Octahedron PS4 Review

Octahedron is a panic-inducing platformer which becomes increasingly frantic and intense! The story is about a normal guy who is sucked into a flashing neon world in which he becomes the titular character, with a floating, octahedron-shaped head. He must traverse this high octane world full of traps and enemies in order to get back home.

Gameplay sees you creating your own platforms out of thin air in order to reach other areas, traversing levels that are incredibly varied. There are all manner of obstacles out to stop you, each level offering something new; 16 levels in and I was surprised at the amount of different obstacles, traps and enemies that were still being introduced. Just when you think you have got the hang of the game, it springs yet another surprise on you. Octahedron is definitely a game that keeps you on your toes!

The platforms you create have their own uses and are not just to help you reach higher places. Some will have powers of their own, and can be used to destroy enemies, warp you through electrical tunnels and even bounce you into the air. You can use them to break weaker areas in the ground, giving you access to other areas, and, whilst standing on them, you can use them as a type of hover-board to move forward and backwards whilst in the air.

Sometimes you’ll be given a limited number of these platforms to use, meaning you’ll have to be more tactical with how you use them. Using these platforms is very trial and error, and does take a bit of getting used to; to use them, you have to jump and then press the R trigger immediately afterwards to land on them. Once you understand what to do, however, it does start to feel more natural.

The only thing hindering your progress then is the obstacles you have to face, and the action can become very intense. Timing in some parts is everything, and in areas where there are many enemies, it can also take a bit of luck to get through. If enemies hit you, you lose lives, and if you keep getting hit, you’ll eventually have to restart the level all over again, and it can lead to some frustration to say the least!

Levels are styled in the traditional “1-1” manner, with there being at least 8 rounds for you to get through. You can choose what level you want to play on a grid-like map, though not all areas will be accessible right away. Whilst your goal in each level is to reach the exit, simply reaching the exit isn’t going to progress you very far. There are collectables in the level for you to try and reach, adding even more challenge, and these are important to collect as they unlock the other areas on your map.

Smashing light bulbs, that are dotted about the levels, will turn them into neon flowers, and these are what you’ll need to try and collect. Whilst you won’t need to collect all of these flowers, you do need to collect as many as you can in order to open up the next area. This offers some replayability as you need to collect a certain number of flowers to access the subsequent section, meaning you may have to go back and play previous levels to gain the amount you need. You can also try and collect all of the coloured triangles that are floating somewhere in the level, used to unlock special locations on your map.

Levels are set out in a very linear way, and the game doesn’t hold your hand – there are no way points – and you’ll be traversing a level not knowing whereabouts the exit is until you see it. This means when you are playing through a tough section, you’ll end up praying the exit isn’t too far away so that you don’t have to replay it all again – unless you lose!

Octahedron is certainly a frustrating yet intensely fun game with an equally thumping soundtrack to boot. It’s a game that will play with your emotions, which will range from anger to complete satisfactory bliss once you have completed a particularly tough section! Gameplay is varied, throwing something new at you all the time, and with its bright, glowing colours, combined with the many challenges you’ll face, you’ll certainly feel sucked in to this adrenaline-inducing world!