Cocoon is making noises in the gaming scene as the year ends and awards are bestowed. Is it really worth all the hype? Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Cocoon Review Overview
Cocoon Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 No Dialogue? No Problem! Stunning Visuals and Brilliant Sound Design Simple Controls, Complex Game | Easy To Get Stuck Only 4-5 Hours Long |
Cocoon Overall - 94/100
Cocoon tells a captivating story without having a single word uttered. It’s a complex puzzler with an extremely simple control scheme. It features gorgeous and vibrant views, and excellent sound design, which lead to a truly immersive, borderline psychedelic experience. It’s a unique and excellent gaming experience for only $24.99.
Cocoon Story - 9/10
Cocoon’s story is executed similarly to Limbo and Inside, two games of the same genre designed by Cocoon’s gameplay designer, that are held in high regard where characters don’t talk at all. Instead, the story is told solely through gameplay. The environment, the sounds, and the actions work harmoniously to portray what’s going on, much like you would in a ballet. The game lets you play as a hatchling who must navigate the mysterious environments around it. Here, each world lies in an orb, which you can enter and leave at certain parts of the game, or carry on your back and use to power strange alien-like technology.
Cocoon Gameplay - 10/10
While the controls are as simple as it gets, the gameplay isn’t simple at all. It’s filled with mentally stimulating, complex puzzles, which can get pretty tough at times. Solving them feels extremely rewarding considering their difficulty, and makes you feel like a genius. Boss fights are such a delight in this game as well, with each boss having a unique mechanic to deal with.
Cocoon Visuals - 10/10
This game looks absolutely stunning, to say the least. The unique art style paired with its vibrant color palettes leads to some of the most breathtaking views in gaming. Everything from the character designs, the environments, and the technology you encounter are perfectly designed.
Cocoon is a visual masterpiece.
Cocoon Audio - 9/10
The audio in this game is incredible. While there aren’t any spoken words at all, the sound effects of this game sound full-bodied and on point. The soundtrack is perfect for the in-game moment it accompanies and can range from zen and relaxing for beautiful sceneries, to tense and high-tempo for boss fights.
Cocoon Value for money - 9/10
A masterpiece for only $24.99, $45 cheaper than most AAA games in today’s market. Although I can’t rate it 10 since that belongs to great games that are free to play, Cocoon has incredible value for its modest price.
Cocoon Review: A Unique Cosmic Puzzler
The game throws you in a strange but beautiful world as an alien insect hatchling. Much like your character, you don’t know anything about the world around you but you’re excited to explore. Throughout your journey, you’ll quickly discover new things, like how you have the ability to travel in and out of worlds, which are actually orbs that you can carry around and use to power the mysterious alien technology all around you. While the concept of traveling through different worlds isn’t original, it’s Cocoon’s unique take on it that makes it stand out.
For most of this journey, you’ll be solving puzzles to get around. These puzzles aren’t something you can just breeze through and often require you to think outside the box. As a puzzle game beginner, I found myself stuck a few times, which admittedly, can be quite frustrating. This makes it so that the puzzles feel incredibly rewarding to solve. The worlds or orbs you carry around are often part of the puzzle, so you’ll be solving puzzles in a world within a world, with an entirely different world.
When you’re not getting frustrated over not being able to solve a puzzle, this game is a zen experience. In addition to beautiful and vibrant environments, you’ll also be accompanied by music fitting the environment you’re in, which amplifies the tranquility you feel when navigating scenic places. The worlds are just such captivating places that you’d want to explore every inch of it.
Each of these worlds has a boss that watches over it. These bosses are mysterious colossal beings that you’ll have to fight. Since you’re just an adorable baby insect, you can’t really fight them head-on like you would in an action game. Instead, the boss fights are puzzles as well, wherein you have to figure out how to damage them, when they’re vulnerable, and where they’re weak. These boss fights are, like the rest of the game, a delightful experience.
Not all areas are as welcoming though. Some areas are more hostile, especially in boss fights. In these instances, you won’t feel as safe as you would in the more calm areas. When the game wants to make you feel some type of way, be it chill and relaxed or tense and on edge, it succeeds with its visual art and music.
