Slow Bros. embarked on their journey to create Harold Halibut back in 2012, driven by a shared love for stop-motion animation and the quirky humor reminiscent of films by acclaimed director Wes Anderson. The game’s development has been a labor of love, with the team pouring their hearts and souls into crafting a captivating narrative experience.
The tale centers around Harold Halibut, the eponymous character of the game. He serves as a youthful lab assistant aboard the Fedora I, a spaceship that departed Earth in the 1970s. After about 200 years, the vessel crashes onto an oceanic planet, where it remains submerged for half a century. Harold, Despite facing adversity and often being treated with disdain by his peers, remains steadfast in his commitment to serving the crew of the Fedora.
Accompanying Harold on his journey are a colorful array of seafaring characters, each with their own idiosyncrasies and quirks. From the ship’s police officer to the cantankerous scientist, Jeanne Mareaux, the interactions between Harold and his fellow crew members add depth and complexity to the narrative.
At the heart of “Welcome to the Fedora” lies a tapestry of conversations that delve into themes ranging from love and loss to religion and late-stage capitalism. Players find themselves immersed in Harold’s world as they navigate through the intricacies of his relationships with the various denizens of the Fedora.
While the gameplay may appear simplistic at first glance, the true beauty lies in the subtlety of the interactions between Harold and the other characters. Whether it’s assisting the general store owner with marital issues or mediating disputes between elderly twins, players are tasked with unraveling the intricacies of human relationships in a submerged world.
Exploring Deeper Themes, Alien, and Political Agenda
Throughout the game, players are treated to moments of introspection as Harold grapples with existential questions about the nature of existence and the meaning of life. This because we are stranded away to the deep of a Planet that full of ocean for a half of century. Far-far away from families will make people questioning the meaning of everything, right? The political agenda lies behind it too when their family from Earth were trying to connect to people of Fedora. Earth has been searched the Fedora spaceship for years.
At the same time, CEO of All Water want to launch the project to reach the surface. And most of Fedora’s people didnt know it. They are so many lies beneath it, and Harold is the subject to be involved despite he tried to deny it.
The Story is Slow-Burned and Will Make You Bored
Across the six chapters of Harold Halibut, I bet most players will grow tired or glued to other activities, like playing another game on the phone. The game suffers from noticeable pacing issues that occasionally hinder immersion in the storyline. Additionally, the repetitive back-and-forth movement became tiresome, leaving most people yearning for a more engaging experience – much like Harold’s longing for a better existence beyond the confines of the Fedora.
Nevertheless, the stunning visuals from Stop-Motion are really captivating. It will refresh any boredom in every heavy Unreal Engine game. Unfortunately, this storyline isn’t as developed as I’d hoped, and a slightly shorter game duration would have made it easier to recommend to fans of classic adventure games.
Overall, Harold Halibut offers good value for money, but those prone to quick boredom may want to pass on this one. Fortunately, the game is available for Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.
