Hob Soundtrack, Matt Uelmen, 2017
With their two Torchlight titles – particularly the excellent Torchlight II – developer Runic Games had established their credentials in the action RPG space, even managing to hold their ground against all-mighty rivals like Diablo III. Their next title was Hob, which shifted focus towards an open-world adventure that bore a clear debt to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The world of Hob is a giant machine made of myriads of levers, dials and pulleys that the title character must utilise to repair and cleanse the land, which a mysterious force has corrupted. Hob’s concept of its realm as a titanic mechanical contraption is appealing and the perfect set-up for many visual wonders and intriguing puzzles, although reviewers also pointed out the game’s more frustrating aspects, for example its combat.
