Harold First Impressions

Harold Game Logo

When I went to this year’s Penny Arcade Expo, I was on the hunt for unique gems on display at the main hall. One game in particular caught my eye behind the dance stage Harmonix had set up for their upcoming game. Let me talk about my experience with the demo of Harold.

Next year Harold is set to come out on all major digital platforms, including Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and PC. Developed by Moonspider Studios, Harold definitely stands out in style and presentation. Apparently Disney animators worked on the game, and it shows in the environment design and character animations.

The basic premise is that you are a guardian spirit that guides marathon runner Harold through his races. You can make Harold jump, manipulate the course so that Harold moves through it at the fastest race, and even through use of a limited energy meter cause Harold to speed up for a temporary period. It gets even better when you realize that you need to hinder Harold’s competition to retain the maximum amount of energy. For example, right before another runner boards a platform, you can move it out of the way and send that runner to his or her doom before moving the platform back for Harold to use. Harold and the runners will reappear beyond the obstacle if they fail to traverse it properly, but the other runners are naturally faster and will automatically overcome an obstacle if you don’t screw with it timely.

In my time with the game, I learned how to control Harold and to manipulate various obstacles like moving platforms and rickety bridges, which Harold will tiptoe across if you don’t shake the bridge and force him to awkwardly hop across it. I could beat a few of the runners in the desert stage I demoed, but I couldn’t even fathom getting first place in this specific race. The underlying game mechanics allow a skilled player to look ahead and minimize Harold’s race time and maximize misfortune inflicted on his competition. No matter how well you play, the game’s cartoon presentation means you should give it a try when it’s ready for the public release.