Limbo d Inside These are the two games that made the school, and for good reason. The combination of a very individual aesthetic and a simple, but very refined and effective gameplay impressed many players and developers who borrowed many ideas from Playdead games for their own projects. Now Geometric Interactive, led by Jeppe Carlsen, lead gameplay developer of the aforementioned games, brings us Cocoonwhich has already become one of the surprises of 2023.
Flawless design
Cocoon is an aerial third-person puzzle game in which we must advance using different spheres that we unlock as we progress. Each sphere has a different power: activating bridges, activating a pillar/elevator type, shooting lightning, or transforming into certain creatures, in addition to holding the world inside. Yes, each realm has a stage that we can access through certain portals.
Given that we can only carry one sphere at a time, managing them is also important. With areas where we need a certain sphere, but only those that we can only access with another sphere, or areas that we simply cannot access with a sphere, moving them around wisely will also be important. And so without spoiling some puzzles in the last part, in which we will have to do real tricks with them.
On paper, this may sound boring or even difficult to understand, but we assure you that it is quite the opposite. Cocoon es one of the best games we’ve played in a long time, with a very clean and classic approach that can literally explain even the most complex concepts to you without a single tutorial or line of text on screen. Just as we start playing Super Mario Bros. and we didn’t need to know anything about how channels or bonuses work, we don’t need to learn anything here either.
In fact, this is a title where the puzzles become quite challenging, but everything is done with a button. We can’t stress enough how it managed to surprise us with puzzle after puzzle, constantly introducing new mechanics without straying from the fundamental pillars of its design. Also, the difficulty is precisely measured, with a fairly simple start to let us learn how things work, and situations that get more complicated but never get too far-fetched. As if that wasn’t enough, each world ends with a final boss fight that manages to give a trait to the game’s mechanics so that it can be used in combat.
The downside is that some of the puzzles are somewhat similar to each other, although this is understandable with such a concise gameplay. This was not a problem for us, and in fact Its short duration in our case, about five hours, means that nothing becomes boring or repetitive; quite the opposite.
A world like no other
The perfect addition to the gameplay is the audiovisual section Cocoon. Without any explanation, the adventure begins on what seems to be some alien planet with a half-humanoid, half-insect main character. And from there everything gets stranger and stranger. More whimsical settings, stranger creatures and thrilling moments again and again..
Technically, it’s nothing groundbreaking, but it doesn’t try to be. The idea is to create something different that benefits from its minimalist art style, of colored polygons without textures, but that finds its place between the dreamlike, the alien and the familiar. us We loved its production, and together with the minimalistic soundtrack and equally amazing sound effects, it creates the perfect atmosphere for Cocoon.
A video game like the old ones to break the norm
In an industry experiencing a significant decline in creativity, where the vast majority AAA and even from many indie They are obsessed with today’s successful genres and famous ideas, Cocoon This is a game that forces you to regain some faith. We think it’s incredible that such a simple, one-button game can surprise so much from start to finish, offering something not only original, but far more memorable than many of the blockbusters released every year. Cocoon It’s a video game first and foremost, and one we love. If you like puzzles, this is a must, and even if it’s not a genre you’re into, we think it deserves a chance, especially since it’s already available on Game Pass.
We ran this analysis on an Xbox Series X using code provided by Microsoft.
