A Hat in Time

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 121 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 121
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 121
  3. Negative: 14 out of 121
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  1. jpacor
    Feb 8, 2018
    6
    I found A Hat in Time to be a very average platformer: there are clever stages and challenges, but also many dull, generic stages as well. It is clearly playing off of nostalgia of platformers like Banjo Kazooie and Mario Sunshine, and is decent in doing so. I just do not find this to be worth $30 at all. I am a huge platforming fan, and would still not highly recommend this game... if youI found A Hat in Time to be a very average platformer: there are clever stages and challenges, but also many dull, generic stages as well. It is clearly playing off of nostalgia of platformers like Banjo Kazooie and Mario Sunshine, and is decent in doing so. I just do not find this to be worth $30 at all. I am a huge platforming fan, and would still not highly recommend this game... if you can grab it on sale, it may be worth it.… Expand
  2. Schueli
    Aug 10, 2022
    7
    Bei der Presse kam es nicht ganz so gut weg. Ein 3D-Jump'n'Run der alten Schmiede. Ähnlich Super Mario 64 und Banjo Kazooie. Ich fand es ganz spaßig. Die Welten bis auf paar Ausnahmen fand ich jetzt aber auch ausbaufähig. Teils zu unübersichtlich und unausgereift. Aber für Zwischendurch passt es, wenn man solche Art Spiele mag so oder so.
  3. HaloFever
    Aug 10, 2023
    7
    I hate to give any brilliant labor of love a score that is less than prefect, but this kind of retro love letter can only be so good. For what it is, “A Hat in Time” is perfect.

    The era that “A Hat in Time” harkens back to is a short one. This is a PS1, N64, Sega Saturn style game with all the bright colors and polygon shading that I barely remember. At the time, I was a PC gamer and my    I hate to give any brilliant labor of love a score that is less than prefect, but this kind of retro love letter can only be so good. For what it is, “A Hat in Time” is perfect.

    The era that “A Hat in Time” harkens back to is a short one. This is a PS1, N64, Sega Saturn style game with all the bright colors and polygon shading that I barely remember. At the time, I was a PC gamer and my exposure to N64 was limited to playing a Rom of Mario 64 on my PC running 3dfx Voodoo cards in SLI mode. An advantage of an emulator is that you can save your state and thus enjoy unlimited lives. “A Hat in Time” basically does the same, with checkpoints that don’t force you to replay an entire level.

    So much of this game is just so clever, it would have been a Game of the Year in 1996. Like Mario and his different suits, the Hat girl can don different hats for different abilities. Map elements liven up gameplay. Maybe it’s my decades of experience but enemies are not very threatening. The goal here seems to be more about exploring than fighting. The boss battles are fine. I’ve never been a big fan of boss battles.

    The level design is also clever in a retro way. Eschewing the power of modern gaming hardware, levels are tight, as if they had to run on N64. This makes for clever use of space and fewer cookie cutter, cut and paste elements. Back in the 1990s, I would have plumbed the levels for all the secrets. Characters are similarly colorful and distinct in their design. This kind of hand made indie darling is a refreshing change from games that come off the assembly line.

    All in all, maybe I’m too old for this game. Maybe I’m not old enough. I get what this game is doing, but I’m not popping with enjoyment like I would have a few decades ago. Still, I’m glad this game exists and I recommend it for anyone who isn’t wowed by the generic AAA open world looter shooter.

    Full disclosure: I downloaded this game from the PS+ Extra collection.    … Expand
  4. Winko
    Mar 2, 2018
    7
    Good:
    - Platforming is fast, fluid, and satisfying most of the time
    - The key visuals for every act are very nice - Boss battles are fun, have a ton of variety, and are surprisingly challenging - Great gameplay variation makes sure that the game never gets dull or predictable - Fully voice acted - Upgrades, unlockable abilities, and customization are very welcome additions to the    Good:
    - Platforming is fast, fluid, and satisfying most of the time
    - The key visuals for every act are very nice
    - Boss battles are fun, have a ton of variety, and are surprisingly challenging
    - Great gameplay variation makes sure that the game never gets dull or predictable
    - Fully voice acted
    - Upgrades, unlockable abilities, and customization are very welcome additions to the traditional platformer formula
    - The time rifts are neat optional challenges and using the photos to help locate them is a lot of fun
    - Free DLC is scheduled to be released this year that will add co-op, New Game+, and a brand new chapter
    - The entire “Battle of the Birds” chapter is awesome
    - Great soundtrack

    Mixed:
    - Rides a strange line between overly kid friendly and surprisingly morbid
    - There are only 4 worlds but each is so unique and diverse that in this case, less is actually more
    - Alpine Skyline is definitely the least inspired area but it is the only map that properly utilizes free roam

