Squids Odyssey Review (Wii U)

good
key review info
  • Game: Squids Odyssey
  • Platform: Wii U
  • Show system requirements
  • Reviewed on:
Squid adventure

Squids Odyssey is a video game that was developed by The Game Bakers and was first launched on smartphones in two installments before being brought over to the Wii U home consoles from Nintendo with extra content consisting of an additional chapter and some more items for the characters to use.

The story of the game starts in a mysterious underwater temple where the protagonist, called Steev, is trying to get access to some important treasure with his companions, but instead, manages to release a long-forgotten ancient evil force.

It takes the form of a black sort of ooze, like an intelligent petrol spill, which can turn all the fish it touches into aggressive fighters who are unwilling to spare even their own kind, and soon manages to spread through the sea.

Steev, along with a ragtag band of companions, needs to now redeem himself by battling the angry entity and locking it back, probably this time in a location where no one else has the ability to release it while searching for treasures.

The writing for Squids Odyssey is not the greatest in the world, but the constant mix of epic moments and humorous conversation will probably keep gamers somewhat entertained, even if none of the characters are actually interesting or relatable.

The gameplay of Squids Odyssey is fairly simple, but it’s not boring, especially during the period when the game introduces new characters and gives players a chance to become familiar with how they need to place their troops and use the core mechanics to take out enemies.

Review image
Review image
Battle move
Special move

Basically, the players need to use the stamina reserves of their squad in order to fling the squids at the various creatures that are attacking the group and take them out, either by dealing direct damage or by simply pushing them out of the level using conveniently-placed ledges.

There are a number of character classes to choose from, each with its own special ability, and it makes sense to mix and match them based on the tactical challenges that each level offers.

Flinging can be executed with the stylus on the GamePad or with a regular controller, and initially, it’s very fun to launch squids in all directions in order to take down enemies while making sure that your own characters do not take too much damage.

Gamers will earn pearls from battles, which can be used to upgrade the squad that’s being used or to get access to hats that can boost the core stats of a character, but there’s little in the way of an actual role-playing progression system to keep the player occupied.

Squids Odyssey gives the player plenty of freedom when it comes to how his team looks, but there are some levels that can be frustrating by forcing some choices, which does increase the difficulty level somewhat but reduces the level of fun.

The development team at Game Bakers was probably forced to include them because the game was rather easy otherwise, especially for a player who has some experience with the genre and quickly understands how to use the environments to take out his enemies rapidly. Nonetheless, there were some difficulty spikes that required two or three attempts before I was able to complete the level.

The game’s biggest problem is that it’s easy to love the mechanics at first and then quickly get bored of flinging because there’s almost no variety.

At the same time, the role-playing aspect is limited and I am sure that there are gamers who have bought the game expecting a deeper focus on characters, which simply does not exist.

Review image
Review image
Healing mechanic
Bright world

But the squid flinging element of the game is cool and interesting, and more casual-minded players will certainly spend hours determining how to best use it to take out enemies while keeping their own squads healthy.

Squids Odyssey is a good-looking video game, especially given that it is offered on the Wii U home console from Nintendo, and it uses bright colors and simple shapes to create an interesting underwater world that the player can discover.

The problem here is that the various edges of the level are sometimes unclearly defined, which means I often thought I was aiming for the edge just to see my squid die.

The music is suitably joyous and engaging, but it has a childish element that some players might find annoying.

Squids Odyssey is not the most hardcore turn-based role-playing game in the world of gaming, but the development team has managed to create a solid core flinging mechanic and a world that uses it in interesting ways.

The game will clearly appeal more to casual gamers than to the hardcore, but it does show how the Wii U can deliver interesting games when the developers try to introduce some innovation.

Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
story 6
gameplay 7
concept 8
graphics 8
audio 7
multiplayer 0
final rating 7.5
Editor's review
good
 
NEXT REVIEW: Three Dead Zed