Octodad: Dadliest Catch Reviews
Starts out funny, but quickly becomes frustrating. A wonderfully weird and original concept that falls flat like its jelly-limbed hero.
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.
Funny at first, but the jokes wear thin as harder objectives set in
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.
I can't really figure out why the developers felt they needed to add some of the frustrating platforming sections seen in the second half of the game.
Once the novelty and the wackiness have worn off, you are left with a short and sometimes haphazard experience that treads an incredibly fine (and wobbly) line between hilarity and frustration. While kids will love the simple, bold, bright cartoon-like characters and physical humour, older players will likely feel that they are constantly at odds with the game's controls and become immune to its charms. If you haven't experienced Octodad before it's worth checking out, but be cautious - it will make you giggle as well as probably stretch your patience.
Octodad isn't a game that's for everyone but it is unique and for that I applaud it.
Octodad has brilliant ideas, endearing characters and a great sense of humour, but as a game it's not quite where it should be. The deliberately vague controls cause a little frustration along with the hilarity, and it's not long enough or rich enough to hold your interest for more than an evening or afternoon. There's potential here for something great, but Octodad needs to stretch those tentacles further if it wants to reach that point.
As a game, Octodad seems less interested in entertaining and is more intent on taking the player through a journey, and by its own design can be an incredibly stressful affair. Break it down and you'll see why: challenges involve shopping, chopping wood and pouring yourself a cup of coffee. Add this on top of a few technical hiccups, such as slowdown and some drops in framerates, and you have a middle of the road title.However, this game is all about portraying life's bigger picture and would appear to be one big analogy for some of life's biggest challenges and the problems some of us face, depending on you interpret it. That in itself is good art and also where Octodad is a success. The real fun lies in seeking your own meaning behind this bizarre title and helping Octodad cross the metaphorical finish lines that seem to plague his every turn - no matter how mundane the challenges are or how taxing it may be to guide him through life, he's a character you'll want to see succeed.
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 has moments of comic brilliance, but much of it is uninspired, and it ends before it really even gets going.
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.
It's hard to recommend a game that may or may not work each time you load it up.
I wanted to like Octodad more than I did. The concept and craziness of the idea intrigued me and the humor was great. If Octodad were a more robust adventure, I would have very few complaints. While it started out as a great experience, sadly, much like the floppy tentacles of Octodad, Dadliest Catch couldn't hold itself up and began to flail wildly all over the place. The hilarity and novelty wear thin quickly and there was too often that my tentacles became glitched inside of random objects or the environment itself. Octodad is worth experiencing just for how different it is from most other games out there, not to mention the trying multi-limb mode that is the co-op, but don't expect to be enthralled by it for longer than it takes to watch a couple of ocean life documentaries.
The concept of Octodad: Deadliest Catch is clever and the overall experience is good for some laughs. But it is hard to recommend a game that is fun for little over an hour. Young Horses just doesn't seem to know what to do with their good idea.
Don't get me wrong, Octodad is a ton of fun. It's got a self-aware irreverence—call it the Katamari factor—that you usually only find in indie games. That being said, with games like that, I usually focus on the stand-out moments, like the big reveals in Gone Home, the progressive decay of Limbo, or even the silly mysteries of something as slight as Frog Fractions. Octodad doesn't have anything like that. It's a giddy little glide full of heart and genuine goodwill, but never manifesting into anything more than a distraction.
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.
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
In the end, Octodad is an interesting and amusing title, a good game to pick up and play with friends for short gaming bursts. If however, you are liable to fits of rage then for the love of God, avoid.
Octodad: Dadliest Catch is the epitome of cult, as it's clearly a love-or-hate video game, since its purposely "bad" control scheme and comedic approach to things is far from most people's cup of sea water. As for those who think that this is up their alley, it's best to wait a bit. Not because this isn't fun or anything, but because it's currently a bit too pricey for what's on offer.