Harold Halibut

Transcending the line between video game and interactive art piece, Harold Halibut explores the meaning of home on an isolated alien water world. While some pacing issues exist within the larger story, the handcrafted visuals that consistently charm alongside an extravagant cast make this a treat for fans of narrative adventures.

Though plaudits will be rightly levelled at its appearance, Harold Halibut is equally as impressive when it comes to its narrative, world-building, and how both are realised. Despite being relatively light in gameplay terms, the game packs a punch where it matters by sticking its landing and proving beyond doubt that the answer to the meaning of life may be closer to home than you think.

Visually stunning, Harold Halibut weaves a profound tale of human curiosity. Centered around a remarkably peculiar protagonist with scant knowledge of the universe, the game explores themes of friendship and virtue, crafting an unconventional narrative brimming with memorable moments.

The use of stop-motion-inspired animation alongside hand-crafted characters and environments makes playing Harold Halibut a truly unique experience. However, I wish the game was a bit shorter and more interactive.

Makes for a wonderful interactive movie. You may need some patience to see it through to the end, but it’s a beautiful, rewarding adventure. [Issue#40, p.86]

Harold Halibut, created over more than a decade with innovative motion capture, is more akin to “My Dinner With Andre” than a Ray Harryhausen creature epic like “Clash of the Titans.” Although some conversations are too lengthy, it rewards those who stick to it with honesty, empathy and a subtle mastery of human nature.

Harold Halibut may not be the most innovative game in terms of world intervention mechanics, in addition to having some slip-ups in the rhythm of the narrative, but it is undeniable that the sum of its powerful story and spectacular artistic style make this one of the games most irresistible in recent times.

Memorable for his beauty and dazzling personality, Harold Halibut can boast of easily recalling the strangeness of Wes Anderson, a comparison that will most likely arise in a myriad of other reviews. A gallery of truly successful characters serves an impeccably constructed story, nevertheless undermined by a very subdued intensity and a slow pace. Harold Halibut may annoy some people, but they will still have a hard time denying all the dedication devoted with passion and talent to the handmade sets of the Fedora ship.

Harold Halibut shapes an attractive story led by a protagonist who manages to surprise the player. The magnificent artisanal artistic section accompanies this good script, but at times its approach becomes somewhat heavy on the playability. Here you have a good narrative adventure that could have aspired to be much more.

A VERY particular adventure, both in aesthetic and narrative terms. The story starts slowly and with very little explanation, but as the game progresses it becomes more and more interesting and does not disdain touching important chords. The mechanics are the classic ones of a graphic adventure but the gameplay presents a few too many rough edges due to a bit of "dirt" in the code. Finally, the total lack of localization in Italian could represent a significant obstacle given that the tone of the dialogues is well above classic school English.

Harold Halibut is an extraordinary accomplishment in a lot of ways, presenting a gorgeously-realized handcrafted world and a story swimming with unique sci-fi ideas and affecting emotional beats. Unfortunately, a lack of stimulating puzzles or gameplay results in a title that delivers quite nicely on a surface movie-like level, but doesn't dive as deep as you might expect.

Harold Halibut is an adventure game that although reminds us of a walking simulator due to its simplistic gameplay, thanks to its atmosphere and unique visual style manages to become a memorable title. It is a slow burning adventure that prioritizes the story and presents it through engaging dialogues and plenty of details hidden in plain sight. Despite the leisurely pace, the game remains pretty short and has no real replay value. It is an intense and almost poetic experience that holds up a mirror to both the individual and society, making it a worthwhile experience for the fans of the genre and for those looking for a great story.

Harold Halibut is an interesting adventure that, despite some flaws, shines for its uniqueness.

It would probably make a better movie than a game, but there’s still a unique charm about Harold Halibut and his slow-paced journey to discover his place in life.

While Harold Halibut doesn’t quite hit the heights it sets out to reach, you have to admire Slow Bros.’ unwavering commitment to its vision it spent 14 years bringing to life. Unfortunately, Harold Halibut’s stop-motion visuals do the majority of the heavy lifting, with the game’s repetitive and shallow gameplay reducing the overall experience to a tedious trudge through underwater space.

We really wanted to love Harold Halibut, and there are some redeeming qualities. Its wonderful aesthetic is unique and detailed, it has a great sci-fi hook, and there are some good moments throughout the story. Unfortunately, these aspects depreciate due to a prolonged runtime, most of which is filled with slow, repetitive treks from one scene to the next. The narrative is left to hold everything together, but it sadly doesn't quite stick the landing thanks to pacing issues and some iffy writing. This is one fish you might want to let get away.

Harold Halibut looks great, like one of Aardman’s finest, only as a video game. Unfortunately, it’s the game part that underwhelms, offering a distinctly tedious narrative adventure that is a chore to play.