Harold Is One Game To Look Out For

Set to release in just a few days on the 14th of February, Harold looks to be such a promising puzzler, one that unfortunately isn’t getting the attention it deserves. It not only has really interesting mechanics, but possesses a wonderful soundtrack that is made by the immensely talented Olivier Deriviere.

In this game, you play as a guardian angel in training that is assigned to protect Harold on his run throughout various treacherous terrains. It is a puzzler that is controlled by different gestures via your mouse. To get a better idea of how the game works, check out the trailer above.

However, the main draw of the game is its Disney like style and spectacular animation that is accompanied by excellent music. In fact, the characters’ aesthetics and the environmental design are far from generic, and definitely serves as the identity of the game.

 

The music, whether intentional or not, sounds very similar to Alan Silvestri’s take on Lilo & Stitch at times. Olivier has not only composed it so that it is exciting as an in-game soundtrack, but also so that it is great as a standalone listen. However, on his bandcamp page, from where you can buy the soundtrack for less than it’s worth, Olivier makes a fair point that this is a soundtrack written to be experienced first through the game.

 

Basically, the music escalates as you play the game, upping the ante. The lyrics and melodies are uniquely tailored to each situation with each melody carefully layering over one another. My personal favourite has to be Harold Dessert, which uses very motivational lyrics to keep you going.

I would really recommend that you visit the Steam page, and check out the music samples over at Olivier’s soundcloud page, and if you like them, buy the soundtrack from Bandcamp. February 14th can’t come soon enough!