PPP2 Review: Octodad - Dadliest Catch

Octodad - Loving Father. Caring Husband. Secret Octopus.

Octodad is an independent video game developed by a Young Horses, Inc. The game consists of controlling, and I say controlling loosely, the main character Octodad, as you try to carry out the typical chores of a father, like making coffee, going to the supermarket, playing with your children. But all of this is made 10 times more complicated by the fact that you are an octopus in disguise.

The game Octodad: Dadliest Catch is rather a strange game but utterly enticing. You play as an octopus trying to fit in in a normal family while escaping from Chef, a man who knows what you are and is trying to turn you into sushi. What I really love about this game more than anything is the cartoony nature of it. It's beautifully designed and has a unique edge to it that is really interesting. It appears to have been created using hand painted textures and funky style.

The reason that I wanted to look further into this game is down to the environment design as I believe it is very nicely done. Although most of it is set in his house, it shows just how a normal-ish family would live and you have to maneuver around this house while controlling tentacles instead of limbs making it slightly harder. The environment doesn't help either, craftily putting obstacles in your way and leaving things for you trip over. But whats really nice, especially about the house level design, is that everything in the environment can be interacted with in some way, usually by selecting the object and then proceeding to throw it across the room, but this just makes it more fun.

There are then a few more levels, only a few though as this game is relatively short and can be completed easily within a few hours, making you want more as they have made it just the right length to want more without being bored of it. The rest of the environments are similarly designed, included intricate details, especially in the supermarket, and there are lots of bits in the environment to explore, making the whole game very enjoyable. When looking at this game and comparing it to my own work, I really like the style that it uses, its a very simple rough look that actually looks great, even though its simple, and it something that I would definitely like to try in my own work.