Horace Reviews
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.
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.
In the end, Horace is an engaging experience if you're patient or don't get riled up easily.
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.
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.
Horace is a piece of art: music, story, ideas and design of the robot are gorgeus, even if gameplay and controls lack in polishness and the entire experience is a bit too long. Be read to shed tears for Horace. It'll be worth it, expecially in this Nintendo Switch version.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Horace is a fun but not so forgiving tribute to video games as a medium.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Horace is a charming homage to an era of gaming and culture that’s rapidly fading into the sunset, yet it never rests of the nostalgia factor to keep the player engaged.
A labour of love that pays brilliantly inventive tribute to the platform genre and the 8 and 16-bit eras in general.
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.
These drawbacks aside, I can heartily recommend Horace to action-adventure lovers. You'll chuckle and shed a tear throughout your playtime while learning the techniques necessary to conquer the gravity manipulation-heavy platform sections. If you're an old soul like me, you'll also appreciate the many references to old-school gaming. Give this genre-defying title a chance if you want to experience something old and new at the same time.
Horace is an incredible game that is packed to the brim with content and character. Although it’s steeped in nostalgia, it can hold its head high on its own merit as a great platform adventure title. With tight controls, varied gameplay, and a fantastic script, those who didn’t get to experience Horace before should definitely check it out on the Switch.
A genre shifting game packed full of charm and references, Horace is a robotic adventure that must be experienced to be believed.
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...
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.