Harold Halibut triumphs in its characters and visuals but does struggle to remain afloat under the weight of its scope and ambitions.
By Kurt Indovina on April 16, 2024 at 9:58AM PDT
In Harold Halibut, you assume the role of a humble maintenance worker on board a spaceship lodged underwater. To the inhabitants of the ship, Harold is a delightful, friendly, and somewhat gullible chap who is beloved for his uncomplicated nature and his willingness to carry out his duties. Part of his tasks include cleaning, removing graffiti, and fixing appliances. When he finishes these tasks, his day concludes, and he goes off to sleep – only to repeat the cycle the next day. This summarises Harold as a surface level character, but hidden beneath the superficial perception, is a deeply introspective character who often reflects on his life through hastily scrawled images in a notebook, or by expressing himself through crude theatrics when alone, such as singing and conducting histrionic performances while cleaning up a filtration system. As players, we get exclusive access to this side of Harold. Although he doesn’t fully grasp it, Harold is a complicated character as he constantly tries to be introspective and investigate his own curiosity and existence while confined in a spaceship – a place he was born and raised in. However, he is not always able to comprehend what he is searching for.
The game Harold Halibut is quite comparable to its eponymous character: its unique, handcrafted aesthetic and enjoyable, straightforward gameplay make it appear to be loveable and attractive on the surface. But just underneath that simple layer is a narrative that attempts to provoke questions about self-analysis and self-worth, despite the game not always being able to comprehend them or identify its most potent aspects.
Harold Halibut effectively delves into multifaceted themes and concepts by examining its environment. The FEDORA spaceship was conceived during the Cold War to evacuate Earth on a 200-year journey to find a new home, however, it discovered a planet without land. With no options left, the FEDORA crash dives into the planet, trapping its dwellers in the ocean depths they’ve since accustomed to living in. On a parallel note, Harold’s guide and local scientist, Mareaux, is exploring alternatives to power up the ship and return it to space to seek a more appropriate planet to colonize.
As Harold, you experience daily life on the FEDORA, observing its inhabitants, learning about the ship’s politics, and its inner mechanisms. Life on the ship can be mundane, checking off Harold’s daily tasks on his digital assistant as you navigate life in the eccentric retro-futuristic spaceship. However, life for Harold takes a unique twist after the discovery of a fish-like humanoid creature onboard, bringing a fresh perspective on the planet they’ve inadvertently shared all this time. This revelation upturns Harold’s perceived monotonous life, sparking a curiosity about the unknown worlds beyond his existing reality.
Harold Halibut stands out visually, owing to its entirely handmade gaming elements. Every character, clothing item, furniture piece, teapot, mug, floorboard, and all other elements were fashioned by hand in the real world and then digitally moved into the 3D gaming universe. This feature arguably makes Harold Halibut one of the most visually captivating games of the year. While it’s tempting to get lost in the stunning visuals, it’s really the game’s universe and its inhabitants that define its strongest attributes.
Harold Halibut offers exploration, dialogue selection, and the occasional low-stakes mini-games. The emphasis of Harold Halibut is on its world and the characters dwelling there — outside of the story, this is the game’s strength. The experience of playing as Harold is made more immersive by the characters you engage with, providing a sense of closeness and over time, a feeling of layered complexity, revealing a much happening world inside the game — the game’s crowning accomplishment.
During my 18 hours of gameplay, I encountered nearly two dozen characters, each infused with vibrant storylines that I couldn’t help but love. Even with the thrill of alien species discovery or the urgency of finding a power-source for the ship, it was the personal connections with the inhabitants of the FEDORA that drove me to explore further. Memorable characters ranged from the humorous sports store owner Slippie to the strict Major who enforced the rules of the ship, each contributing to the rich tapestry of personalities aboard.
While interaction with these characters is not mandatory, the game’s pivotal and emotional moments are tied to them. They infuse life into the dialogues and the world around the FEDORA, regardless of their tangential relations to the central plot. The conversations may come across as trivial in the context of the overarching narrative, but they are irreplaceable for the realistic feel they lend to this meticulously crafted world.
However, with the multitude of characters, it became challenging to remember each one’s identity and location early on in the gameplay. The lack of any waypoints in the game led to a more immersive experience as it pushed me to learn by finding my way around the ship. Yet, this can lead to some confusion and wasted time. A built-in glossary or a similar feature as part of Harold’s PDA could have provided a helpful tool to keep track and orient myself better.
In terms of the uniqueness, every character stood apart, both visually and ideologically, despite the shared experience of life in a confined underwater colony. Their individual narratives lend believability to the world of the FEDORA and give the game a strong emotional core that overshadows all other storylines. However, the game struggles sometimes with the balancing act of fully exploring these characters alongside its grander narrative pursuits.
Its wide array of characters exhibit an overabundance of ideas and narratives which drive the main plot. This includes aspects like revealing hidden corporate motives, shedding light on a clandestine society, and the pressing need to discover an energy source for the FEDORA. While these elements are undoubtedly essential to weave a bigger story, they appear too expansive for the confined scale of Harold Halibut.
The world that Harold inhabits is confined within a spaceship; a fascinating scenario that begins to overlap with an alien world he has resided on. Harold befriends the extraterrestrial inhabitants referred to as the Flumuylum, whose philosophy is drastically different from human beings. Being similar to human-like fish, they float through life, observing and existing, with a minimal outlook on life. This outlook contrasts sharply against Harold’s monotonous life that includes following orders and meeting expectations, often serving the objectives of the ship’s corporate culture and obeying random rules. With the progression of the game, the difference between Harold’s life and that of the Flumuylum take up several hours until Harold undergoes a rapid crash course of existentialism, making him question his control over his life.
Harold’s sudden self-exploration journey is inserted among the tales and ideologies of other characters, along with the game’s broad plots and conspiracies. The lack of focus makes it difficult to emphasize any idea or theme. For instance, one scene lightly touches upon industrialization, pollution, and animal product consumption by humans, without mentioning it afterward or establishing a clear purpose. Consequently, these appear more like passing worries rather than kernels of deep thought.
The game’s attempt to intertwine its character, story, and themes results in confusion. Owing to the essential role of all characters in the core game experience, hampers the focus on individuals. Harold becomes the primary character with an in-depth narrative arc – from being an errand boy to having a meaningful life. However, this leaves other characters’ narratives feeling incomplete. By the time the climax unfolds, the interest has shifted to character development rather than the events leading up to the climax.
Harold Halibut shines the most when delving into the intricate character dynamics and their mutual connections. However, the drive to carve a dramatic climax somewhat puts the hours invested in developing character rapport into shade, giving more prominence to less intriguing plot lines.
As per Buddy the mailman, a character from the game, “every person on this ship is a universe in themselves.” In a narrative featuring a man stuck on a ship, eager to comprehend his self better, these unique viewpoints and lives should form the principal narratives for Harold’s expedition. Every aspect of Harold Halibut’s universe and its inhabitants has been painstakingly molded by individuals who genuinely care for him and his tale. Even though the story buckles under its lofty aspirations, the humane intricacies infused into each segment are palpable. These constitute the core and essence of the game, leaving an indelible imprint on me.
