Check out the COCOON Review Trailer:
COCOON, developed by Geometric Interactive and published by Annapurna Interactive, is a visually stunning puzzle adventure game that is somehow both challenging and accessible.
Visual Marvels
There is no narrative for COCOON in the traditional sense, but the graphics hint that this world contains so much more than can be encompassed in the space of this surprisingly short game.
The visuals are absolutely breathtaking, conjuring a realm that feels alien yet familiar. There are four biomes, each one enclosed within a colored orb, only accessible through a contraption that allows players to dive into the spherical domain. Each environment boasts its own visual aesthetic and gameplay mechanics, the latter of which become progressively intricate as players advance, building on the skills players have mastered in other orb worlds.
I was a little nervous about meeting all of COCOON’s challenges, but somehow the developers made the experience of learning mechanics feel intuitive. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the character gamers play as, a small winged humanoid figure, can’t actually do anything except flap their wings and hold an orb. With no other options, players are forced to pay close attention to their environment to figure out their next move.
Gameplay
The colored orbs don’t just contain different worlds, they are also essential for navigating each environment and solving puzzles.
I can’t really express how truly brilliant some of these puzzles are, especially once gamers get deep into the game. At different times, players will need to juggle jumping between three different environments in order to be able to pass a single obstacle. This means that even though a single level is quite short, with gamers only needing to open a door, it can take several trips in and out of the orbs to perfectly place themselves on the right platform at the right moment.
It is obvious from the beginning that developers put a lot of thought into gamers’ experience while playing. They somehow walk the line between challenging and infuriating. While some puzzles seem to naturally unfold others take more thought. I don’t know how to explain how the devs achieved this, but I found myself trusting their process. In the places where I got stuck, rather than rage quitting like I have done with other puzzle games (cough, Terracotta, cough) I found myself calmly retracing my steps and saying “I missed something.” This is a huge achievement in my opinion, as elegantly crafted as the game’s visuals.
The balance of the game’s mechanics is most on display during each of the boss battles, one for each orb. As mentioned, the little winged humanoid cannot do much except interact with the orbs, so I was excited to see how the previewed boss fights would play out. The bosses, or guardians as the developers call them, use a series of familiar platformer attacks, with gamers needing to run, dodge, jump and dive to avoid obstacles while waiting for the perfect moment to stun the boss.
Boss fights are one of the major points of Cocoon that point to something much bigger. Why do the devs call them guardians? Is this a Shadow of the Colossus situation? What happens to these guardians after I’ve bopped them on the head for the fifth time and they poof into dust?
Overall
9/10
COCOON is a beautiful and engaging gaming experience. Captivating visuals, ingenious puzzles, and the perfect balance between challenge and satisfaction
COCOON releases today for consoles and PC via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Michelle Jones
I'm a completionist gamer who just needs to find that one last object and clear that final dungeon. I love all video games, from open world sandboxes on a console to a mindless match three on my phone. In addition to gaming and writing, I am a graduate student working on a thesis about the ancient Icelandic Sagas. Feel free to ask me anything about Vikings.
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