Horace Analysis – A robot with a human soul

Horace will learn human behavior based on leaps and experiences, with its faults and qualities

Do you remember a novel and/or a movie called bicentennial man? It tells the story of a robot that acquires human awareness and critical thinking by interacting with people. A science fiction story that tells us virtues and defects of humanity, and talks about life, death, freedom or even slavery, among other subjects. Taking over, the boys of 505 Games 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, as it goes through phases and phases based on jumps.

welcome to your new home

Through a very colorful and pixelated aesthetic, we We’ll be watching Horace since the day he started with his new family. Little by little, he will learn certain ethical and moral values ​​while doing housework, until a tragic accident comes to break his plans and cause a state of shock.

From this moment, we will be disconnected from the earthly world. A war will occur in our disconnected state, altering our rhythm of life, the known places and the social status that we had. Fortunately, we will have a task of obtaining a million pieces of scrap that will occupy our minds and at the same time, We will pick up our family members who are still alive…although they don’t all have the same intentions and aren’t equally nice.

jumps with excitement

Horace gives a lot of importance to the plot that develops, being a fundamental element at all times and one of the hooks that will keep us glued to the screen. The number of situations that we are going to experience is matched only by the platforming phases that we will have in front of us. And be careful, because these are difficult levels despite the apparent childish tone that the title may have.

Although at the beginning we will have the basics to be able to overcome each screen, we will have several improvements that will make our robot a real machine for watch hop. Shoes that will stick us to the walls, vacuum cleaners to collect the waste beforehand, passing through 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 while fleeing a huge animal, to those in prisons where stealth takes precedence over our ability to jump.

Journey to the past

The thing does not stop there. Personally, Horace stands out in those surprise moments where the title has radically changed its gameplay. Of sequences where we will plan in a kind of phase carried out in the classic super nintendo 7 fashion, to chases with a three-dimensional character or even challenges at the style Guitar Hero . These surprise changes are very nice to break up the platforming monotony. And if included with nods to other classic games like a game of Pong, Outrun and derivatives, there is a very varied product.

Where is an update for our robot?

Despite its story, mechanics, and humor, there are aspects of Horace that don’t quite fit. The main problems are the jumps of our robot. Let’s just say that Horace packs a punch…and it shows when looking for the precision needed in the most complex moments of the platforms. Inertia also has its primary role, and you will have to perfectly master the race you are going to do before taking your feet off the ground. I also find certain repetition of mechanics which can become tiresome. It’s nice that there’s a screen where you can use the Anti-Gravity Shoes, but when you spend two hours flipping each screen, it all starts to feel heavy.

In its audiovisual section we are faced with a marvel. Especially considering that the game was developed by almost two people: Paul Helman and Sean Scaplehorn . I love the change of planes in the game, alternating the “big pixel” when the camera is zoomed, and a more detailed pixel if we are in larger settings. Moreover, the title does not remain anchored in a particular style, and we will find the most picturesque situations which break what is stipulated by the title itself.

The whole story, told by Horace himself, is in perfect English which is very pleasing to the ears. Of course, if we don’t master Shakespeare’s language very well, 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 which overflows the game on all four sides.

Conclusion of Horace

Platform game enthusiasts can rub their hands in the game developed by Paul Helman and Sean Scaplehorn in collaboration with 505 Games. In addition to being a stimulating and varied proposal, it contains an intrigue that engages and keeps us glued to the screen at all times. It is true that some mechanics can become repetitive, but they are balanced by a series of very well implemented mini-games. If you want to know the life and work of Horace, don’t miss this little independent gem.