Combining an underwater atmosphere with self-reflective humour and narrative exploration, Harold Halibut has today been announced for a PC and console release.
Unfortunately we won’t be seeing Harold Halibut until 2019, but with Curve Digital teaming up with the Cologne-based development team at Slow Bros., chances are it’ll most definitely be something to keep an eye on.
Delivered with a fantastic and unique art style, Harold Halibut aims to bridge the gap between analogue and digital art, with Slow Bros. sculpting, painting, and gluing together the models and puppets that make up the world of Harold Halibut, before leaving it to a team of digital artists to render these objects into the virtual space.
But what is Harold Halibut? Well, it tells the tale of a clumsy lab-assistant and janitor who was born on a submerged spaceship that crash-landed on an alien planet made entirely of water. Never knowing what life was like on Earth, Harold spends much of his time daydreaming about what’s beyond the subterranean vessel in which he is bound. After spotting an unidentified swimming object, Harold becomes obsessed with uncovering the mystery behind this aquatic planet.
“Harold Halibut started out as a dinner table conversation about the adventure games we played as children,” said Slow Bros. designer, writer, and composer Onat Hekimoglu. “We soon started building dollhouse sized sets and puppets in our bedrooms. The result works like a game but it looks like a stop motion film. Welded metal, carefully sewn textiles against tiny wooden floorboards, and clay faces the size of walnuts pull the player into Harold’s world.”
“We are beyond excited to be partnering with Slow Bros. on Harold Halibut,” said Simon Byron, Publishing Director at Curve Digital. “The sheer amount of work and intricate detail that Harold Halibut brings blew us away, and we can’t wait to show you all more.”
If you wish to know even more – or jsut check out the fantastic art style – then you can find the announcement for Harold Halibut right down below. Don’t forget to let us know what you think by posting in the comments at the end of this article.
