REVIEW of Octodad: Dadliest Catch / World’s Best Cephalo.Pa

Well here it goes… the first review of 2014. It has been exactly 2 months since my last post right here on the Steam of Consciousness blog. Between school, work, and being lazy, I haven’t taken the time to review Steam games… and I really missed it. So, with that being said, let’s start fresh and let the reviews begin! I thought the best way to kick off my game reviews for 2014 is with a game so wild, weird, and conceptually fresh that it’s hard to recall any game quite like it. Its name is Octodad: Dadliest Catch and it’s currently offered up on Steam for $14.99 USD. This game reminds me of other wildly hilarious games like Katamari Damacy, Sumotori Dreams, and QWOP and, like QWOP or Sumotori, features a protagonist whose main challenge is trying to mimick human movement despite a lack of bone structure.

Octodad’s plot is simply this: you are an octopus who dresses, acts, and has a family like a normal human father and must convince everyone else that you are, in fact, a regular human dad. Despite your wife and kids who are hilariously blind to you being an Octopus, there is an angry Sushi Chef who is out to turn the beloved Octodad into “moderately priced sushi” as he follows you through the different areas in the game.  In order to perpetuate the idea that he is a human father, Octodad must attend his own wedding, attend to his domestic affairs, go grocery shopping, and visit the dreaded aquarium before the story reaches its conclusion. The scenarios are hilarious and the difficulty Octodad finds getting by in day-to-day situations makes for an interesting tale worthy of a primetime sitcom. The voice acting is a nice touch to the story and really keeps with the pacing as people react to the different things you do in the game.

But Octodad’s story isn’t the selling point of this game- everything about the game centers around its movement mechanic. Without the hilariously difficult controls that move Octodad’s hands and feet (er, tentacles), this game would not exist. Octodad can only control one limb at any time and alternating between both of his legs and his hands is a joy to watch- he practically destroys everything in his path when trying to walk! The game becomes challenging with the addition of a ‘suspicion meter’ at the bottom of the screen- suspicion is triggered when human beings see you knocking everything down in your path or when you accidentally smack them with one of your tentacles. The suspicion element progresses and becomes somewhat difficult toward the end when you run into marine biologists at the aquarium who know an octopus when they see one. Although the controls make it somewhat difficult to maneuver around the different stages, the controls are well thought out and, when mastered, can be a breeze to handle when doing simple tasks.

The first Octodad was a freeware game that featured similar gameplay elements, but only allowed one player to use a keyboard and mouse to control the octopus. Fortunately, this time around, players have the option to use keyboard and mouse or a gamepad and both work great. Along with this, two to four players can be invited along to play the local co-op mode where one player takes the keyboard and mouse and controls either the arms or legs, and the other players take a gamepad and choose to control the other arms or the legs. Another option is available that allows the cooperative teammates to play roulette with the tentacles: after a task is completed, random tentacles are assigned to the player – so I could be controlling the right hand and right leg while the second player could only be controlling the left leg… once a task is done, I could end up controlling the left hand while the second player takes control of the left and right legs. Co-op adds a lot of replay value to this game- after beating story mode, I was able to go back with my friend and share some new laughs as we tried to get Octodad to move in the same direction. There is a lot of value in playing with friends- it’s great to show to a buddy who has never seen or heard of Octodad and say “hey, want to play a really strange video game?” and see the pleasantly surprised look on their face when they see that we’re an Octopus trying to moonlight as a human dad.

The only big thing I have found disappointing about Octodad: Dadliest Catch is its length. I was able to complete the story in somewhere around 3 hours for my first playthrough- this includes me messing around, trying to get a handle on the game mechanics, and exploring some of the levels for secrets or pop culture references. And while it did end in around 3 hours, every minute of the game was totally worth it- I had a great time as it never got old. There is incentive to replay the story after beating it, too, there are 3 ties hidden in every stage (and are a bitch to get a hold of) and there are several fun achievements that make it worth going back and experiencing again. The games developer, Young Horses, have also added a level editor and Steam Workshop support. I was able to download some neat user-created maps for Octodad and it has really contributed to the game’s replayability. The camera that follows you in the game would be my only other complaint- for the most part, it behaves itself and follows you around well, but there are times when it becomes inconvenient and only gives you one perspective in a stage where it would be useful to get another angle and see your character hiding behind in-game elements. While $14.99 may be a bit high for the game’s length alone, the asking price can be justified in that Octodad is a hilairous romp, oozing with charm and personality and offers more than just a story mode… PLUS the game has an awesome theme song, and who can put a price on having a great theme? But seriously, let’s face it- at the end of the day, what gamer wouldn’t like to be under the sea in an Octodad’s garden, in the shade?

Steam Recommendation:

Definitely buy it, but you can wait for a Steam sale

+Great sense of humor

+Hard, but rewarding controls

+Steam workshop and Local Co-Op

-Short Story Mode

-Camera can be iffy at times

+You play as an Octopus Dad… ’nuff said

PLAYER 2 PRESS START / The TOP 10 Best Local Co+Op Games on Steam

Steam can often times be a one-man show. Most games on PC are designed with a single player or online community in mind. This certainly doesn’t help matters when your friends come over and you don’t have a single locally cooperative game in your Steam library- nobody wants to watch you play your single player games while they sit there and do nothing! Fortunately, every once and awhile on Steam, a game rolls around that offers local co-op play so your friends can tag along for the fun. With this in mind, I’ve created a top ten list for the BEST LOCAL CO-OP GAMES ON STEAM (for 2-4 players).