    Bad:
    - Riddled with technical problems; clipping, crashing, etc.
    - The dive attack is very unreliable way of taking out enimies
    - Outside of boss fight, combat is pretty dull
    - Ending sequence felt a little rushed
    - Not a ton of incentive to keep playing after the credits roll    … Expand
  5. B-Bog
    Jan 24, 2020
    5
    For a fan-made game, it's good, but if you compare it to platformers from big studios, it really doesn't hold a candle to them. The fact that some people liken this to a game like Super Mario Odyssey is actually mind-boggling to me. There are layers upon layers of refinement and polish in the latter that are sorely missing here. This game will actually make you appreciate something likeFor a fan-made game, it's good, but if you compare it to platformers from big studios, it really doesn't hold a candle to them. The fact that some people liken this to a game like Super Mario Odyssey is actually mind-boggling to me. There are layers upon layers of refinement and polish in the latter that are sorely missing here. This game will actually make you appreciate something like Odyssey way more, because it shows you things that you really never thought about and absolutely take for granted there, e.g. the spacing of your jumps. A game like Odyssey manages to let every level feel very organic and, thanks to Mario's massive move-set, you have a lot of flexibility in how you want to approach challenges. Hat's design in comparison seems really cookie-cutter, and despite the fact that the protagonist really only has a jump, a double-jump, and a dash to get around, how the platforms are set up feels really weird a lot of time. Like a lot of the jumps are just a liiiittle too far for the double-jump, but the dash will make you completely over-shoot your target; or the next platform is a little too high for a regular jump, so you have to use the double-jump, but that feels completely over-blown. You would think that optimizing the platforming would actually be quite easy with such a limited move-set, but apparently, it isn't.

    There's a general sense of jankiness about the game, for example, oftentimes it's really hard to tell where you even are in relation to the structures while in mid-air or where your character is going to land, which isn't exactly made easier by a sub-par camera. There's also a bug where if you invert the camera controls, the game switches it back to normal every time you die or quit and re-enter the game. Apparently, nobody bothered to patch this out in the 2+ years this game has been out.

    The theming of the worlds is very creative and original and there's a lot of variety in that regard. This is where AHIT shines: With its themes, charm, wit, humour and characters (though it tries a little too hard to be funny sometimes, I have to say). The music is also pretty good and accompanies the theming of the levels really well. The graphics aren't really all that spectacular, I don't know why some people gush over them here.

    I'm also not a fan of gaining new moves and abilities through badges and hats; I find the switching around to be quite annoying. I mean, I can understand it for the more exotic stuff, but for a ground-pound?? Come on.

    More frequent checkpoints would be welcome instead of having to play large sections all over again because you got stuck on ONE jump.

    It also would've been nice to have a level-map accessible SOMEWHERE, because due to the unintuitive level-design, it might not really be clear where you need to go at all times in the more non-linear levels.

    So, in conclusion, as I said, this is good as a fan-made nostalgia game, and you should absolutely treat it as such. Don't get your hopes up and expect a AAA platformer, because you're going to be sorely disappointed. The game is really charming but the moment-to-moment gameplay and the level-design just aren't that strong. 30€ is just way too much for this game, half that would probably be a fair price IMO. So I would advise you to get this on sale if you absolutely want to play it, or just get Rayman Legends for 20€ instead if you're looking for an amazing platformer (albeit a 2D one).    … Expand
  6. ClutterBrain
    Jan 28, 2020
    6
    Decent 3D platformer but a far cry from many of the perfect reviews it's gotten. The game ran well with very little bugs or issues.
  7. ThePSButton
    May 6, 2020
    7
    A Hat in Time cayó del cielo en un momento en el que el hambre de plataformas era basta. Con una jugabilidad que acaricia la perfección, y una dirección artística preciosa y entrañable, la obra ofrece una aventura satisfactoria que entrega un amor muy bonito. ¿Qué le duele? Irónicamente la diferencia que hay de mundo a mundo da en general un paquete que se siente “desordenado” y pocoA Hat in Time cayó del cielo en un momento en el que el hambre de plataformas era basta. Con una jugabilidad que acaricia la perfección, y una dirección artística preciosa y entrañable, la obra ofrece una aventura satisfactoria que entrega un amor muy bonito. ¿Qué le duele? Irónicamente la diferencia que hay de mundo a mundo da en general un paquete que se siente “desordenado” y poco estructurado; el último mundo “abierto” me pareció el más débil del paquete. De igual manera, el contenido aquí queda a deber en cantidad y técnicamente es muy pobre en muchas ocasiones. Al final, el título brilla por tener un encanto que no te encuentras tan fácilmente y por su jugabilidad más que competente. A Hat in Time es una experiencia cálida y muy colorida.… Expand
  8. zach_grech
    May 3, 2022
    7
    The levels in this game are all unique. Likeable characters and excellent bosses. Platforming good for the majority of the game, although some sections are hit or miss. The lack of a true 4th level is a disappointment for me as well.

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Best PS4 Game of 2017
76
#76 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. PSX Extreme
    Mar 13, 2018
    90
    A Hat in Time is just plain fun. It reminded me of a mixture of Mario 64 and Spryo the Dragon. It’s humorous and charming. It has a bunch of really memorable characters and diverse worlds that are very distinct. The only downsides might be a short run time and some minor graphical issues but it was never enough to ruin my experience.
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  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Feb 22, 2018
    70
    A twitchy camera inspires ire, but the game manages the neat trick of doffing its cap to Nintendo's N64 classics, while still maintaining its own identity, impresses with its charm and variety. [Feb 2018, p.94]
  3. GamePro Germany
    Jan 29, 2018
    86
    Sugar sweet, sophisticated 3D platformer, close the greats of the genre, with lots of creativity and great level design.
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