Review of The Excavation of Hob's Barrow by Overmann.ita
Rating by Overmann.ita posted on Oct 28, 2022 | edit | delete
A very solid mystery horror adventure game
This is a really polished and well crafted game, doesn’t look indie at all in its writing and design. It’s not just a well made yet cold experience though: even if it is not “funny” or “thrilling”, Hob’s Barrow is a sober experience with a deep research and a consistent representation about rural England, and a story good enough to keep you interested throughout the not-so-short game experience.
The protagonist, Thomasina Bateman, comes to life thanks to excellent voice acting and backstory writing about her family, her past and what motivates her actions. She’s a bit Kate Walker a bit Lara Croft, and impersonating her while she arrives in a small village populated mainly by old chaps that are not exactly welcoming has been engaging (you can choose how to react to certain dialogues even if this will not impact the story).
The remaining roster is made of good characters as well, the old sweet lady, the funny kids, the many men of few words who are a bit mysterious, but each one with a very distinct characterization.
Gameplay is really well balanced: the game starts as a narrative experience with lots of dialogue to introduce the player to the village and its inhabitants, then switches to a more inventory puzzle oriented design, and ends with a Myst like experience in the final chapter.
Even if I’m not a fan of such a “siloed” experience (I like Syberia’s style the most, in which you have a good mix of gameplay for all of your adventure) I must admit every section has been well designed and is never too boring or too hard, despite some rare pacing issues which are unavoidable when you’re writing a serious game with a unique location and try to fill it with puzzles too.
Sure this is not a game for everyone, since the horror is much more cosmic then based on jump scares, it’s not a detective game, a bizarre game full of funny moments or one where you travel the world in search of exotic adventures.
But if Lovecraft is your cup of tea and you’re a fan of folk horror, this will definetely be a hit.
Read the review »
Time Played: 5-10 hours
