Hubert Review – Being a Good Dog Is Hard Work

Taking care of sheep sounds like a reasonably easy job, especially when you have four legs and a powerful bark. It makes perfect sense to us but, unfortunately, nobody seems to have explained this to the sheep. Hubert, developed by Brocap Studio, is a game that cutely puts us in the paws of an enthusiastic, albeit inexperienced sheepdog trying to prove himself in a story-driven adventure that combines farm work with some rather unexpected dangers.

A Dog’s Life

Hubert accompanies Lily, a young girl who manages to convince a grumpy farmer to give them work and accommodation. The problem is that Hubert isn’t exactly a trained sheepdog, and the farmer expects results. The good thing is that we’re given an opportunity to learn the job before the responsibilities become too demanding.

We control Hubert from a third-person perspective, with herding forming one of the game’s main activities. Rather than having the sheep follow us automatically, we need to approach them from the correct direction and bark to make them move away. Our position determines where the animals run, so getting behind the flock is important. An early objective involves chasing a runaway lamb, which teaches us how to influence its movement before we’re asked to guide larger groups. Later, we have to gather 30 scattered sheep, bring them together, and guide the entire flock toward a designated location.

The animals don’t always behave as expected. Sheep can wander in unexpected directions or become stuck against obstacles, making an otherwise straightforward task considerably more troublesome. We suppose real sheep aren’t particularly cooperative either, but there’s only so much stubbornness we can appreciate before the joke gets old.

A Nose for Trouble

Hubert’s other important ability is his sense of smell. Activating scent mode reveals trails that lead toward objectives, missing animals, and useful objects. This comes in handy because much of the adventure involves helping Lily with everyday tasks. We search a barn for a crowbar, retrieve sticks during playtime, find fuel to get Lily’s car running, and carry wooden planks to help repair a fence.

These are actual objectives rather than optional distractions, and they demonstrate how frequently the game relies on retrieving objects. Scent tracking makes finding them easier, although there’s a limitation worth mentioning: the special view only remains active briefly. We can’t keep following a visible trail indefinitely, which means repeatedly activating the ability while moving toward our destination.

There are optional collectibles to discover, too, including comics and designated locations where Hubert can howl or mark his territory. Yes, the game even lets us answer nature’s call, because no dog adventure would be complete without that particular activity.

Beyond the Farm

Life becomes more dangerous once wolves enter the picture. Hubert’s adventure takes us through forests, caves, and mountainous terrain, with occasional platforming challenges and stealth sequences interrupting the usual farm duties. During one early stealth objective, we must sneak past the farmer by crouching and using scent mode to identify his detection area. Later, we encounter a sleeping bear that requires a similarly careful approach.

There are also fights against wolves. Combat involves locking onto an opponent, avoiding its charges, and biting when an opportunity presents itself. The encounters are fairly simple, with limited room for elaborate tactics.

Between chapters, Hubert experiences dream sequences in which we follow a mysterious light, navigate platforms, and gradually learn about his past. His voiced inner monologue provides much of the humor, although the frequent jokes and references to other games can feel somewhat out of place when the story turns serious.

Good Doggo!

Our score: 7.5/10