Software:Cocoon (video game)
| Cocoon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Geometric Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Annapurna Interactive |
| Director(s) | Jeppe Carlsen |
| Composer(s) | Jakob Schmid |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) |
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| Release | September 29, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Cocoon is a 2023 puzzle adventure game developed by Geometric Interactive and published by Annapurna Interactive. The player controls a beetle that can hop between worlds, solving puzzles to unravel the universe's mysteries. The game was released on September 29, 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.[1]
Cocoon received generally positive reviews from critics.
Gameplay
Cocoon is a third-person puzzle video game. The player controls a small insectoid creature navigating multiple desolate worlds.
The player wakes up in a barren wasteland, soon after discovering a mysterious orb. Each orb contains one of the game's worlds, allowing the player to hop between them, while also doubling as a unique ability in itself. The orb can also be used to power the various machinery found in these desolate worlds, such as lifts and platforms. As the player reaches the end of each orb, they are confronted by a boss fight they must complete by using a mechanic to impede the creature.[2]
Development
Cocoon was directed by Jeppe Carlsen, who previously designed Limbo and Inside. According to Carlsen, the game started development shortly after he left Playdead in 2016, and was centered around how "spatial relationships between interconnected realms could be used in puzzles". Composer Jakob Schmid and art director Erwin Kho joined Carlsen to form Geometric Interactive.[3]
The game was initially conceived as a sidescroller, but they found that it lessened the impact of traveling between worlds and switched the perspective to top-down. Cocoon's sound design is entirely made up of synthetic noises rather than recordings. Certain orb designs did not make the final cut: a rhythm orb that worked in tandem with the game's music, for instance, proved too distracting to players.[4]
Reception
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Cocoon received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[5][6][7] 98% of critics recommend the game on OpenCritic.[9]
Kim Hana of IGN praised the design of the puzzles, writing, "seeing how each piece of the puzzle interacts with others and figuring out the layers between them is some of the most mesmerizing and engaging stuff I've seen in a while".[2] Eurogamer's Christian Donlan enjoyed the art direction of Cocoon, feeling that it captured the alien nature of the setting, "you're exploring worlds that are both gloopy and organic, filled with heavily vesseled tumours and sacs and twitching mandibles".[12]
Rachel Watts of GamesRadar+ liked how the game placed the player into a "flowstate" with its puzzles, "Sure, you may need to get those neurons firing for one of two puzzles, but solving the majority is a more meditative experience".[14]
In Game Informer's review of the game, Kyle Hilliard felt that some of the puzzles could be a bit drawn out, saying, "there are a few instances where I felt I was going through a motion to finish a puzzle as opposed to arriving at a moment of brilliant catharsis".[13] Writing for Polygon, Grayson Morley said that he loved the soundtrack, feeling it complemented the atmosphere perfectly, "A gorgeous synth soundtrack accompanies your journey, occasionally threaded with a dampened piano glissando that never fails to inspire dread".[16]
Ed Thron's Rock Paper Shotgun praised the game for not being overly obtuse, writing that "solutions are often intuitive twists on a blueprint", rather than "brain-busting world swappery".[20]
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Golden Joystick Awards | Ultimate Game of the Year | Nominated | [21] |
| Best Indie Game | Nominated | |||
| Breakthrough Award | Won | |||
| The Game Awards 2023 | Best Independent Game | Nominated | [22] | |
| Best Debut Indie Game | Won | |||
| 2024 | 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Game of the Year | Pending | [23] |
| Adventure Game of the Year | Pending | |||
| Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game | Pending | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction | Pending | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Game Design | Pending | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design | Pending | |||
| 24th Game Developers Choice Awards | Game of the Year | Pending | [24] | |
| Best Audio | Honorable mention | |||
| Best Debut | Pending | |||
| Best Design | Pending | |||
| Innovation Award | Pending | |||
| Best Technology | Honorable mention | |||
| Best Visual Art | Pending | |||
| Audience Award | Pending | |||
| Independent Games Festival | Seumas McNally Grand Prize | Pending | [25] | |
| Excellence in Audio | Pending | |||
| Excellence in Design | Pending |
References
- ↑ Holt, Kris (2023-06-29). "Recursive puzzle adventure game 'Cocoon' will arrive on September 29th" (in en-US). https://www.engadget.com/recursive-puzzle-adventure-game-cocoon-will-arrive-on-september-29th-190537652.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kim, Hana (September 28, 2023). "Cocoon Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/cocoon-review. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ Croft, Liam (2023-06-30). "Interview: How Cocoon Melds Many Worlds into One Promising Game" (in en-GB). https://www.pushsquare.com/features/interview-how-cocoon-melds-many-worlds-into-one-promising-game.
- ↑ Bailey, Jason M. (2023-09-28). "In Cocoon, a Journey Between Mysterious Worlds Awaits" (in en-US). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/arts/cocoon-geometric-jeppe-carlsen.html.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Cocoon for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/cocoon/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Cocoon for PlayStation 5 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/cocoon/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Cocoon for Xbox Series X Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/cocoon/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-series-x. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ "Cocoon for Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/cocoon/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Cocoon Reviews". https://opencritic.com/game/15580/cocoon.
- ↑ Colantonio, Giovanni (September 28, 2023). "Cocoon review: mesmerizing indie will put you inside of a bug's brain". https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/cocoon-review-pc/. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ Bloodworth, Daniel (September 28, 2023). "Review: Cocoon". https://easyallies.com/#!/review/cocoon. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Donlan, Christian (September 28, 2023). "Cocoon review - prepare to be astonished". https://www.eurogamer.net/cocoon-review. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Hilliard, Kyle (September 28, 2023). "Cocoon Review - Molecular Mystification". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/review/cocoon/molecular-mystification. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Watts, Rachel (September 28, 2023). "Cocoon review: 'An utterly spellbinding puzzle platformer'". https://www.gamesradar.com/cocoon-review/. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ Helm, Jordan (September 28, 2023). "Review: Cocoon". https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-cocoon/470642/. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Morley, Grayson (September 28, 2023). "The puzzle game Cocoon is impossibly good". https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23890949/cocoon-review-puzzle-game-inside-limbo. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ Bailes, Jon (September 28, 2023). "Cocoon review". https://www.pcgamer.com/cocoon-review/. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ Tailby, Stephen (September 28, 2023). "Cocoon Review (PS5)". https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/cocoon. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ Denzer, TJ (September 28, 2023). "Cocoon review: Whole wide worlds in your hands". https://www.shacknews.com/article/137235/cocoon-review-score. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ Thron, Ed (September 28, 2023). "Cocoon review: this puzzler is a world-hopping delight". https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/cocoon-review. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ Loveridge, Sam (2023-11-10). "Here are all the Golden Joystick Awards 2023 winners". https://www.gamesradar.com/golden-joystick-awards-2023-winners/.
- ↑ Spangler, Todd (November 13, 2023). "The Game Awards 2023 Nominations: Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3 Lead the Pack With Eight Noms Each (Full List)". Variety. https://variety.com/2023/gaming/news/game-awards-2023-nominations-alan-wake-baldurs-gate-full-list-1235787390/. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ↑ "27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Finalists". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. https://www.interactive.org/awards/27th_dice_awards_finalists.asp.
- ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (2024-01-16). "Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3 top GDC Award nominations". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-baldurs-gate-3-top-gdc-award-nominations.
- ↑ Elderkin, Beth (2024-01-11). "Visai Games' Venba leads finalists for the 2024 IGF Awards". https://www.gamedeveloper.com/art/visai-games-venba-leads-finalists-for-the-2024-igf-awards.
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