10. Awesomenauts 

Awesomenauts is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game that uniquely blends the MOBA goal of protecting your base from the enemy team with elements of side-scrolling platformers. The game oozes personality with its art style reflecting that of an action-packed 80’s saturday morning cartoon (FREAKING GLORIOUS). Awesomenauts is great for co-op because it has 3 vs 3 team battles where up to 3 local players can form a team to go against A.I. players or battle other players online. Awesomenauts allows heavy customization of your character both with appearance and abilities- so each round can be totally unique. This game is great to play locally because you can instantly strategize with your friends over how your team will take over the enemy base. While I don’t play this game as heavily as some of the others on this list, it was still well worth the purchase- oh, and did I mention it had an awesome theme song? IT DOES.

9. The Cave

So a monk, an archaeologist, a hillbilly, a scientist, a couple of Creepy Twins, a knight, and a time traveler walk into a cave and- oh, I forget the rest. The cave is a unique platforming game created by Double-Fine (one of my favorite game developers in existence). The Cave is a game told from the perspective of a talking cave- up to 3 local players can choose 3 of 7 wildly unique characters with their own special abilities to take down into the heart of the talking cave in each play-through. By solving puzzles with friends, you dig deeper and deeper through the cave and find dark tales of each character’s past that continue to haunt them. What’s great about the game is that a good deal of it is made up by the characters you choose- based on the 3 characters you grab at the beginning, you will be thrown into 3 different worlds when you explore the cave and are then subject to dark (but quite humorous) stories of their pasts. You can play through the game 3 times and experience all of the different stories that the game has to offer- but at the same time, you will have to experience parts of the game that stay the same throughout and that can be a bit annoying if you’re trying to play them all in a short period of time. The Cave offers up a lot of laughs and is very fun to play with friends (solving puzzles together is where the real co-op comes in)- I’ve played through it many times and it’s highly recommended.

8. Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine

Have you ever wanted to plan a heist with your friends just like Danny Ocean, but didn’t want to have to deal with all the trouble of getting arrested? Well, with Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine, you can live out those heist fantasies to the extreme. Monaco is a unique top-down indie game that supports up to four players who can each choose from a number of unique characters that have their own heisting skills. The game has an interesting design and art-style: it’s super minimalistic and the map looks like a blue-print or the clue game-board, but once your characters step through rooms and use their peripheral vision, they add a splash of color and reality to these blue-prints and bring the plan to life. It’s a wildly original game and the heists can go smooth or totally haywire based on how well your team works together. It’s a blast to play with friends and, personally, I love it when the plan doesn’t come together as guards hunt the team down: everybody loses their minds.

7. Trine 2

Right off the bat- any friend playing Trine 2 with you will notice that it is A) BEAUTIFUL and B) CRAZY AMOUNTS OF FUN TO PLAY. The game is about 3 travelers (controlled by up to 3 players) going on a mystical quest to save their kingdom from a dark evil. The story is simple, but the gameplay is rich. This is a rare co-op game because the characters are so wildly diverse that you will need all of them to solve puzzles whereas most co-op games can be completed with any character of your choosing. The wizard can magically create boxes from thin air that will help elevate players to higher ground but is fairly weak in battle, the thief is extremely mobile and uses her archery and grappling abilities to take care of business from a distance, and the brutish knight can use his sword, shield, and hammer to take down enemies or destroy environments in order to progress. The game has a great mix of action and puzzles so that you can partake in senseless violence at one moment and discuss puzzle solutions with your friends in the next moment. This title is definitely better with friends than by yourself because the diversity of the characters makes the game feel like it should be played cooperatively.

6. Guacamelee!

Holy Frijoles, Guacamelee is good! Guacamelee is one of the best metroid-vania type games I have ever had the pleasure of playing (y’know, besides metroid and castlevania). Metroid-vania games are games that focus on exploration and action in equal propensity and Guacamelee does this well. In fact, Guacamelee does this so well that they went and outdid themselves by adding co-op to the game, something that really hasn’t been done in metroid-vania games before. Boasting a great ‘day of the dead’ theme that dictates its artstyle and music- Guacamelee feels as good as it is to play. With action, puzzles, and much exploration to do- grabbing a second seasoned gamer and picking up Guacamelee is a great idea. However, playing co-op with a friend that isn’t as experienced with these games or playing it with a friend who drops-in halfway through the game can get frustrating as it definitely requires some skill to make progress through the wild world of Guacamelee.

