Darwin’s Paradox review – A charming 2.5D adventure (starring an octopus)

Life was going pretty swell for Darwin, right up until what can only be described as a UFO sucked him up out of the ocean and deposited him in a dump. But this octopus isn’t going to take things laying down. He’s going to do everything in his power to return to the blue waters he’s so fond of, even if it means sneaking his way through dangerous facilities and tangling with fearsome threats such as a hungry seagull. And so begins Darwin’s Paradox.

Though of course, you’re the one in control of Darwin in this 2.5D cinematic adventure developed by ZFDT Studio and published by Konami. And being an octopus, you’ve got some nifty tricks at your disposal. One button allows you to blend in with your surroundings while remaining still, for example, essentially making yourself invisible. And using the left and right triggers you can shoot ink, allowing you to move past security cameras and hide yourself from predators, amongst other things. Thanks to your sticky tentacles, you have an innate ability to climb up walls and across ceilings, too.

Despite learning about all these abilities in the the tutorial section of Darwin’s Paradox, you won’t be using them all as soon as Darwin’s true journey begins, however. This is a game which eases you in, with its initial slew of scenes focusing on platforming. Even Darwin’s ability to climb walls is somewhat suppressed, thanks to frequent pools of green sludge that make him too slippery to climb, though it does also give him a wonderful glow that scares away rats, which is very useful indeed.

Eventually, though, stealth comes more into play, with you having to carefully time your movements to avoid enemy patrols, and make use of your camouflage ability to avoid detection. And by the time you can start using your ink to aid your escape back to blue waters, you should have a good grasp of Darwin’s abilities on the whole.

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In any case, while this is a fairly brief adventure, with a running time of around five hours, it feels like it packs a lot in. One minute you’re jumping from one pipe to another to avoid getting fried, the next you’re carefully making your way through moving gears. After that you might find yourself running away from a pesky seagull, timing your movements so that you can make use of cover to stop it pecking at you. And later still, you’ll be pushing a cart in an office to make your way past its workers unseen. This is a game that certainly keeps you on your toes.

There are some minor issues that might sour your experience a little, though. Darwin’s stickiness can be a pain for one, with you sometimes getting stuck to objects or walls when you didn’t intend to. And being the type of game that it is, there are some moments that feel like they rely a little too much on trial and error. Throw in some dubious checkpointing at times, and you might encounter the odd frustration as you make your way through the game.

Still, Darwin’s Paradox is very enjoyable on the whole. It helps that Darwin himself is a charming little fellow, managing to convey a fair amount of emotion despite not being able to speak. You’ll want to see him reach his freedom, and will take glee in the destruction he causes along the way. It’s not a particularly complicated game, with its mechanics being on the simple side, but it’s certainly fun while its lasts.