You know how everybody loved Astro Bot? How it was praised for its environmental design, sense of play and whimsy, and its conscientious, creative level design? (Our own Stacey Henley certainly did in her review.) Remember how people (including me) noted that it was an especially joyful game that stood against the cynicism that pervades most of the medium? Remember how it won Game of the Year after unanimously glowing reviews? Me too.
Look, the people yearn for Astro Bot. They want games that bring the joy back to gaming, that surprise them, that sparkle with creativity and beauty. If you are one of those people, I sure hope you watched PlayStation’s most recent State of Play, because we might finally have a successor.
Darwin’s Paradox Might Have All I Want In A Platformer
I found the State of Play to be largely disappointing, but I sat right up when Darwin’s Paradox’s trailer started playing. We see a cartoony octopus swimming through an absolutely stunning cave teeming with life, corals, and a shipwreck. The light dapples the rocks. We then see the octopus waving and squeaking like a squeezy toy as a waterfall rushes in the background. Then, á la Finding Nemo, the octopus is taken from the sea, seemingly by a boat.
What follows is a platforming romp through various environments, displaying a surprising breadth of octopal abilities. The octopus shoots ink in the field of view of a camera, camouflages itself against a sign on the floor of an outdoor warehouse, launches itself into the air with a slingshot, hops on box after box on a conveyor belt high in the air, hides under a moving cart in a crowded office.
Every single environment is beautifully lit and packed with detail and movement that makes them feel alive. I was astounded by the colours on display, the breathtaking depth of the backgrounds, and the quality of the animation – my jaw dropped when I saw how the beams of light from a robot guard’s eyes swept across the floor, bathing everything in warm, diffused light. I’m hard pressed to think of another side scrolling platformer that looks quite so gorgeously rendered.
According to a PlayStation blog post, the game will also use the haptics of the DualSense controller to a huge extent, which reminds me of how Astro Bot did the same. It’ll vibrate with ink shots and movement, and you’ll hear audio cues through the controller’s speaker to warn you of potential threats.
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Today’s State of Play had a clear animation standout.
Astro Bot, Sans Marketing
But Darwin’s Paradox has something Astro Bot doesn’t, and that’s a substantial story. Where some noted that Astro Bot relied heavily on IP and licensing to imbue itself with a sense of nostalgia – a lot of that IP being dead, making the game feel a bit like a graveyard – Darwin’s Paradox doesn’t have all of that.
Instead, it’s more akin to traditional puzzle-platformers where you’re running through levels to reach an ultimate goal. Sure, Astro Bot technically has a plot, but it’s not really the point. I consider that to be a plus. I can love a platformer on its own merits, but I also love when a game has something to say.
Darwin’s Paradox is named after a real scientific paradox: how do coral reefs, teeming with nutrients and diversity and life, exist in the middle of stark plains completely devoid of resources? The game is much like that coral reef, bright and lively in a sea of bleak, cynical games. It’s too soon to say if it’ll be as great as Astro Bot, but my god, I can’t wait to find out. I want games to make me happy again.
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RP – Rating Pending
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ZDT Studio