Octodad: Dadliest Catch Reviews
Octodad revels in its brand of absurdist physical comedy, but also tells a touching tale.
That the controls are frustrating and imprecise is kind of the point, but what's less forgiveable is how poorly Octodad seems to understand its own premise.
A rewarding, idiosyncratic romp imbued with nonsense, humour, and pathos.
Octodad is a great example of a game that conveys a message through gameplay. In conjunction with its story, characters, and setting, the controls offer an empathetic look into the life of an extreme outsider trying to fit in and trying to do right by his family.
When the bizarre controls make mundane tasks impossible, Dadliest Catch is just too funny to be frustrating. When it piles on the weight of traditional video game challenges, controlling the tendrils of an uncooperative marionette becomes instantly less appealing.
Some late-game issues not withstanding, Dadliest Catch is a charming, bizarre, genuinely likable little game.
Playing and enjoying Octodad: Dadliest Catch seems to require an active narcotic influence; however, thanks to deliberately obtuse controls and a conscious sense of humor, even the most capable operator will inevitably render their invertebrate avatar a hilarious mess of tentacles and destruction. In a game like this there's careful line between frustration and elation, and Octodad walks it (or slides down, falls along, slithers against - whatever) with appreciable balance.
The brilliant design used throughout Octodad: Dadliest Catch brings out the absolute best from a bizarre concept that simply needs to be played to be believed.