Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure Game Review
Cocoon is a unique puzzle adventure game that challenges players with its high level of ingenuity and complex gameplay mechanics. Created by the masterminds behind Limbo and Inside, Cocoon offers a refreshing and delightful gaming experience that is both rewarding and satisfying.
Gameplay
Cocoon features a core gameplay mechanic where players utilize various orbs, each containing a unique world, to solve puzzles and progress through the game. Players can enter and exit these orbs at will, exploring new areas with their own set of themed puzzles. Upon exiting a world, players can carry its respective orb on their back, using its abilities to navigate the larger world outside. As players progress, the number of worlds and orbs to manage gradually increases, adding complexity to the gameplay.
Unique Abilities
Each world in Cocoon has its own theme and ability, which is unlocked after defeating the world’s boss. For example, one world features invisible platforms that can only be traversed using a specific power. After defeating the boss, this power transfers outside of the world, allowing players to traverse previously invisible pathways while carrying the world on their back.
The game introduces the concept of recursion, where players can enter ethereal areas that loop back into the sphere they are carrying, essentially duplicating them to solve puzzles.
Challenge and Complexity
Cocoon’s final third presents players with a challenge that requires them to juggle multiple spheres and abilities. The game’s final ability allows players to collapse the shared logic between the spheres to solve complex puzzles. This challenge, along with the dilation of time based on the depth of the sphere, adds a new layer of complexity to the gameplay.
Rewarding Experience
The game is designed to make players feel like geniuses by presenting complex solutions within its tightly designed parameters. It offers a sense of satisfaction and reward as players unravel the intricacies of the puzzles and gameplay mechanics.
Conclusion
Cocoon is a stunningly confident puzzle game that strikes a perfect balance between challenge and satisfaction. Its thoughtful design and seamless integration of gameplay mechanics make it a truly unforgettable gaming experience. While there may be larger, more cinematic games available, Cocoon’s ability to captivate and engage players through its intricate puzzles is a testament to its brilliance.