Octodad: Dadliest Catch Reviews
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.
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.
Some late-game issues not withstanding, Dadliest Catch is a charming, bizarre, genuinely likable little game.
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.
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.
A rewarding, idiosyncratic romp imbued with nonsense, humour, and pathos.
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.
Octodad revels in its brand of absurdist physical comedy, but also tells a touching tale.
Smartly built, endlessly entertaining, and unexpectedly heartwarming, Dadliest Catch manages to turn an utterly ridiculous concept into one of the most surprising games in recent memory.
In the end, I would not be surprised to hear that the Octodad community is thriving years down the road. It exudes a certain weirdness and charm that makes it stand out from a lot of other titles out there, and there are tools in place for it to live on past the point when the credits start to roll. Though it has some issues with framerate drops and its approach to control is definitely not for everybody, Dadliest Catch kept a smile on my face for most of its duration.
Its brevity and reliance on contrived challenges work against Octodad: Deadliest Catch, but when it's at its best, it's a damn hilarious game that'll charm the pants off most players.
Octodad: Dadliest Catch knows exactly what type of experience it wants to deliver and, for the most part, it succeeds in doing so. The mechanics work well and the concept is charming and enjoyable. But a few rough patches will likely keep players from seeing the game as anything more than a pleasant distraction or a fun sandbox to mess around in. Luckily, Octodad is a relatively short experience, and even when it starts to get a little dull or frustrating, there's always something different for Octodad to struggle to do.
It might be brief, but Octodad is definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in a charming, hilarious experience. Also, you get to play as an octopus, which... you know, is pretty awesome.
It's a great joke of a game where the punchline can be felt by both players and spectators, and that's why I think Octodad is so special.
Young Horses' Octodad: Dadliest Catch makes up for clunky controls and a rough final act with undeniable humor and charm.
Starts out funny, but quickly becomes frustrating. A wonderfully weird and original concept that falls flat like its jelly-limbed hero.
Funny at first, but the jokes wear thin as harder objectives set in
Dadliest Catch is a wily, outstanding title in the vein of infamous freeware QWOP. With awkward controls, volatile physics and formidable environmental puzzles working in compelling harmony, Dadliest Catch makes the player the architect of physical comedy in a brilliant and idiosyncratic way.
The game's fun outweighs its faults. Do I recommend you go purchase this game right away? Absolutely!
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.