Hob

While we were waiting for Torchlight III, the folks at Runic instead gave us Hob. And for me, that's a good thing. You'll immediately recognize the Runic style in this game. It's really cute, and it shows a tremendous attention to detail. The animations are wonderful. It's really fun to just run and climb around. Everything feels fluid and well done (that's on a fast rig, I have no idea yet how it scales down on older hardware). I enjoy all the little touches, all the various animals fluttering and scurrying around. The one thing I'm not particularly fond of is the fixed camera angles - a thing I can never get used to. It's not as annoying as in other games, though, so no major complaint. The bright side is that you'll always be able to see what you can do in any given moment. I'm enjoying myself a lot - so much so see!

I'll expand on my review when I complete the game, but there are a few things worth mentioning for potential buyers: 1.) The game crashes every once in a while. I have ~4 hours of playtime and have experienced 2 crashes on a 4790k, 980ti, and a 2TB Seagate ST2000DM. 2.) There are clipping and collision issues in some nooks, so be prepared to use the "Respawn" function a few times. You'll probably get stuck once or twice in the first few hours. 3.) There's a game-breaking "skip"/exploit/bug/whatever which you can by bypassing an environmental barrier early on without the necessary equipment to return to the hub world or complete the level you've entered. It's extremely subtle, so be wary. Here's a video of it: https://youtu.be/leT_MMWPeaI if you don't understand why it's game-breaking, read the description. This does not spoil anything, I promise. It's still a great game though.

Really enjoying this game. I'm 7 hours in at the moment and there is still plenty to do and discover. There is no obvious tutorial but you quickly pick up what does what by pressing buttons (there are also hints on the loading screens). The art style is really nice, I don't have the most up to date computer but it still looks good. I noticed one of the reviews mentioning there is no mini map, however there was one for me, you just have to get to a certain point in the game for it to open up. I bought this on a whim but would highly recommend, especially for the price tag on release! There is a lot more to this game than it first looks. I really hope this game does well for Runic, as I already want a sequel! (It would also make a good game on the switch)

Hob is a nice and fun no dialogues game. First, I love the art that went into the game. The attention to details into the levels make the game so alive. The mechanic seem to work pretty well. I got some cheap death because of twitchy landing area when jumping...nothing major. I saw some fps issues in some areas. When there are a lot particules and sunray (bloom) effect, you can feel the fps struggling...and I have a good PC. The story is mysterious and revolve around exploring. You have combat with a sword, but the main part of the game is activating puzzles, opening areas, finding upgrades. The world is quite elaborate and you will switch to the map quite often. There is no minimap but I find it acceptable in this case. I give it a 85%, and with fixes it should get better.