Horace will learn human behavior based on jumps and experiences, with its defects and its qualities
Do you remember a novel and/or movie called The bicentennial man? It tells the story of a robot that gains human awareness and critical thinking as it interacts with people. A science fiction story that tells us the virtues and defects of humanity, and talks about life, death, freedom or even slavery, among other topics. Taking that baton, the boys from 505 Games along with Paul Helman and Sean Scaplehorn They have developed Horace, a work that invites us to live the experiences of a robot with its human family, while it goes through phases and phases based on jumps.
welcome to your new home
Through a very colorful and pixelated aesthetic, we We will monitor Horace from the day he first started with his new family. Little by little, he will learn certain ethical and moral values while doing the housework, until a tragic accident breaks his schemes and induce a state of shock.
From that moment on, we will be disconnected from the earthly world. A war will happen in our state of disconnection, altering our rhythm of life, known places and social status that we had. Luckily, we will have a task consisting of getting a million pieces of scrap that will keep our minds busy and at the same time, We will go looking for the members of our family who are still alive… although not all of them continue to have the same intentions nor will they be as nice.
jumps with excitement
Horace puts a lot of emphasis on the plot that is developing, being a fundamental part at all times and one of the hooks that will keep us glued to the screen. The number of situations that we will experience are only matched by the platform phases that we will have ahead of us. And be careful, because they are challenging levels despite the apparent childish tone that the title may have.
Although at first we will have the basics to be able to overcome each screen, we will be getting several improvements that will make our robot a real machine for matar hop. From shoes that will stick us to the walls, vacuum cleaners to pick up the junk beforehand, to other artifacts to be able to dive without dying trying. Endless gadgets that will be important to help our friends. The phases will also have their differentiations. From the typical phases where we go against the clock fleeing from a huge animal, to those in prisons where stealth prevails over our ability to jump.
Journey to the past
The thing does not stop here. Personally, Horace stands out in those surprise moments where the title radically changed its gameplay. From sequences where we will plan in a kind of phase carried out in the classic super nintendo mode 7, to chases with a three-dimensional character or even challenges to the style Guitar Hero . These surprise changes are very nice to break the monotony of platforming. And if they are included with nods to other classic games such as a game of Pong, Outrun and derivatives, there is a very varied product.
Where is an update of our robot?
Despite his story, mechanics and humor, there are aspects of Horace that do not quite fit. The main problems are the jumps of our robot. Let’s just say that Horace has weight… and it shows when looking for the necessary precision in the most complex moments of platforms. Inertia also has its leading role, and we will have to perfectly control the run we will take before taking our feet off the ground. I also find certain repetition of mechanics that can get boring. It’s great that there is a screen where you can use the anti-gravity shoes, but when you spend two hours flipping each screen, everything starts to feel heavy.
In its audiovisual section, we are facing a marvel. Especially considering that the game has been developed by almost two people: Paul Helman and Sean Scaplehorn . I love the change of planes that the game has, alternating the “fat pixel” when the camera is zoomed in, and a more detailed pixel if we are in larger settings. In addition, the title does not remain anchored in a particular style, and we will find some of the most picturesque situations that break what is stipulated by the title itself.
The entire story, narrated by Horace himself, is in perfect English that is very pleasant to the ears. Of course, if we are not very proficient with the language of Shakespeare, we can always put the texts in our language. And now to give more packaging to the final product, its soundtrack stands out, with classic pieces adapted to the MIDI style that overflows the game on all four sides.
Horace’s Conclusion
Lovers of platform titles can rub their hands with the game developed by Paul Helman and Sean Scaplehorn together with 505 Games. Apart from being a challenging and varied proposal, it contains a plot that engages and keeps us glued to the screen at all times. It is true that some mechanics can become repetitive, but they are counteracted with a series of very well implemented mini-games. If you want to know the life and work of Horace, do not miss this little indie gem.
Horace
14.99€
Pros
- challenging platforms
- There are many mini-games and nods to the past.
- Visually it is very remarkable
Cons
- Some playable mechanics can be heavy
- Badly measured difficulty curve… especially for those who are not very skilled with platform games
- So much looking for scrap… it can get tiring