Octodad: Dadliest Catch | Wii U

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Just like ordering squid from a restaurant, Octodad is very hit-and-miss. Sure, some of it is perfectly cooked and delicious, but too often it strays into the territory of overdone chewiness.

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​By Rob Holt

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​@acousticmagic

Platform(s): Wii U, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Mac, Linux
Developer: Young Horses
Publisher: Young Horses
​Players: 1-2

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You play as the titular cephalopod, struggling to make it through family life. You’ll be doing the shopping, mowing the lawn, and avoiding both aquarium biologists and a chef with the taste for inkfish. Many of these set-pieces provide huge laughs and a lot of fun, but unfortunately though, just as many provide frustration and annoyance.

The control scheme present here is a real Jekyll and Hyde. The opening scene of the game tasks you with getting to the altar on time, to marry a woman still yet to figure out that you are an octopus (it takes her until the end of the game, when your kids are already in the high single digits - this is played up in the final scene to amusing effect). The left and right triggers control your legs, the left and right sticks controlling your corresponding arms and the right bumper being your “action” button. Putting your suit on, finding the ring and navigating the narrow corridors leading to the altar make for a fantastic, hilarious opening, as you sway like a drunk after one crate of Special Brew too many.

Alas, for every moment of magic, there is a moment of Paul Daniels-esque floundering. Much of the large aquarium section of the game is cumbersome, irritating and ultimately disappointing. Having to take part in seven different mini-games to win prizes for your wife sounds like fun, but the sensitivity of the control sticks and the control scheme in general make it an absolute nightmare. The many stair climbing trials also highlight this, and it’s a real shame that developer Young Horses couldn’t rectify it, as there is a brilliant game full of Dad-jokes and fun hiding just below the surface.

The other major gripe we have with the game is the camera system. The camera moves freely and positions itself where it deems best, and unfortunately this presents some real grievances. During a flashback on a boat (where you first met not only your wife, but the evil chef too!) you are tasked with moving through the various cabins and corridors on the vessel. Now almost every time you change rooms the camera will move from a view behind you, to a view in front, and thus flipping the controls. This is highly annoying and something that really should have been ironed out after the first iteration of the game.

The graphics and sound are both well done, with a simple cartoon feel to both the visuals and the soundtrack. The character voices are spot-on, especially the gargles of Octodad himself, and the villainous Chef Fujimoto, providing real laughs. There are humourous little touches everywhere; from the supermarket providing AAA Indie milk, Catch-Up ketchup and Mintcraft foodstuffs to the tentacle on the loading screen. There’s some slow-down here and there too, but it’s nothing that’ll affect the action too much.

£11.99 gets you a charming, funny and often barnacle blighted game - a fee that might be too high for most considering the short three-ish hour playtime. An amusing co-op mode where each player controls one arm and one leg, a free-play mode, some short films and a barrel-load of collectibles for folks into that sort of thing do help offset that a little, however.

If you see it on offer, we’d definitely recommend having a punt, but swim cautiously at its current price. Here’s hoping Young Horse can finesse the Octodad formula, and serve us up something truly delicious in the future.

Pros

• The Dad-jokes and humour are spot-on
• Some of the set-pieces are hilarious - the beginning and supermarket section to name two
• Graphical style suits the game perfectly
• The control scheme leads to a lot of laughs
• Achievements and ties add staying power to a short game

Cons

• Camera issues
• The control scheme can also prove frustrating in certain tighter areas
• Slow down in places
• Many sections are overlong or overly intricate, leading to irritation
• Main game time is short if you’re not a collectionist

Score
6/10