Octodad: Dadliest Catch Reviews
Octodad: Dadliest Catch is an absurdist delight. It only has one joke, but it's a damn good one. Though the game itself falters perhaps towards the end as Young Horses try to force things a little too much, it is to be hoped that the creation tools and the Workshop included with the game extend its lifespan. A brave and bonkers game, for the most part Octodad lollops along the fine line between fun and frustration with gloriously haphazard aplomb.
Octodad looks like it is made for kids, but the gameplay can be very hard and frustrating at times. It will reward you with dozens of laughable moments nevertheless. We recommend buying it in a sale.
Review in German | Read full review
What will likely either attract people to Octodad or scare them away will be its unorthodox control and style of play. If you’re looking for a serious challenge with tight controls and impeccable level design you will very much come away disappointed. If, however, you’re open to the experience and the humor of it all Octodad is an excellent representation of the genre as a whole and plays very well as a handheld game to boot. If you’re looking for a major change of pace on the Switch Octodad will be happy to help you out with that!
Octodad: Dadliest Catch is quite a hard game to actually recommend but, at the same time, it’s worth a dabble for a cheap laugh. While the original was praised for its interesting proof of concept, this rendition of trying to flesh out the idea further can feel a bit stretched. However, there is a charm to this game and its very short length ensures that it doesn’t outstay its welcome too much, and, if you want, you can always try and coordinate the lovable protagonist with a friend for some squits and giggles.
If you've already played this on Wii U you'll know what's to come, and there won't be the laughs to the extent there'd be if you're a newbie. It's certainly worth experiencing, but try and get those controls nailed down ASAP or you're in for a frustrating time.
If nothing else the IP represents an interesting attempt to turn a brilliant tech demo into a full game and it's certainly unlike anything I've ever played before.
Octodad is the sort of game that is going to sell itself on absurdity alone. But by reducing it to just a joke, we miss what makes it so special
Despite the flaws, Octodad offers a good, ludicrous journey that at least pays off in its key moments to make enduring the frustration worth it in the end.