The FEDORA-I, a Noah’s Ark-like ship, departed Earth for pastures new at the height of the Cold War when things looked likely to go all nuclear wasteland. 250 years later, that ship now finds itself stranded deep in an ocean on an alien world after solar storms caused it to crash land. Welcome to Harold Halibut.
Developed by Slow Bros., Harold Halibut is a game about friendship and community, and how existentialism can exist even in the far reaches of space. You play as the titular character who leads a very dull life aboard the sunken ship. He assists Professor Mareaux in her tireless efforts to find a way to get the Fedora into space again until one fateful encounter plunges Harold into a whole new world — and one that may well hold the key to Mareaux’s plans for re-launching the ship.
But the real stand-out thing about this game is its aesthetic. The stop-motion animation is completely handmade. Made with welded metal, textiles sewn against miniature wooden floorboards, clay faces as big as a walnut and dollhouse-sized sets, the attention to detail and level of care here has made Harold’s world an utter delight to look at.
It’s just a shame that it’s not all that delightful to play.
Harold is very much in the clutches of an existential crisis. He’s kind, likeable and immediately relatable. He sleeps late, lacks focus, and often finds himself wishing for adventure, instead of wiping up graffiti and plugging things in.
The supporting cast of characters have had some serious work put into their development, too. There’s Jeanne Mareaux, the old, no-nonsense professor who somehow manages to both berate and appreciate Harold at the same time; a character who shares a name with a now-defunct Nintendo console; and John Slippie Jr., who owns a ski shop on a planet without an ounce of snow.
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Then there’s the charismatic Chris Tinnerbaum, a muscle-bound, perma-tanned hunk of a teacher — who somehow is allowed to do so wearing only his almost-thigh-length dressing gown. Ofsted would certainly be raising eyebrows on that one back on Earth.
The Fedora itself even feels like a character. The attention to detail is immaculate, and will often have you looking in the nooks and crannies just to see how far the developers went to giving it an authentically repurposed and lived-in feel. It has mysteries of its own to unravel, from the 1984-esque control of All Water to the mysterious Lightkeepers.
Exploring the ship and interacting with these quirky characters is a joy, and it’s clear that Harold is a bit of an outlier struggling to fit in as he does everybody’s leg work and is at the mercy of their agency. But as the game unfolds and the moment of his awakening strikes, Harold’s growth as he takes control of his destiny is the game’s biggest of its sadly few strengths.
While its story and characters are nothing short of top-notch, as a game, Harold Halibut falls well short of the mark. Its roughly twelve-hour campaign manages to feel bloated because of it, as it largely consists of tedious trips back and forth.
The majority of what you’ll do as Harold is moving around the various parts of the station. Harold can walk incredibly slowly, or he can jog at a pace that feels like he’s running through wet cement. A simple tweak to make his jog feel worth it could have shaved plenty of time off the game to its benefit, as it takes an agonisingly long time to get going.
You have a PDA that keeps track of your ‘To-Do’ list, which is little more than going to district ‘x’ to talk to character ‘y’. It does feature a nice little notebook though, in which Harold will doodle crude pictures of significant plot moments to keep you apprised of the story. It also has some janky pathfinding. Harold will often clip through the environment or awkwardly reposition himself when you instigate a conversation. Normally, this wouldn’t be much of an issue, but in a game where you have little else to do than appreciate its visuals, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
The gameplay does, at least, try to change things up now and then. You’ll have to wipe off graffiti or tackle a puzzle that a toddler might find taxing. For the graffiti, you just need to move the thumbstick to wipe instead of walk, and the puzzles take seconds to solve. It’s such an agonisingly passive experience, lacking any need for critical thinking or challenging moments. The very things you need in a game.
And yet, Harold Halibut still managed to maintain my attention. By the end, I even found myself embracing the slog as I wanted to check in with everybody before the big finale. It just goes to show how strong the story and characterisation are in Harold Halibut.
Kudos to the developers for trying to do something unique — and Slow Bros. absolutely does pull it off visually. Yet I can’t shake the feeling that Harold Halibut should have been anything but a game. Its snail pace, general lack of interactivity, and puzzles completely devoid of challenge run the risk of turning players away long before it gets its emotional hooks into them.
Ultimately, Harold Halibut is a lesson in patience, forcing you to slow down as it unfolds at its on pace and very much on its own terms. And why wouldn’t it when so much time and effort has gone into its amazing visuals?
This review of Harold Halibut is based on the Xbox Series X version of the game, played via Game Pass. It’s available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Harold Halibut review — GameSpew's score
Harold Halibut 6 10 0 1Harold Halibut stands out for its painstakingly gorgeous stop-motion animation, but as a game it falls short of the mark. If you’re looking for a charming story with plenty of heart, Harold’s shortcomings are absolutely worth pushing through. But those looking for something more engaging would be better to look elsewhere.Harold Halibut stands out for its painstakingly gorgeous stop-motion animation, but as a game it falls short of the mark. If you’re looking for a charming story with plenty of heart, Harold’s shortcomings are absolutely worth pushing through. But those looking for something more engaging would be better to look elsewhere. Total Score
We like…
- Gorgeous stop-motion animation
- Excellent characterisation and writing
We didn't like…
- Glacial pacing
- Lacks any real challenge
- A very passive experience
