Review: Cocoon Explained To Parents

cocoon featured ecran partage

What parents need to know

Cocoon is a 3rd person puzzle adventure game in isometric view. The player character is a winged insect-like alien who wanders through a strange universe made up of organic and electronic elements that are reminiscent of the geometry of insect anatomy. The colourful and interactive environments adapt to the actions of the player, who must interact with different elements in order to solve puzzles. The different worlds seem to fit together like multiple distinct realities, giving a very dreamlike feel to the game. Each universe is contained in an orb that the character can carry on their back and use to solve puzzles, like a ball in a Rube Goldberg machine. Orbs and other spheres can also be used to power machines, move platforms, reveal secret passages, and open portals. As the adventure progresses, the player will have to explore different biomes, some more natural and others more industrial, all populated by flora, fauna and biomechanical machines.

Cocoon1 split screen
Screenshot courtesy of Geometric Interactive.

Each level or biome features a final battle with a guardian, and each guardian must be outmaneuvered through a puzzle-related mechanic since the player is unarmed and has no inventory. Actions are very simple, both in and out of combat, usually limited to picking up and dropping spheres, pressing buttons, or activating a portal. The game offers a very simple mechanic that is accessible to players of all ages and skill levels.

Details

Release date: 29 September 2023
Developer: Geometric Interactive
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Available on: Steam PC, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Available format: Digital
Version tested: Nintendo Switch

Game genre: Puzzle & Adventure
Themes covered: Exploration, Problem Solving, Discovery
Duration of the main game/story: 5 hours
Total time to complete everything: 5 heures

Text languages: German, English, Simplified chinese, Traditional chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian,
Voice languages: No voice

Number of local players: 1
Number of online players: -2

Level of experience required

Age 3+ 7+ 12+ 16+ 18+
Beginners
Intermediate
Experienced

Combat is highly stylized and usually against biomechanical entities or machines. There is no blood, no identifiable modern weapons. By the way, the character can’t die, it’s just sent back to the beginning of the fight.

The only text is in the menu, there are no voices and no visual instructions on the screen that are not also represented by pictograms.

The mechanics are very simple, usually limited to a single action button and movement. There is no camera to control.

Local game modes

There is only the story mode.

Online Game Modes

There is no online game mode.

Expansions/Add-ons (DLC)

None yet.

Our opinion

Cocoon is a beautiful game in its simplicity. Everything works like a charm, the visual is pleasant and original and we marvel at the beauty of the details. The mechanics are minimalist, but everything is well-built and fluid. The game offers an interesting difficulty that allows us to progress quickly despite the challenges, which is encouraging. In itself, the game is more like a work of art that can be explored to admire the details. There’s no real narrative or challenging combat, so Cocoon is less aimed at players who are looking for these elements at all costs in a game. It’s a relaxing and interesting experience as well as an extraordinary visual work that deserves its place in our game library! By the way, if you’ve ever played Limbo or Inside, other indie games in the same genre, you’ll probably like Cocoon, since it was created by the same designer, Jeppe Carlsen. Cocoon is also reminiscent of other exploration and puzzle games published by Annapurna Interactive, such as Stray and What Remains of Edith Finch, for example, for those who enjoyed these games and are looking for other similar little treasures.

Cocoon2 Split Screen
Screenshot courtesy of Geometric Interactive.

This game was offered to us for free for review purposes, but that doesn’t influence our opinion.

Trailer

About Myriam Baulne

Traductrice agréée aussi détentrice d'un DEC en animation 3D et synthèse d'images, Myriam est constamment à la recherche d'opportunités afin d'allier ses passions pour les jeux vidéo, les TTRPG et la rédaction. Armée d'un solide bagage journalistique, elle est outillée pour vous rapporter toute l'actualité et l'information sur vos jeux favoris.

View all posts by Myriam Baulne