Last night's PlayStation 'State of Play' showcase wasn't stacked with Switch news, but one announcement that did stand out to us was Darwin's Paradox!, an upcoming stealth platformer from Konami that appears to pack more than a little Inside DNA.
Developed by ZDT Studios, this one sees you play as Darwin, an octopus who's plucked from the sea and forced into the harsh industrial world of evil megacorp 'UFOOD INC. ' You'll want to help ol' eight legs escape, naturally, and to do so you'll have to sucker, swing, ink spray and blend into the dystopian surroundings, all while avoiding the ever-watchful gaze of your captors (as well as fire, nasty piranha's, deadly falls etc.).

It's difficult to watch the trailer and not be reminded of Playdead's wonderfully bleak Inside, with Darwin's threatening searchlights, underwater chases and all-around "I really don't want to be here" vibes taking us back to 2016's dread-filled delight. Sure, things don't look quite as depressing when you're playing as a bright blue octopus, but you get the picture.
You can find out a little more about the game and take a look at some screenshots in the following info from the Konami website and PlayStation Blog:
Embark on a grand adventure worthy of a true animated movie with Darwin, an octopus as charming as he is clever, ripped from the ocean and trapped in a massive and mysterious industrial complex. With his extraordinary intelligence and incredible abilities – swimming, camouflage, and many other fascinating skills – help him overcome the most formidable traps and dangers in this captivating platformer, adventure, and puzzle game.
In the peaceful vastness of the ocean, Darwin, a young octopus, explores the deep sea… until a strange beam of light pierces the abyss and pulls him toward the surface. Thrust out of his aquatic world, he wakes up disoriented in the middle of a gigantic junkyard, backed by a foreboding factory.
But something is wrong. Between the threatening machines, strange holding tanks, and the mysterious and dangerous creatures and characters that inhabit the place, Darwin realizes he is in danger. To return to the ocean, Darwin will have to outsmart, evolve, and reveal to the players through his journey the mysteries of a conspiracy that goes beyond anything one could have imagined… and which could very well seal the fate of humanity!
We still don't have a precise release date for this one just yet, though Switch is included in the lineup of launch platforms, so we can look forward to playing it on the go.
Aside from this interesting-looking puzzle platformer, the 'State of Play' broadcast also brought a couple of other bits of Switch news, including the reveal of SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance and the impending shadow drop of WARRIORS: Abyss.
What do you make of Darwin's Paradox? Will you be picking it up on Switch? Swim down to the comments and let us know.
Comments 27
Konami and an original new IP in 2025?
Shocked I tell you.
I love stealth games like Little Nightmares so this looks right up my alley.
This looks good tbh, gives me vibes of Oddworld, Octodad, and Little Nightmares.
That's one kute kraken. But is he really damp, or just moist?
Yay, Switch confirmed! That was the only game that caught my eye from the show. I'm glad I'll be able to play it.
Looks fantastic. I love Inside. Octopuses are dope. Whats not to go effin nuts for?
That looks great, but its Konami so there wont be a physical, or if there is it will be a code in box, so doubt I'll ever play it
Looks great, if it ends up being just as good I'm definitely interested in eventually playing it, too!
I looked into it. This is the same deal as Super Turbo Rhythm Castle - the developers fully own the IP and Konami is just the distributor... who will probably fail to market it correctly and probably just dump it at LRG like they dod Skellattack.
...hey speaking of Konami and weird indie deals: does anyone know if that post-Zaimot betrayal, finish the original "first game arc" cast DLC for Skullgirls ever got full voice acting patched in?
Looks really fun actually! Kinda reminds me of the octopus that tries to escape from Finding Dory.
Definitely interested in this one!
This looks like my kind of game! Very excited!
Firstly, Konami are putting out a new game.... have I travelled back in time?
Secondly, the first thing that came to mind when I saw this on the SOP last night was a weird little PS1 game called Spider where you played as a spider with guns....
@Bunkerneath did you know the Switch can play games without a little plastic thing inserted into it? It's called a digital download
"Ceruleanus" means "sky blue" for those interested.
Words...l like them.
@97alexk Finding Dory
It looked to me like it was made to be a Dory tie in game but Pixar said no so they just changed the name. I don’t recall a game called Inside so my brain never went there. I played Oddworld way back in the day on PS1 and I did see some of that in there as well, but 2nd to Dory.
This looks very good. A little bit Inside and Little Nightmares, with a very unique theme. It would be great to see Konami releasing a 9/10 quality game with a brand new new IP.
Inside is an all time favourite for me. Definitely one of my top 10 Switch games. I've played through it twice and got all the collectables. Limbo was great too. Tempted to give Limbo a 2nd play though.
@Coolmusic I was trying to remember the name of Little Nightmares, because it reminded me of that game too
Probably the highlight of the show for me.
Love Inside, Oddworld and Octopi so this is right up my tributary.
@Automated_Unit_4937 Don't trust downloads, only play physicals.
I thought this one definitely looked interesting. One of the most original ideas in the State of Play. Everything else was a 3rd person, narrative, action adventure game.
This looks great. I'm interested.
ill buy any game with a tentacled protagonist.
I'll be keeping an eye on this. Hope it runs well on Switch.
This looks surprisingly good.
And it reminds me how much we still need an Octodad sequel.
Looks fun! Somebody at Konami must have been inspired by Pixar’s Finding Dory movie. 😁🐠
I’d buy this if it gets a physical edition someday, hopefully on Switch Deux.
So it SAYS to wishlist now, but it's not in the eshop yet...
Konami is making not only a new game, but a new ip??
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...