Squids Odyssey is a tactical RPG game developed by The Game Bakers, and is the combination of Squids and Squids Wild West which previously released on the iOS and Android markets. Both campaigns from those games have been put in this game, as well as new squids, new helmets and a new chapter. When the ocean starts becoming filled with black ooze, its inhabitants start becoming evil and dangerous, and so it’s up to a select group of squids to bring balance back, by flinging themselves straight into the danger and take on the evil crabs.
Squids Odyssey is simple in its gameplay, to attack, simply stretch your squid using the touchscreen or left analog stick, and fling him or her into the direction you want to go or opponent you want to hit. Each squid on your team has a set amount of stamina to use, so you’ll need to decide whether you want to have two or three hard, full-powered moves, or multiple short moves in order to navigate the world without running out of stamina. As is with most turn-based RPGs, your stamina is replenished once the enemy team have take their turn.
Of course, there are several different types of squid for you to control. The Scout, allows you to dash while moving in order to gain a little bit more ground, or hurt an opponent a bit more. Healers allow you to, well, heal other squids by flinging into them. Troopers can ground pound in order to deal extra damage to multiple enemies that surround them, and Shooters can fire a ranged attack in order to deal damage to enemies far away.
Around the levels, there are various items to collect, which will have various effects on the player. This varies from being invulnerable for one turn, to refilling stamina and even putting a protective, spiky shell around the squid so they cannot be harmed. You’ll also find helmets around the levels, which brings me to the game’s customisation aspect, which is surprisingly deep. Each squid can be customised with different helmets, and they can also be levelled up using pearls, the in-game currency that you collect during levels and fights.
There’s over 90 different levels for you to complete, and the game is quick to ramp up the difficulty, which might turn some players away. There’s also the challenge of scoring three stars in each level, harkens back to its mobile roots. You’ll get one star for keeping all the squids alive, another for finding the hidden star in the level and another one for completing the level in a set amount of turns.
It’s hard to ignore the mobile roots of Squids Odyssey, but I want to change the perception of that phrase. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, I found myself picking up the game when I had ten minutes to spare and completing a few levels. Sure, it’ll start to feel repetitive if you blast through it all, but in short bursts, Squids Odyssey is an enjoyable game on both 3DS and Wii U.
Squids Odyssey is available on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops, for €12.99/£9.99/$14.99. European 3DS/Wii U owners have the option to purchase the game from the Wii U or 3DS eShop and get the other version completely free, so long as you have your Nintendo Network ID connected to both devices! Thank you to The Game Bakers for providing a review code in order to produce this review.