Games · Purchased March 24, 2023 · $6.74 via PSN
The Setup
A PSN sale finally got me to pick up Hob, six years after it originally released. It’s a wordless action-adventure from the Torchlight developers — the whole story is told through visuals alone, as you explore a mechanical alien world, solve environmental puzzles, and gradually unlock new powers and areas.
The Review
It’s a genuinely gorgeous, atmospheric world that rewards just wandering around and poking at things. The puzzle design is smart without being obtuse, and there’s a real sense of discovery to it that a lot of modern open-world games have lost. Combat is the weak link — functional but clumsy, and the fixed camera has cost me a couple of avoidable deaths.
What I Liked
- Gorgeous, atmospheric world that rewards exploration
- Smart, non-obvious puzzle design
- Wordless storytelling that still lands
What I Didn’t
- Wordless narrative can leave the plot murky
- Fixed camera causes a few unfair deaths
- Combat feels clumsy next to the exploration
The Verdict
Rating: 4/5
