Hob: The Definitive Edition

Genre: Action-RPG

Players: 1

.

Review:

Hob is an Action-RPG released on PC and PlayStation 4 in 2017, with a “Definitive Edition” of the game releasing on Nintendo Switch in 2019 with a selection of added features and improvements, including HD rumble and touchscreen support, more streamlined menus, and (minimal) camera control options. I might be inclined to say this is the definitive version of the game, but none of these features are really transformative, and the graphical downgrade makes it more of an even tradeoff.

On that note, the presentation in Hob is still quite good, making use of nice-looking 3D visuals with some slight cel-shading effects, though the Nintendo Switch release of the game sees some nasty framerate drops in areas. It’s not enough to ruin this version of the game, but it’s absolutely noticeable. These visuals are joined by a largely atmospheric soundtrack that does a great job enhancing the wonder and mystery of the world in the game.

Hob’s gameplay has players working their way through a world full of old devices and machines, manipulating them to open up more areas and gain access to more abilities. The world is interesting and the devices fascinating, though the game’s lack of any sort of language or instruction can make for some problems – the signposting here isn’t great, especially early on as you’re still getting a grasp on your abilities, and even later you’ll often only have a vague end goal pinpointed on a map with no indication how you’re expected to get there.

You would think, for example, that once you get a metal arm you can start interacting with everything that has a hand symbol on it, but in actuality hand symbols in different places mean different things, and it’s only through a lot of frustration and trial and error that you’ll realize what you can and can’t do yet. You’ll also find progress gated behind jumps it’s not clear you can make, or are even meant to make.

Another example I can point to is early on, a cube block sits just out of reach of a platform you need to get to, marks on the ground clearly indicating it has been pushed. Well, that’s a sure hint that you need to push the block to get to the platform, right? No! In actuality, you can’t push the block at all, and what you’re meant to do is jump off the opposite side of the block and take a circuitous path hidden in the background to get to the platform in question. Oh, and heaven help you if you forget where the upgrade forge is and want to get your character upgraded without resorting to a wiki. Add to all of this combat that’s clunky and has no finesse, although thankfully this is a small part of the game.

Despite all my complaining, I do still like Hob. The world is interesting, and the machines you’re messing with are really compelling to puzzle out. But this game aims to be a minimalist experience in ways that the game’s designers just don’t seem prepared to deliver on, and this results in an experience that’s often just as frustrating as it is delightful. For fans of Action-RPG games, I do still recommend this, but I strongly feel like more playtesting could have addressed the issues present here.

tl;dr – Hob is an Action-RPG that has players exploring a world filled with machines they need to manipulate to progress, and while the world and its machines are fantastic, the game’s poor signposting and a few other problems make for an unnecessary amount of frustration. This is still worth checking out, but it definitely feels like it could have benefitted from more playtesting.

Grade: B-

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}

^{This month’s sponsors are Ben, Andy Miller, Exlene, Homer Simpin, Johannes, Francis Obst, Gabriel Coronado-Medina, Ilya Zverev, Jared Wark, Kristoffer Wulff, and Seth Christenfeld. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!}