While there’s enough platformers out there to make your head spin, I find I’m always down for another. So when Konami revealed Darwin’s Paradox!, I needed very little convincing beyond its adorable protagonist.
In many ways, Darwin’s Paradox! is a solid, charming and well-paced puzzle-platformer that might feel a little too straightforward at times, and randomly difficult at others, but ultimately sticks the landing before it ever wears out its welcome.
Stick Around, Darwin
Darwin’s Paradox! follows the story of, well, Darwin, an adorable octopus who is suddenly whisked away from his cosy underwater home to a post-apocalyptic version of Earth that has been overrun by aliens, who, via the brand UFOOD, now wish to process Darwin and his fishy friends into a canned snack.
Throughout the shorter five-hour runtime, Darwin’s Paradox! does a great job at building upon Darwin as a character, expanding upon his past and personality via some charming little flashbacks, which also add to the overall gameplay as he remembers his ever-expanding abilities.
There’s no dialogue, but the messaging is certainly clear, and the story does a great job at emphasising conversations with certain glances and emotions, even with its smaller cast of characters. Darwin does team up with his buddy Poulpy on occasion, but spends a significant amount of time by himself.
While the story is nothing to gawk at, I found myself latching onto Darwin thanks to his adorable character design and emotive expressions, which helped me feel relatively invested in his bite-sized journey. I dare say the game might have stumbled in terms of its pacing if it were any longer, lending credibility to the fact that a longer, more expansive experience doesn’t always translate to a better one.
Take Me Home, Underwater Road
Darwin’s Paradox! also excels at getting you to grips with its basic platforming elements immediately, but it’s all stuff you’ve seen or played with before. Darwin can jump around and eventually even stick to almost any surface outside of water, along with the ability to camouflage himself while standing still.
Both platforming and puzzle-solving feel fine, and the game does a great job at not only introducing certain mechanics via flashbacks throughout the story, but also getting you to focus on those newly acquired abilities soon after, before blending them into the standard platforming experience. That being said, I wish the overall experience were a little tougher, or more consistently demanding, for that matter.
At almost any point, players on the PlayStation 5 can press and hold the touchpad for help, essentially gifting you the answer to certain puzzles or sections the game may feel you’re having trouble with. Now, you don’t have to actually utilise this feature, but the fact that the prompt pops up so soon feels like it’s sending an unnecessary message that you’ve taken longer than the game expects to figure something out.
Most puzzles also don’t really require the direct help it gives you, but if you’re playing with a younger audience or simply don’t want to spend any more time figuring something out, I guess it’s there.
While that straightforward nature applies to puzzles, certain areas, mainly platforming segments of the game, get ridiculously tough out of nowhere. I can’t figure out if I’m simply getting stuck in specific areas when I don’t want to, or if the game is testing me, and while these spikes never last too long, this will cause a few annoying deaths. I had previously mentioned that I wanted the game to be tougher; I wish that level of difficulty felt a little more consistent and balanced than it does in these particular moments.
Finally, Darwin can also shoot clouds of ink underwater to hide himself in open areas when enemies are lurking. For the most part, Darwin’s Paradox! feels relatively straightforward and linear in its delivery and level design, but I will admit, there are some incredibly tense moments that, while scripted, do get the blood pumping, presumably to Darwin’s eight arms as well, as you evade enemies or obstacles in the nick of time. Stealth is also relevant and consistent, but rarely difficult.
Look the Part
For what it’s worth, Darwin’s Paradox! looks fantastic. I’m a fan of Darwin’s character model and his various expressions, but I’m also a massive fan of the incredibly detailed environments that surround him.
There’s always something going on in the background, which not only adds to the scope and scale of each level but helps with worldbuilding too. At every turn, we get a glimpse of various workers, hiding rats and at times, larger destructive events that begin in the background, and slowly make their way over to Darwin in the foreground.
That blend might be seamless, but it’s also worth noting that Darwin’s Paradox! also runs well. I barely ran into any game-breaking bugs or even frame rate drops for that matter, and even though the game isn’t that long, it still certainly counts for something.
Final Thoughts
Dawrin’s Paradox! is a pleasant surprise that absolutely charmed the socks off me, thanks to its likeable protagonist. Given its random difficulty spikes and straightforward linear nature, it’s ultimately an experience that is saved by its more modest run time, before any of those stutters become anything worse.
If you like Little Nightmares or are looking for a more accessible platformer for younger audiences, I urge you to give this little eight-legged friend your time.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Incredibly charming protagonist; Modest runtime helps with pacing; Gorgeous visuals
Lowlights: Random difficulty spikes can get a little frustrating; Help prompts appear way too often
Developer: ZDT Studio
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image also provided by the publisher.
