Some games are known for their streamlined interface. You hardly notice the interactions as buttons and sticks melt seamlessly with on screen action. Octodad: Dadliest Catch is not one of them.
Instead it revels in the sort of neuron-challenging-glee of age old activities like patting your stomach and rubbing your head at the same time. In many ways the game sets out to make the worst use of the PlayStation 4 controls, to recreate the feeling of confusion and frustration of corralling all those tentacles into action.
It's a clever device that not only makes the game stand out from the crowd of launch titles on PlayStation 4 but also manages to be a lot of fun. Just when you are about to throw your arms up in frustration the game offers a little more progress and intrigue. The storytelling is just right, and draws the player on into the strange world of Octodad.
The controls themselves use the sticks to maneuver different tentacles. You switch between legs and arms, and use the triggers to suck onto things and release. This simple premise can, with practice, be used to get around the place and pick up the different items you will need.
Sensibly, while the controls are rather complex, the tasks in the game are super simple. While at first even opening a door or picking up a cushion can prove a challenge you soon get the hand of it and are charging around the place -- with hilarious effect.
There is a real sense of child-like joy about Octodad and I'm looking forward to letting my kids loose on it. Kind of a shame it isn't currently planned for release on PlayStation 3.
