Torchlight Developers Reveal Hob, an Exploratory Game with Contextual Narrative

Hob is coming to both consoles and the PC, and looking at the announcement, it seems the game will play best with a controller, as it promises “smooth controller gameplay, multi-layered puzzles, and striking visuals”. Screenshots show our avatar – who remains nameless, with his smaller robotic companion likely being the eponymous Hob – scaling walls by clinging to vines.

Massive gears turn their teeth, shifting ancient monoliths into place.

Hob is about on a gorgeous and dicy mysterious whole world, with the use of bustling life span above and the whirrs of puzzling equipment below. The more players delve into the world’s design, the more they uncover a planet in peril.

Hob is presented without text or dialogue.

Hob is gifted without the need for content or discussion. The game won’t feature text or dialog at all, instead telling its story strictly through the gameplay.

The game’s overcome is outlined as “like this type of…”

The studio announced its newest game, Hob, in a press release today. In that same interview, Runic president Marsh Lefler cited Ico and Shadow of the Colossus as inspirations for their next project: The sense of awe and wonder. “I don’t understand”, he said. Players will unlock abilities and powers as they progress through the game. Runic will have the mysterious title available for players to try out next week at PAX Prime. If the game’s already playable this month, I imagine we won’t have to wait too long for the full version to arrive.