PAX Prime 2012: Octodad: The Dadliest Catch

There is really no easy way to describe Octodad: The Dadliest Catch so I'm just going to come out and say it. You play as an octopus who is trying to pretend he's human so the family he loves will not leave him.

Still with me?

The Dadliest Catch is actually a sequel to a student made game that was developed as an entry to the Independent Games Festival Student Showcase at GDC in 2011. This version is a better budgeted sequel/remake much in the way that Evil Dead 2 is really just a better remake of the original Evil Dead. Now that I've lost anyone who isn't a horror movie fan, I'll continue.

The premise of just trying to act human is not an easy one when you're an octopus, even when you're just tasked with doing the every day jobs a dad must do. From getting ready for your wedding, to making hamburgers for the kids, or mowing the lawn, Octodad controls like a mouse controlled QWOP if the runner had tentacles and was slathered with a hearty amount of cooking oil. You work your legs by pressing in the left button and moving the mouse forward, and then pressing in the right putting and moving the mouse forward again. A click of the center wheel gives you control over Octodad's arms in the same way. It may sound confusing but it is easy to get the hang of...to a degree. You'll still be flailing around widely in a desperate attempt to act human and keep your families suspicions low.

And this is part of the magic that Octodad employs. Any amount of failure is also hilarious. There are no frustrating moments in Octodad because humorous defeat is one of the things that make it so great.

There is room for ultimate failure, however. The suspicion meter is always on in Octodad, meaning that if you start knocking over too much stuff, or mistakenly hit your children with an ax, people are going to notice and eventually the jig is up.

But it's this floundering desperation as you try to do normal activities without arousing the ire of those around you that leads to the funniest moments in Octodad, and the whimsical, cartoony art style only adds the the comical nature of the scenes. And as Octodad does everything in his wiggly power to be accepted by his family you can't help put try to help him the best you can.

Octodad: The Dadliest Catch is easily one of the most amusing games I've played at PAX Prime and you'll be able to get your hands on it sometime in 2013 on the PC.  Check out the screens and trailer below for some of the action.

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