Darwin’s Paradox! Review
Back in the day, you didn’t need a skill tree or RPG mechanics in your platformers. Back in the day controllers were always plugged into the system. Back in the day, every game didn’t need rogue-lite elements. I reminisce about the good old days because Darwin’s Paradox! sparked up a lot of nostalgia for PS1 platforming classics like Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey and Heart of Darkness.
There are the obvious surface parallels like being a fish out of water, literally in the case of Darwin, and trying to escape an extremely hostile environment, but the main similarity is the focus on the core experience. Darwin’s Paradox! is a cinematic puzzle-platformer that shines a spotlight on the unique abilities of an octopus because it’s not trying to incorporate elements from nine different genres. Unfortunately, just like most retro games, the adventure lacked emotional investment, there were some technical hiccups and the ending was unsatisfying, but with plenty of variety, excellent pacing and a whimsical world, Darwin’s Paradox! is an endearing adventure that was full of personality.
Back in the day a game like Darwin’s Paradox would’ve become a cult classic and it feels destined to become one today as well.
8
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DARWIN’S PARADOX! REVIEW
Darwin’s Paradox! is an extremely wholesome adventure where you play as Darwin, an octopus plucked from the pristine crystal blue waters of the ocean by mega corporation UFOOD. Swimming just moments ago, Darwin quickly finds himself in the harsh world of food processing on the fast track to becoming their next canned delicacy. The goal of Darwin’s Paradox! is never explicitly stated, but it’s safe to assume that you need to escape these fortress walls and get yourself back to the deep waters where you belong.
Darwin’s Paradox is the debut title from Paris based ZDT Studio, a small indie start-up in collaboration with Konami. The studios pedigree includes many talented people from the world of video games as well as visuals effects in cinema and animation. The studio might be small, but their goals are ambitious. They want to bridge animated feature films and video games, which is evident when playing Darwin’s Paradox as excellent cinematics make up a large portion of the journey.
Like most platformers, you’re a fish out of water, literally but with the technicality that you play as a cephalopod. Darwin’s Paradox! combines my love of wildlife with my love for the platformer genre that spotlights the uniqueness of the octopus. Darwin’s Paradox! must have been reverse engineered with the idea being to create a game about an octopus and how fascinating the sea creature is with their nine brains that produces a high iq, three hearts, the ability to camouflage and their bipedal behaviour.
The entire experience showcases nearly all of the talents of the cephalopod. However, in the name of pacing, the abilities are slowly given to you after being smacked on the head at the start of the game has caused you to forget how to be an octopus. Throughout the adventure Darwin will remember how to stick to surfaces, shoot ink, camouflage and he’ll also pick up a few new skills along the way too.
Pacing, variety and balance is where Darwin’s Paradox! really shines. There was never a moment of monotony in Darwin’s Paradox as you constantly flow between platforming, solving puzzles, cinematics and tense set pieces. As a result the experience flew by. The environments are constantly changing as you move from garbage dump to industrial factory to the deep seas while at the same time incorporating different skills for the platforming and solving puzzles in different ways. There is also a nice gradual difficulty curve throughout the adventure that never demands too much from the player that would take it beyond a casual experience. There is also a great hint system at every turn if you feel the need to use it.
DARWIN’S PARADOX CRITICISMS
Considering how much it was touted that the studio has plenty of background in visual effects with the intention of blending video games and animation, it was a little shocking that most of the shortcomings of Darwin’s Paradox! were surrounding these areas. I played Darwin’s Paradox on Nintendo Switch 2 and PC and there are a handful of technical glitches, but luckily nothing that ever affected the gameplay.
Darwin’s Paradox! doesn’t feature loading screens between levels as it tries to stitch levels together seamlessly like most games through something like an elevator ride. Darwin is unable to hide these transitions and in between levels, the frame rate drops are severe. It’s fairly jarring, but it never happened during integral gameplay moments. There was also the occasional invisible platform or clipping through something that should kill you. Once again, it never affected gameplay, but it did hinder the immersion.
Although the cinematics were delightful and the animation of the octopus was lifelike and full of personality fantastic, there was no reason to be invested in Darwin and his purpose. The studio might have background in visual effects, but there needed to be more focus on the writing. The overall story was fun and whimsical, but it lacked depth. There was no backstory of who these two octopuses were, what their relation was to each other, or why the audience should care about them. The ending also felt abrupt and unsatisfying. As a result, there wasn’t much emotional investment in these characters or their plight.
DARWIN’S PARADOX VERDICT
For an indie debut, Darwin’s Paradox carries a lot more expectations than what should be expected, since it’s being published by Konami as part of their major attempt to reinsert themselves into the frontlines of the video gaming world.
Darwin’s Paradox! eschews these expectations in an experience guaranteed to delight with its whimsical adventure that perfectly blends puzzles, cinematics and platforming. It might not be the next playdead to push the envelope for puzzle platformers, but Darwin’s Paradox! is a wholesome adventure reminiscent of the good old days and hopefully this wont be the last we see of Darwin.
