Konami's Octopus Game Has a Demo You Can Play Right Now

When Konami first unveiled its adorable new octopus side-scrolling adventure game Darwin’s Paradox, many were shocked to see the drastically unexpected entry from a company known for a number gritty powerhouse franchises. Fittingly, the February 12 PlayStation State of Play not only confirmed an April 2 release date for the game, but also revealed a Metal Gear Solid-inspired playable demo for Darwin’s Paradox, which is now playable on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The demo combines the best of the 8-legged hero’s movement mechanics with the dramatic subterfuge of Metal Gear Solid, and players who have been debating whether to pick up Darwin’s Paradox now have the perfect opportunity to test out the colorful new IP with the affectionately named “Tactical Octopus Action Demo.”

While Darwin’s Paradox is being published by Konami, it was developed by ZDT Studio, a French indie team that sought to combine the stunning visuals of silver screen animation with the playful immersion of a stealthy platforming adventure game. The resulting Darwin’s Paradox may have received some initial comparisons to the notoriously hilarious Octodad: Dadliest Catch, but this new octopus-focused launch casts away the more obvious humor in favor of a tongue-in-cheek approach that sees a sea creature having to utilize his unique anatomy to outwit his enemies and take over the world while implementing Metal Gear-style tactics and strategizing.

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To celebrate the April 2 launch date reveal for Darwin’s Paradox, Konami and ZDT Studio are offering a free playable demo across platforms, which throws the leading octopod straight into the middle of a Metal Gear Solid infiltration mission, hailed as “a tribute to a snake, from an octopus.” The “Tactical Octopus Action Demo” both pays homage to one of the most prolific Konami video game franchises and introduces players to the various gameplay mechanics they will experience in Darwin’s Paradox. Thanks to the lead character being an octopus, Darwin’s Paradox is able to blend underwater and above-ground movement, ranging from simple swimming to climbing on ceilings and even utilizing octopus camouflage to blend in with the environment and trick pursuers. Clever ink shooting allows for ranged attacks and environmental interactions, while sticky tentacles help with perilous jumps, lever pulls, and out-of-the-box maneuvering.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

In addition to the surprise demo launch, the team behind Darwin’s Paradox also confirmed that players who pre-order the game will receive two exclusive in-game skins, Psyched and Dotted. Players will first need to pre-purchase the full game before getting access to the pre-order bonus skins. After pre-ordering Darwin’s Paradox, fans can then select the skin pack. Once the game launches, the pre-order skins can be accessed via navigating through the game’s Main Menu to Extras, then selecting Skins, and equipping the unlocked Psyched or Dotted skin. It has not yet been confirmed if there will be additional post-launch exclusive skins, but the inclusion of a menu select tab for Skins could indicate that more Darwin aesthetics may be unlockable in the game or even available later on as possible DLC items.

While Konami is certainly no stranger to side-scrolling platforming games, Darwin’s Paradox is a rather far cry from the likes of Castlevania and Contra. The Metal Gear Solid theming of the playable demo could be Konami’s way of introducing its franchise fans to a fresh IP, though it could also simply be a fun way to pay homage to another beloved stealth series within the Japanese company’s rolodex of games. If Darwin’s Paradox is able to achieve the same surprise success as other colorful adventure games like Astro Bot, then there may be quite the future ahead for little Darwin, though only time will tell if the octopus hero can hold his own against his predecessors.