Darwin's Paradox - Switch 2 Review

I remember when I tried takoyaki for the first time; I was apprehensive, but as soon as that fried octopus ball went into my mouth, I was immediately impressed. In Darwin’s Paradox, the mysterious, totally human-run company known as UFOOD abducts Darwin the Octopus and his friend. With Darwin’ lucky escape, it is up to him to save his friend and get to the bottom of UFOOD’s dastardly deeds.

The Good

As an octopus, you can swim, grab a hold of objects, cling to walls and ceilings, spray ink and even camouflage to avoid being hunted by predators. This creates a lot of possibilities for a 2D platformer with puzzle elements. The opening tutorial does a fantastic job at introducing the player to these mechanics early and efficiently, giving them the tools they need to tackle the majority of the game’s challenges.

The plot, like many great games, is told primarily through the gameplay. While cutscenes are plenty here, we see a lot of the world and the protagonist’s threat through the backgrounds and gameplay context. Coupling this with the game’s comedic tone and the sinister mystery behind UFOOD’s dastardly plans, and it’s a recipe for thematic success.

While the stakes are high and the mystery is otherworldly, it’s all wrapped up in a slapstick comedic motif. If anything, one of the biggest compliments I can give Darwin’s Paradox is its comedic timing, coupled with the noir-esque sound design and well-executed cutscenes. It’s quite often the little things, like every time Darwin dies, the sound effect is a squeak like a dog’s chew toy.

TL;DR

• An octopus protagonist allows for some fun gameplay mechanics
• A mysterious yet quirky plot
• The animation and cutscenes are top-notch

The Bad

While the gameplay promises a plethora of exciting opportunities, it often doesn't deliver. Puzzles are relatively obtuse and they tend to come just as the player begins to build momentum. While I can understand that the developers did this to mix up the gameplay from moment to moment, it often halts the player’s momentum and feels very start-and-stop at the best of times.

It’s always difficult to speak about performance when a game can get patched soon after, but the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Darwin’s Paradox as it currently stands has a very inconsistent frame rate, sometimes at critical points. The visual fidelity is also lacklustre, but as a long-time Switch player, that’s not surprising. But if we’re taking that hit on its visuals, you’d want the performance to be at least at a consistent 30 frames per second. But sadly, while it definitely attempts to do so, it clearly struggles when the action builds or when there are transitions that are intended to be seamless.

TL;DR

• Gameplay doesn’t quite live up to its early promises
• Consistent performance inconsistencies

Final Score: 7/10

Darwin’s Paradox is a respectable entry in the slew of games inspired by classics like Limbo and Inside, and while it shows glimpses of something special, it never quite reaches the same heights. And while the game is, for lack of a better term, good, the current state of the Nintendo Switch 2 version only highlights its foibles. Overall, a 7 feels apt; it does a lot right and is enjoyable for the most part, but its start-and-stop nature and unfortunate performance challenges on Switch 2 keep it from being elevated any further.

Thank you for checking out our Darwin’s Paradox Switch review, thank you to Konami (via Five Star Games) for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

• Andrew Caluzzi (Inca Studios / Camped Out)
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