5. Serious Sam 3

Why so serious? Well it’s certainly not because you’re playing Serious Sam 3. Serious Sam 3 is an action shooter game from Cro-Team (the guys who brought you previous Serious Sam installments)- and might I say, one of the craziest action shooter games I’ve ever played. Shooters come a dime-a-dozen these days and Serious Sam definitely sets itself apart by being both bat-shit crazy and tons of fun to play with friends. With 4 player local co-op, it’s a blast to sit down with friends and blaze through hordes upon hordes of alien enemies. The game’s wild customization allows everyone to choose their own character,  choose what style of cursor they want to appear onscreen, and even if they want traditional blood and gore or if they want something ridiculous like candy spilling out of their dead enemies. The game is a roaring good time and the sheer ridiculousness of the game will keep you and your pals coming back for more fun. One of the best parts of the game is when your group of friends is getting chased down by a gang of headless kamikaze bombers that *somehow* scream AUGHHHH at you while they charge toward your face!

4. Spelunky

Spelunky is a one of a kind game. It’s one of those rare games that takes the idea of spelunking through randomly generated tombs and explores that concept to its full potential. Part rogue-like, part arcade game- this indie hit makes you feel like Indiana Jones if Indy was 100 times more likely to die when exploring old crypts. Spelunky offers 4 player local co-op and puts you and your friends into a series of extremely difficult tombs that you could easily die in after a few seconds of entering. With booby-traps, bombs, snakes, mummies, and more- you and your friends must carefully put one foot in front of the other to reach the exit of each stage and, if you die, that’s it- you have to start over. It’s a frustrating but rewarding experience and, even though I keep dying in this punishingly difficult game, I keep coming back for more because it’s too much fun. The advantage of playing with friends is that, compared to the single player experience, you have the opportunity to revive your friends in the next level and keep surviving. So while the game is harsh to its players, co-op offers some slack given that you could accidentally kill your friend if you set off a trap or throw a bomb and then bring that person back in the next level. Recommended for groups of friends that won’t break their friendships up over a video-game because, otherwise, you’re S.O.L.

3. Dungeon Defenders

Tower Defense games aren’t my cup of tea- but, there are a few exceptions to the rule such as Plants Vs. Zombies and DUNGEON DEFENDERS. For me, tower defense games usually fall short of being fun because I often don’t feel involved- there’s a sense of not being there when you manage resources and watch the action unfold as you say to yourself ‘man, I wish I was fighting that battle instead of spectating’. Dungeon Defenders ails this tower-defense ill because it allows you do things typical of tower-defense like manage resources and plant sentries while BEING INVOLVED in the action. The ability to fight alongside 4 other players in dungeon defenders while maintaining your defenses is great- so great that it deserves a number 3 spot on my list. 4 players can choose from a variety of different characters each with their own weapon class and defense resources- they then take to the battlefield where they have minutes to set up defenses to protect their sacred ‘eternia shards’ and then take on the approaching army of darkness (sorry, no boomsticks). The game is an excellent example of mixing individual thought and strategy with teamwork and muscle to take on countless goblin gangs. Every level is unique, the difficulty is very flexible so that anyone can learn to play, and the action is unparalleled for a co-op game.

2. Portal 2

Here’s the deal: if you haven’t played Portal 2 yet, be it single player or multiplayer, YOU NEED TO. Portal 2 is easily up on my list of favorite games of all time- and while its single-player campaign is superb, its co-op elevates it to a new level of greatness. Portal 2 is a wonderful puzzler that involves the use of a portal gun to solve all of its puzzles- each gun comes equipped with two portals that can be placed in the environment and link to eachother. This concept was explored expertly in the first portal game when players would solve puzzles based strongly on physics and switch-activation by using the two portals creatively. After the first, many gamers wondered where a second portal game could take us and, more importantly, HOW COULD IT OUTDO ITSELF? The answer is simply this: add two players and four portals and you have a co-op masterpiece. It would be pointless for me to try and detail the charm of solving physics-puzzles with a friend and that feeling of victory that subsequently washes over you when you can very well experience it for yourself. Portal 2 explores the true nature of co-op: Teamwork. Not only is Portal 2 a great puzzle solving exercise, it’s a great friendship building exercise as well.

1. Castle Crashers

Something was definitely lost when the world of gaming went from going to the arcade to staying in the house-hold. Arcade-Cabinet Games like ‘The Simpsons Arcade Game’ or ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game’ brought on a sense of comradery when friends stood side-by side taking on enemies in these side-scrolling beat ’em ups. While the PC and home consoles have certainly led to a decrease in the amount of co-op arcade beat ’em ups being made, Castle Crashers breaks that mold and gives us that wholesome hack n’ slash experience once again. But developers ‘The Behemoth’ never bring back  beaten, dead-horses like retro arcade brawlers without putting their own fresh twist on them- and with Castle Crashers, they went all out. Where else can you grab 4 players and hack your way through a traditional medieval landscape with light-sabers and magic powers? Where else can you fight a giant “Cat-Fish” which is LITERALLY a hybrid cat/fish that shoots hairballs at you? Where else can you get a game that forces you to fight to the death over the love of a princess minutes after you all work together to save her? Nowhere else but Castle Crashers. This game is made for co-op and it offers a fun and deep experience for anybody who picks up a controller to play. Nothing says fun like hanging out with your buddies, grabbing a couple of beers, crashing castles, and saving royal babes all on a Saturday night.