Octocopter: Super Sub Squid Escape Review

octocopter-super-sub-squid-escape-review-screenshot-1

Underwater levels have never been something I’m very fond of. The very first underwater level I can ever remember playing would be in Super Mario Brothers. From there my hate for water levels begins. Crash Bandicoot later reaffirmed my underwater level discomfort. I can safely say that besides the Spongebob Squarepants this is an underwater level game I definitely do not mind playing. The graphics are reminiscent of the SpongeBob games. Bright colors and clay like, with what I call water veins. (The things that makes it look like you are underwater.) As you herd your Squid wound submarine through the path the screen behind you fades a little bit, giving you that look you would get if you are actually swimming in water. A nice touch, even though it is simple one.

In a lot of puzzle games the music is very mellow and repetitive. Well that holds true for this game as well. Kind of reminded me of the Sims at first to be honest. It does fit the game very well though and does keep the rhythm with the levels. When you explode over and over again though, the music gets very annoying. I found myself making fun of the music more than paying attention to the game sometimes.

octocopter-super-sub-squid-escape-review-screenshot-2

Paying attention and using strategy are very important. Unless you just wanna blow up. Which I did. A lot. You control a squid attached to a submarine. The submarine can shoot torpedos, which helps unblock your path, or get’s rid of other obstacles. Did I mention that your squided submarine is spinning the whole time. It spins slowly, and you aren’t forced to move quickly through the level so you have some time to come up with a strategy. While you are taking your submarine for a spin (HA, Puns!) there are things to collect that give you points. You also get points based on how fast you complete the level.

I’m not sure how many levels there are, but there are different “worlds”.  I made it to the second world, third level before getting burnt out, and a bit frustrated. From what I can tell every new world has five levels to it, the fifth one being a boss level. The boss level I did was a bit awkward. You had to shoot at a specific spot and with the squid submarine spinning it wasn’t very easy. I know it’s not supposed to be, but it was a bit more difficult than I initially thought it would be. I’d get caught on a rock, which if you get hit to many times or you hit something, you blow up. Surprise!!

octocopter-super-sub-squid-escape-review-screenshot-3

This isn’t a game I would play over and over again. It’s more like an app. Something I would play to pass time, but not for story or replayabiltiy. It is a fun game, trying to avoid hitting walls and blowing things up to get past. Get from point A to point B, simple really. I do like that everything in the game from the contrasting colors, to the soundtrack fits perfectly into the game.

Something I didn’t really touch on was the controls. It’s easy as pie. The controls are smooth and just like the games concept, are simple. The stick controls the ship, and you can shoot the torpedos with X. One of the complaints I have is that yes, you can play on the Wii U gamepad, but once again it doesn’t have sound unless played through a  television. (I tested my gamepad to make sure it wasn’t just a technical issue.) I think that maybe some game developers just don’t know how to make the sound come through on the game pad which is a real shame.

rating-6

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Nintendo Wii U code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.

Subscribe to our mailing list

Get the latest game reviews, news, features, and more straight to your inbox