Cocoon is a game that upon release received high critical acclaim and even won best debut indie at the game awards. In spite of this however I feel like it didn’t really make a splash in the commercial market. This is a shame because Cocoon is a brilliant video game. It is chalk full with super creative puzzle design and its world is vibrant and mysterious, drawing you in from the first frame. Here is my review for Cocoon.
LONELY TRAVELER
So the story of Cocoon is a tricky one because it is largely up to interpretation. So take this explanation with a grain of salt. In Cocoon you play as a tiny bug creature who has been awakened from a stasis like slumber. Alone you explore your desolate surroundings and defeat your first boss creature you soon find that you are in a world within worlds. These worlds take the forms of tiny globes that you can carry around in puzzles.
Each world has distinct art designs, all of which are astonishing. This along with different soundscapes for each world makes each feel distinct from one another. From then on you must travel between the different worlds, while exploring and defeating bosses. I like games like Cocoon that tell rich stories without the need for dialogue and text. Overall, I think the world created here was an impressive one even though I didn’t get to spend much time in it due to a short runtime.
WORLDS WITHIN WORLDS
Like I mentioned before the central puzzle mechanics in Cocoon revolve around the impressive world travel mechanics. Each of the worlds has its own semi open world to explore. As you progress in the story you can unlock special abilities that allow you to progress further into these worlds.
The puzzles are simple at first but once the world switching comes into play they become super inventive and exciting. An example of one of these puzzles involves you using the different properties of the world orbs inside other worlds (yes it gets trippy). I never get tired of the effect they use to show switching between worlds because it’s just so cool.
Each world culminates in a boss fight and these encounters are large in spectacle and just mechanically dense enough to keep them interesting but not too challenging. I always found myself looking forward to these boss fights for the spectacle alone. After these boss fights you always will unlock a certain ability that helps you solve new puzzles. This always kept gameplay fresh and the puzzles never felt repetitive.
The gameplay side of Cocoon always kept me engaged and seamlessly integrated into the story making for an incredible experience.
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
Just like Cocoon this review may be a short one but make no mistake, Cocoon it is an incredible 4ish hour experience that will keep you thoroughly engaged throughout. I’d recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of puzzle games and short story adventures. Cocoon is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Make sure to check out Jaxson’s review of Prince of Persia and Caitlyn’s review for Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season One. For everything else geeky stay right here on The Geekwave.