There’s not much else to say about the game without spoiling anything, given its simplicity. You explore, solve puzzles, and enjoy the ambiance, albeit in a masterfully executed way.
Pros of Cocoon
| Things Cocoon Got Right |
|---|
|
No Dialogue? No Problem! Stunning Visuals and Brilliant Sound Design Simple Controls, Complex Game |
No Dialogue? No Problem!
I’m amazed with how not a single word is uttered in this game, and yet we (somewhat) understand what’s going on. We say somewhat because the story can be interpreted in a number of ways, and how you do so is entirely up to you. The music, sound effects, and animations in the game do all the storytelling for us. In a way, it’s similar to ballet where the movements and set design tell a complex story without any words.
Stunning Visuals and Brilliant Sound Design
I said it before and I’m going to say it again. This game is a masterpiece. Everything, both visually and auditory, is perfectly designed. The simple one-button gameplay, when paired with the vibrant visuals, the full-bodied sounds, and the fitting soundtracks all complement each other perfectly to produce one of the best games I’ve ever played. Each world has its own unique aesthetic and soundtrack, and all look and sound great.
Simple Controls, Complex Game
The controls in this game are simple. There are the directional move commands and one all-purpose interact button. Its complexity lies in its unique story, world-hopping mechanics, and mind-boggling puzzles. The puzzles get increasingly more complex the farther you are in your journey. What used to be a simple solution to a puzzle you encountered early on will be a small part of something way more complex in the future.
Cons of Cocoon
| Things That Cocoon Can Improve |
|---|
|
Easy to Get Stuck Only 4-5 Hours Long |
Easy to Get Stuck
As we mentioned earlier, the puzzles aren’t exactly a walk in the park. Since areas are often locked behind a puzzle you need to solve, it’s easy to get stuck if you can't figure out what to do. The game also doesn’t give you any hints, and instead, trusts your intelligence to solve them for yourself. While this is pretty normal for puzzlers, it’s worth noting as a con since getting stuck can get pretty infuriating.
Only 4-5 Hours Long
Provided you didn’t get stuck for hours on end, the game is only 4-5 hours long. Upon reaching the ending, I couldn’t help but feel a bit down that it was over. Additionally, there are only four orbs in total, so five worlds in total if you count that place filled with alien technology when you hop out of the orbs. This isn’t too big a con though, as I enjoyed almost every second of it.
Is Cocoon Worth It?
Cocoon is one of the best games I’ve ever played and you should buy it.
Cocoon is a masterpiece that deserves way more recognition than it gets. Its flaws are something you can look past, and are more like cons for the indie puzzler genre itself rather than something unique to Cocoon. The sounds, visuals, gameplay, and story are all top-notch and work harmoniously together to create a masterpiece. Do yourself a favor and get this game right now.
Cocoon Overview & Premise
The game lets you play as a winged insect hatchling navigating the strange world around you. As you explore, you’ll soon find out that the worlds are actually orbs that you can jump in and out of, and that these orbs can be used to power the advanced alien technology all around you. Throughout your journey, you’ll have to solve complex puzzles and occasionally fight large and mysterious creatures.
It’s a lot like the award-winning Limbo and Inside, which isn’t a surprise since the lead game designer of both those games also worked on Cocoon. Expect lots of breathtaking scenery, stunning visuals, creative puzzles, and much more.
Cocoon FAQ
What game awards did Cocoon win?
Cocoon was nominated for Ultimate Game of the Year and Best Indie Game in the Golden Joystick Awards, and won the Breakthrough Award.
Which platforms can you play Cocoon on?
Cocoon can be played on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch.
Game8 Reviews
Cocoon Product Information
 |
|
| Title | COCOON |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 29, 2023 |
| Developer | Geometric Interactive |
| Publisher | Annapurna Interactive |
| Supported Platforms | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
| Genre | Puzzle, Adventure |
| Number of Players | Single-player |
| ESRB Rating | E |
| Official Website | Cocoon Website |
