Horace

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 52
  3. Negative: 10 out of 52

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Defrid
    Jul 25, 2019
    9
    Very good game. Sursprising how much you can do with good music and art.
    It is very nice and heartwarming story wrapped in old style platformer.
  2. aristotle61
    Jan 17, 2020
    10
    I'm not a big fan of all of these perfect 10 scores on Metacritic. It really is ridiculous. A 10 score should be reserved for a really great game. However, this is the very imperfect review system that we have to work with, and I don't want to penalize a great game just because I want to be realistic, when it's clear that the overwhelming majority of reviewers are not.

    Horace is    I'm not a big fan of all of these perfect 10 scores on Metacritic. It really is ridiculous. A 10 score should be reserved for a really great game. However, this is the very imperfect review system that we have to work with, and I don't want to penalize a great game just because I want to be realistic, when it's clear that the overwhelming majority of reviewers are not.

    Horace is something special. It has done something very different within the platforming genre. It's telling that I like this game so much when platforming games are one of my least favorite types of games. As a whole, I also do not like Indie games very much. There's just too much garbage being pumped out, and it has become trendy to call terrible Indie games "amazing", and refer to their crude graphics as "gorgeous pixel art.". That having been said, Horace is definitely an exception, so I will break my rule about 10 scores to give it the credit it deserves.

    For an indie game that has low tech graphics, Horace does it really well. The graphics are colorful, varied, and overall, are probably more deserving of the description "gorgeous pixel art" than any other "pixel art" game that I can think of. My only grievance with the graphics is that when you are in close up scenes the graphics are so crude they almost hurt your eyes. This applies to all games with crude graphics, not just Horace. Unlike most other games with this type of graphics, when you're not close up, which, thankfully, is most of the time, the graphics are charming, and also unlike most games of this type, the graphics vary so that you really can't wait to see what the next set of screens will look like.

    The way Horace intertwines story and cut scenes in between the platforming levels, and even within the levels, is refreshing to say the least, and is very well done. It's virtually assured that what Horace has done in this genre will be copied in future platforming games, and may well help platforming games increase in popularity.

    The controls are not part of what makes Horace special. Fortunately, they are good enough that they don't really hurt the game. In more traditional platforming games that are so dependent on outstanding controls, it would be much more of a factor. This game isn't nonstop movement like most platformers. It's more slow paced and creative which I really like. When I first started playing the game in the instructional levels I was not too impressed with the controls. Fortunately, this is an Indie game that let's you remap the control configuration. If I had not been able to do so that might have killed the game for me before I even got started. So definitely wait until past the very beginning before forming an opinion.

    In addition to the "gorgeous pixel art", the music is great, and fits the game perfectly. It's not only good music but is constantly changing and altering the mood, which is a huge plus. Music is another aspect of Indie games that I think is very overrated. People just love to rave about music that doesn't seem to be that impressive at all. In this game it really is great.

    Finally, this game has so many fun references, and tips of the hat to other games. I think I will play again just to see if I can recognize all of them because there are a lot of them, and they sometimes pass very quickly. Maybe I'm wrong, but this game does not seem to be getting the recognition and accolades that it deserves. I hope this has been a successful venture for the publisher and or developer because it would be bad for gaming if a gem ( another overused word!) of a game like this wasn't successful. Hopefully it will generate more buzz now that it is free on Epic Games. Sadly, I would never have known about it, let alone bought the game, if I had not looked at it as a free game choice on Epic Games.    … Expand
  3. xd2541
    Jul 8, 2020
    10
    forsaaaaaaaaaan showed this game, i was skeptical but it kept never ending, it was really good
  4. Yurro
    Feb 24, 2021
    10
    Один из лучших платформеров в ретро-стиле для тех кто любит глубокий сюжет, оригинальный геймплей и разнообразные головоломки под нео-классическую музыку.
  5. HSuke
    Aug 14, 2021
    9
    This is really special game due to its unique storytelling. It's quite an odd game like Undertale, but in a different way. It's a difficult platformer that's a an homage to many older retro games. The gameplay itself is fun, but tediously long. Nevertheless, the heartwarming and sometimes deadpan humor are what makes it a great game.

    The only part that really frustrated me were the    This is really special game due to its unique storytelling. It's quite an odd game like Undertale, but in a different way. It's a difficult platformer that's a an homage to many older retro games. The gameplay itself is fun, but tediously long. Nevertheless, the heartwarming and sometimes deadpan humor are what makes it a great game.

