiving tribute to video games as a medium.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Oct 21, 2020

When Horace is good, it's a touching, thrilling experience. When it's bad, it's overly frustrating and too reliant on the dreaded pop culture references.

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9.5 / 10.0
Oct 31, 2020

Horace is a pitch-perfect puzzle platformer that expertly balances addictive gameplay with its moving tale of a robot trying to discover himself in a world that makes no sense. It knows why we love video games, and it confirms we're right to do so.

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10 / 10
Oct 20, 2020

Horace is something very special — the only vaguely negative thing we can say about it is the fact that there are so many spectacularly brilliant indie games on Switch already vying for your attention that we fear Horace may fall somewhat by the wayside. If you have any interest in superb level design, excellent storytelling, terrific art, evocative music, great characters, hilarious situations and emotional gut-punches, Horace is a no-brainer. It's moving without being manipulative, clever without being smug, and nostalgic without being a lazy rehash.

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