Harold Halibut review: "A charming and ambitious handmade sci-fi adventure"

GamesRadar+ VerdictHarold Halibut’s sunken spaceship adventure on an alien planet is a stop-motion-style delight filled with meticulously crafted models and surprisingly moving writing, but awkward controls and occasionally clunky animations mar an otherwise excellent title.Pros+Charming, handmade models+Compelling and humorous sci-fi narrative+Surprisingly poignant writingCons-Somewhat clunky controls-Occasionally awkward animations-Lots of walking back and forth GamesRadar+ Verdict GamesRadar+ Verdict Harold Halibut’s sunken spaceship adventure on an alien planet is a stop-motion-style delight filled with meticulously crafted models and surprisingly moving writing, but awkward controls and occasionally clunky animations mar an otherwise excellent title. Harold Halibut’s sunken spaceship adventure on an alien planet is a stop-motion-style delight filled with meticulously crafted models and surprisingly moving writing, but awkward controls and occasionally clunky animations mar an otherwise excellent title. Pros+Charming, handmade models+Compelling and humorous sci-fi narrative+Surprisingly poignant writing Charming, handmade models Compelling and humorous sci-fi narrative Surprisingly poignant writing Cons-Somewhat clunky controls-Occasionally awkward animations-Lots of walking back and forth Somewhat clunky controls Occasionally awkward animations Lots of walking back and forth Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. I’ve never played a game quite like Harold Halibut, and I suspect I might never do so again. That’s not because I’ll be going out of my way to avoid similar titles in the future, mind you, but simply because the Slow Bros.-developed narrative adventure game occupies a singular column and row all its own among the vast variety of games I’ve had the pleasure of playing over the past three decades and change of my life. For sheer novelty alone, you’d be doing yourself a disservice to not at leasttryHarold Halibut. FAST FACTSRelease date: April 16, 2024Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series XDeveloper: In-housePublisher: Slow Bros. FAST FACTS Release date: April 16, 2024Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series XDeveloper: In-housePublisher: Slow Bros. Release date: April 16, 2024Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series XDeveloper: In-housePublisher: Slow Bros. Getting Physical (Image credit: Slow Bros) But the real draw of Harold Halibut, at least at first blush, is its handcrafted visuals. According to the developers, every element of the game is tactile and handcrafted. That means they made a whole bunch of physical sets and models and sets before cobbling it all together into a digital version that players can wander through. You might think, “Goodness, that sounds like it would take an extremely long time to achieve.” As it turns out, you’d think right; Harold Halibut was initially conceived of all the way back in 2012, and the road to release has been a decade and then some. This gives every single aspect of Harold Halibut a real tangible edge to it. All the little props and characters and places have physical counterparts, even if maybe the models were scanned to allow for movement in ways that traditional stop-motion filming might not allow – interactivity in games makes things a little tricky, after all. Even the most miniscule detail has a certain meticulousness about it that makes the whole experience that much more compelling. I like to imagine this is the big reason there’s a dedicated zoom button while Harold is wandering around, simply so players can really stop for a moment and try to get a better look at the silly gibberish on the wall or the texture of a door. (Image credit: Slow Bros) “The handcrafted, stop-motion look and feel to this world makes every imperfection just another lovely detail” “The handcrafted, stop-motion look and feel to this world makes every imperfection just another lovely detail” Aside from the occasional animation issue, and one particularly troublesome bug that prevented me from interacting with a character during a specific chapter without the game becoming unresponsive, Harold Halibut was technically smooth sailing. There’s a lot of moving back and forth between various districts on the FEDORA I, and interacting with a wide range of objects and minigames like odd recreations of fictional arcade games, navigating an RC car with a camera attached to it through vents, and so on. And beyond a few hiccups, it all worked just fine. Handmade Feelings (Image credit: Slow Bros) Given this is a narrative adventure game at heart with relatively few overall puzzles and choices, I’m loath to spoil anything in this review beyond the fact that I found the writing surprisingly poignant at times. I’d come in expecting Harold Halibut to be unusual and funny, and the writing certainly is those things, but I’d not actually expected it to be moving. More than once, I found myself deep in my feelings about a conversation Harold was having – or even a song he was singing. Few games have managed to invoke that in me like Harold Halibut has. Harold Halibut is beautifully messy. The handcrafted, stop-motion look and feel to its world makes every imperfection just another lovely detail. In some ways, I extend that feeling to the rest of the game’s design, which simply adds what is perhaps a more forgiving layer than most might. A game doesn’t need to be perfect in order to be uniquely compelling. Harold Halibut certainly isn’t, and yet I would happily recommend it to anyone that’d listen. Disclaimer More info More CATEGORIESXbox Series XPS5PC GamingPlatformsXboxPlayStation CATEGORIES More about harold halibutHarold Halibut’s gorgeous handmade stop-motion world feels totally worth the waitHarold Halibut is a retro-futuristic narrative adventure game that takes place in the depths of an alien oceanLatestThis GameSir G8+ Bluetooth controller has made my Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons collect dust and I couldn’t be happierSee more latest► More about harold halibutHarold Halibut’s gorgeous handmade stop-motion world feels totally worth the waitHarold Halibut is a retro-futuristic narrative adventure game that takes place in the depths of an alien oceanLatestThis GameSir G8+ Bluetooth controller has made my Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons collect dust and I couldn’t be happierSee more latest► More about harold halibutHarold Halibut’s gorgeous handmade stop-motion world feels totally worth the waitHarold Halibut is a retro-futuristic narrative adventure game that takes place in the depths of an alien ocean More about harold halibut Harold Halibut’s gorgeous handmade stop-motion world feels totally worth the waitHarold Halibut is a retro-futuristic narrative adventure game that takes place in the depths of an alien ocean Harold Halibut’s gorgeous handmade stop-motion world feels totally worth the wait Harold Halibut’s gorgeous handmade stop-motion world feels totally worth the wait Harold Halibut is a retro-futuristic narrative adventure game that takes place in the depths of an alien ocean Harold Halibut is a retro-futuristic narrative adventure game that takes place in the depths of an alien ocean LatestThis GameSir G8+ Bluetooth controller has made my Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons collect dust and I couldn’t be happierSee more latest► Latest This GameSir G8+ Bluetooth controller has made my Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons collect dust and I couldn’t be happier This GameSir G8+ Bluetooth controller has made my Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons collect dust and I couldn’t be happier This 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review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”