Darwin's Paradox! (2026)

Basically, title. If I was in elementary school I probably would have loved this game. It is beautiful, a mix between hyper realism and Pixar. It is well animated, the world is kinda unique and dystopian like Wall-e, the entire premise of playing as an octopus trying to escape from a mega corporation's clutches is amusing. The gameplay mechanics are a fun blend of platforming, stealth, and puzzle.

And yet... it is just too linear for me. I NEED a sense of openness, exploration, backtracking, etc. Being funneled through level after level just doesn't keep my interest past the first hour or so. There are rare exceptions - Inside, American Arcadia, REANIMAL, etc. - but those games are just perfect in every way possible.

It is also quite easy, which makes sense as it is clearly intended for an all ages audience (death scenes include an explosion of confetti and some Loony Toons type SFX).

I can't trash the game or even say anything negative, it's perfectly what it is. But this is my review, and for me and anyone with similar tastes, you probably won't get much out of it.

3/10

I got a review code for this game on PlayStation 5 and I was really enjoying its 'cartoon comedy' turn on the cinematic platformer gameplay popularized by moody games like Limbo or Little Nightmares.

Sadly, I was hit with the weirdest crash I've experimented: it turns off my console when I reach certain stage. It always happened at the same point with any graphics mode. I was told by the Konami PR that the devs are aware of this issue and are working to solve it. But the game launched and it's still happening. I've read it's not a problem exclusive to me and it's now happening to people that bought the game.

I think this is a good game. Could even be great. But if you're planning on getting it on PS5 please wait until its patched.