Review: Many worlds, one game – Exploring 'Cocoon' for PC and console

'Cocoon' is about as atmospherically dense as it gets. — Photos: Annapurna Interactive/dpa

BERLIN: Medieval castles, planets in space and futuristic cities: it's often not the plot or characters of the game that stand out, but the world in which it takes place.

All the better when a game has several of them: Like in puzzle adventure Cocoon, in which you quickly teleport through a variety of worlds.

A little tiring, but worth it: If you place one of the many spheres on a plinth in 'Cocoon', you are teleported to a new world.

Players take on the role of a small, green insect that finds itself in a barren wasteland. Throughout this landscape there are bright, coloured orbs in which new landscapes are hidden.

If you place one of these orbs on a marked base, you suddenly fly into a different, mysterious environment such as a dark bunker full of scary machines or an underwater coral world. But be careful: deadly opponents are also at home in these ever-changing landscapes.

Impressive, varied game worlds and ingenious puzzles await in 'Cocoon'.

The game’s puzzles are also based on the orbs. In addition to teleporting between worlds, each one has its own special ability. When used correctly, they trigger explosions, reveal floating bridges or activate magical cannons.

There are hardly any helpful hints, but although the level of difficulty increases over time, the puzzles are always solvable.

In 'Cocoon', you are a small, green insect on a big adventure.

At a cost of around €25/US$25 (RM54.99 in Malaysia) for only five to six hours of playing time, Cocoon is relatively expensive. But thanks to the impressive, varied game worlds and sophisticated puzzles, the adventure is definitely worth it and offers an atmosphere that you won't find elsewhere. The game is available for PCs, Xbox and PlayStations. – dpa