    The only part that really frustrated me were the ridiculously hard minigames that I had no interest playing. Those should've been optional.    … Expand
  6. CharlyPlayman
    Aug 22, 2019
    9
    I was surprised with this game, at the beginning i thought i was going to be another platform game but then i realized that there is sooooo much crativity & variety within just a game.... Congratulations to the developer, this game is a piece of art.
    PROS: very long game + interesting story + lovely characters + high varied game + lots of bosses + minigames + metroidvania system +    I was surprised with this game, at the beginning i thought i was going to be another platform game but then i realized that there is sooooo much crativity & variety within just a game.... Congratulations to the developer, this game is a piece of art.
    PROS: very long game + interesting story + lovely characters + high varied game + lots of bosses + minigames + metroidvania system + references to multiple games & films + etc
    CONS: maybe when you start to get from the third ability the end is near so you don't use the new ones much time (third, forth, etc)    … Expand
  7. bersi84
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    This is a pixel art indie game that deserves attention. You play as a robot that lives through a life with a real family developing real feelings. The story is a rollercoaster of up and downs while you run, jump, slide and fly through an amazing load of 22 chapters that will take you some good amount of hours to play.

    The soundtrack subpictures the emotions of this game amazingly    This is a pixel art indie game that deserves attention. You play as a robot that lives through a life with a real family developing real feelings. The story is a rollercoaster of up and downs while you run, jump, slide and fly through an amazing load of 22 chapters that will take you some good amount of hours to play.

    The soundtrack subpictures the emotions of this game amazingly perfect while the gameplay is between faily easy and really intense combining platformer and bullethell segments together with some puzzling.

    I do not want to spoil too much so I want to close this with a fairly short review. In my opinion this is one of the best indie games to date and a true contender to best indie game of the year. Its heartful and developed with passion and looks for detail. I m glad I grabbed this game despite it being not known at all and also fairly cheap. Give it a try you most probably wont be disappointed.    … Expand
  8. hi_traffic
    Aug 3, 2019
    10
    This Game is amazing, game of the year for me! Constantly varied game play from hardcore platforming to loads of mini games. With an incredible story topped off with great music and graphics, this Horace is a must buy!
  9. GrumpyMonkey
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    This game combines great art, music, and varied, challenging gameplay perfectly.
    A little (or not so little as the game is huge) masterpiece.
  10. smansell
    Sep 16, 2019
    10
    The best game I've played in a long time. A really touching story line with excellent characterisation wrapped around a tricky platformer with excellent puzzles. Lots (and I mean lots) of retro gaming and "80's life" references, and a massive array of mini games that playfully poke fun at the original arcade classics. Excellent graphics and soundtrack to boot - combined with soooo manyThe best game I've played in a long time. A really touching story line with excellent characterisation wrapped around a tricky platformer with excellent puzzles. Lots (and I mean lots) of retro gaming and "80's life" references, and a massive array of mini games that playfully poke fun at the original arcade classics. Excellent graphics and soundtrack to boot - combined with soooo many great jokes - delivered perfectly by the monotonic hero.

    Can't recommend highly enough - an amazing achievement for a solo developer (with help from friends, I believe)    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Best PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Worth Playing
    Nov 20, 2019
    75
    In the end, Horace is an engaging experience if you're patient or don't get riled up easily. The platforming isn't as infuriating as most precision-based platformers, but the obstacles in some rooms can be annoying. The instant respawns are nice, but they don't cancel out the frustration of occasionally spotty hit detection. The instant camera rotation can be dizzying, and the repetition of tricky jumps can get old, but the engaging story makes it all worthwhile, especially since this is quite a lengthy game. Horace isn't the next indie masterpiece, but it is good enough to be called a genuine sleeper of a game that people should play.
    Read full review
  2. TheSixthAxis
    Aug 19, 2019
    90
    Horace is one of the most pleasant gaming surprises in years. I'm clearly a key part of its target demographic, having lived through the 1980s and early 90s that so heavily influenced it, but my enjoyment and engagement went past such an identification. I was completely absorbed throughout, and fully intend to return to collect the remaining pieces of junk. It may not be as immediately impressive as the latest AAA blockbuster, but Horace is essential for fans of retro games or hard platformers and a real contender for Indie Game of the Year.
    Read full review
  3. The Digital Fix
    Aug 13, 2019
    80
    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. Which is pretty telling considering that, at its heart, this is a game about a robot cleaning up garbage. Once properly patched up to correct the minor technical issues, this game would whole-heartedly be a 10 out of 10 for this writer.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »