Octodad: Dadliest Catch was a weird and wonderful game that feels like it never hit the highs it deserved. It found a niche fanbase but beyond those folks that enjoyed the dumb absurdist concept and purposefully wonky gameplay, it never found that mainstream success. It’s a pity because it was a genuinely unique little title and I, for one, enjoy developers that take risks with their games rather than sticking to what’s safe. It’s a real treat then that developer Young Horses hasn’t pivoted to generic shooters or platform but has instead moved in the direction of Bugsnax which we finally know a little more about.
The new gameplay trailer shows off what actually happens in Bugsnax as you play a journalist sent to investigate a commune of settlers on an island filled with creatures that slowly mutate anyone that eats them. Once you’re there, you’ll be snapping pictures of them, trapping them with elaborate devices and herding them using condiments.
It looks reminiscent of something like Slime Rancher but with a more story-driven approach, given the rather ominous turn the trailer takes in the back end. It’s also got a pretty solid voice cast that somehow doesn’t feature Nolan North, Troy Baker or Laura Bailey. Instead, we’ll be hearing Debra Wilson (Cere Junda in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order), Yuri Lowenthal (Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man), and Sam Riegel, of Critical Role fame.
Most importantly, we now also know that Bugsnax is launching on 12 November for PS4, PS5 and the Epic Games Store (or PC, if you want to be vague about it). That makes it a launch title for the PS5 which is neat for the studio I guess! Whether this is the sort of game that moves hardware is beyond me, I just want to walk around a colourful island and take pictures of weird creatures. Say, when’s that new Pokemon Snap coming…
Last Updated: October 9, 2020
