Darwin's Paradox, the review: an octopus for a hero

A few years have passed since Darwin's Paradox was first shown by ZDT Studio, an independent software house founded by Romuald Capron (an Arkane alumnus) and Cédric Lagarrigue (former executive and founder of Focus Home Interactive). Important names in the video game scene who, thanks to their extensive experience in the sector, have managed to deliver us a production that shines for its freshness and originality. After all, it's not common to take part in an experience that focuses on the (mis)adventures of a highly intelligent blue octopus.

Oh yes, because octopuses are truly extraordinary mollusks capable of experiencing emotional pain, solving complex problems, and even orienting themselves, in addition to possessing an excellent memory. Starting from these assumptions, the developers had no doubts about the foundation to expand upon, also exploiting some characteristics that we will find in Darwin's Paradox, including ink defense, camouflage, and, of course, the ability to solve certain problems.

So, what do you have in your hands? A delightful horizontal-scrolling platformer in a 3D context that cannot possibly leave the player indifferent. It feels like being in an animated film powered by fluid, intuitive gameplay that presents us with an interesting and almost never frustrating challenge (apart from some moments where try & play will be much more pronounced).

Let's dive into the ocean then, ready to escape nothing less than an alien invasion!

Such a stealthy octopus has never been seen before!

Darwin is a mollusk like many others, blue in color and said to be charming (but don't let him know), capable of great feats in the deep sea thanks to his keen intelligence. One fine day, while in the company of another octopus who was training him, a beam of light penetrates the depths to take him to the surface. An alien abduction? Not at all, it's UFOODS, which is introducing a very creamy octopus soup to the market, whose secret ingredient is tentacles.

Obviously, one shouldn't believe what they see, also because Darwin is certainly not the type of octopus vulgaris to trust appearances, and during his journey, he will also discover who is behind this phantom cutting-edge food company. And so, driven from the aquatic world, we will find ourselves disoriented in a landfill where an unsettling factory is visible. Our goal is not to discover what lies behind this mysterious UFOODS (although we will unravel several knots), but rather to escape imminent dangers and quickly return to swimming in the ocean.

A typical animated film plot that will revolve, as you may have guessed, around Darwin's tentacles, ready to showcase his entire moveset in order to survive against fierce aliens (come on, it was obvious!) who want to turn us into a succulent soup.

Calling him a hero might seem a gamble, yet this little friend will be able to shake up the alien world that, at least from what it believes, has integrated into the civilized world. To reach the ocean, Darwin will somehow have to navigate on land thanks to his literally padded step: obviously, we won't be able to run, but simply drag ourselves with our tentacles on every surface. Just like skilled underwater Spider-Men, we can climb walls and move on the ceiling automatically: after all, suction cups must be good for something.

Being an exploration-based adventure, albeit linear, the blue octopus will also have to solve various puzzles, moving crates to reach elevated positions or pulling levers to unlock platforms or secret doors. And this while keeping in mind the various bad guys out there besides the aliens: ravenous red-eyed rats can't wait to feast on our flesh, not to mention our arch-nemesis, Steven Seagull (the name is a treat), poised at the right moment to catch us and take us to his nest for a king's breakfast.

The environmental puzzles are quite simple to solve: the development team's goal was to create a few convincing mechanics, including the ability to use tentacles to slingshot from one place to another, useful for solving puzzles and in the very convincing stealth sections.

Tactical Octopus Action

Indeed, the stealth phases are truly a highlight of the production that, in some ways, reminded us of Little Nightmares. In fact, Darwin can at any time use his camouflage to avoid being noticed by the humanized-looking bad guys and hide from beams of light that will carbonize us in a flash (after all, they are alien weapons). The CPU's intelligence is well managed: a single noise or an extra step will be enough to get us squashed like balloons: and the sound when it happens will precisely resemble their explosion.

Darwin's journey is therefore primarily based on using his abilities to survive: so forget about the possibility of fighting against these invaders or getting the better of them. The use of intelligence and abilities animates the gameplay through the iconic 15 environments (consisting of multiple levels) where camouflage and ink will play roles of fundamental importance.

Darwin's Paradox can be easily completed in a weekend in about 7 hours of gameplay, a longevity that will increase if you want to collect all the collectibles that give a more complete view of the events: you can even discover how much the aliens, in this brilliant world, underestimate the human race and the intelligence of the brave octopus. During the adventure, we will also have access to different skins: the Solid Snake skin from Metal Gear Solid remains iconic, a Konami-style tribute to one of the most beloved stealth heroes of recent decades.

Darwin's Paradox and its remarkable artistic sector

ZDT Studio's title is powered by the evergreen Unreal Engine, an engine that allowed the already veterans of the sector (despite this being the studio's first video game) to develop graphics that could rival a cinematic production in terms of animation. And we must say that this goal has been perfectly achieved: Darwin's Paradox is a very pleasant experience that combines a convincing artistic side with functional gameplay in all its facets.

Of course, there are moments when a certain skill will be required to proceed, including some underwater sessions where you must avoid lasers, falling rocks, and ravenous lanternfish so intelligent that they will make you understand what it means to be prey in the deep sea. However, the try & play formula allows you to thoroughly study the game world and understand how to move: in the remote case that you get stuck, you can always activate the game's hints, although they won't be all that crucial for Darwin's journey.

The entire adventure of Darwin's Paradox is rich in Easter Eggs that we won't reveal to you so as not to spoil the surprise. However, what struck us most about this production is the union of different genres: it's not easy to mix humor with cartoon gags with mature and at times challenging gameplay. And this demonstrates the experience of the professionals who created something original, fun, and sold at a very honest price (€24.99 at launch on console and PC).