Derrick the Deathfin is a crazy cool title for Steam which has recently released and consists of a fast-paced, action-based experience in which players take the role of a deadly shark who is just a child when his mother and father have been sucked up by human machines and likely turned into canned goods. In a fit of rage Derrick the Deathfin storms off and vows revenge for what has happened to him. Next players are presented with varying levels.

Some levels are a simple race to the finish while the main missions consist of eating other prey like birds mid-jump, or helpless fish along the way, and also encourage gathering ‘bits and bobs’ which are pretty common in the platformer world. It feels great quickly navigating through missions like this, and every so often players are treated to a totally different type of scene as Derrick the Deathfin sabotages human technology such as “Mean Corp” which he tells to “Eat slick and die!” after destroying their oil drilling facility.

Eat or die – don’t let the fun and ease of use that this game provides off the bat fool you. Derrick the Deathfin has difficulty as well. And in most levels, you’ll have to choose wisely between split second decisions that can cause you to take a L or walk away with the win. For example, if Derrick doesn’t eat, he dies. But if he takes too long to clear a level, he also dies. Depending on the scene you’re playing and what’s in your way, you don’t always have time to eat everything in sight AND  make it to the end of a level in time. Not only that, but often times food blurs the line between useful or obstacle. Plotting out your path and making Derrick jump at the right times and dive at the right times all while quickly deciding which food to eat, which to ignore, and what to do about obstacles that you are only a few milliseconds from crashing straight into ends up making this game an intense play.

The controls of this game are really where it shines. With graphics that have this title visually looking like a real life Papier Mâché, it feels like Derrick the Deathfin has mastered a great hold over the fluidity of its gameplay. There’s no doubt about the influence from titles like ECCO from the Sega Genesis days, but the charming story and quick mission to mission scene changes make this a whole different beast. The soundtrack is excellent in providing a calm contrast with up-tempo percussion to keep that blood running at a steady boil matching the graceful yet speedy maneuvers players are taking a dare with each second on-screen.

Derrick is full of great jokes and fun factor, but starts out with just enough emotional heart string pulling to get you attached to your character. There’s some sense of really wanting to beat the game without dying so many times – which makes an already solid title feel more intense as you’re rewarded with totally fresh experiences in each scene. The pacing of difficulty in the game is commendable. Since it won’t always challenge you to the fullest, players get hit with an experience that they don’t want to leave as quickly and instead get fed bits of challenge sandwiched with purely radical scenes in between placed simply for fun or progressing the story.

Final Verdict:

Overall, this game is just plain fun. With tons of unexpected moments, a deep story that is told literally seconds at a time, and rapid yet fulfilling gameplay Derrick the Deathfin manages to satisfy all of the needs and cravings of your average modern day ADHD gamer. A lot of people pick up so many games on Steam these days, that they end up only trying them out much after they purchased them. This is a game that will stand out from that mundane crowd of titles you eventually try out once or twice, and regret buying. This is a Steam game with purpose. Derrick the Deathfin knows what it wants to be and delivers a perfect realization of its vision with only one thing left for me to say about it. Play it now!

Official Trailer:

Overall Score: 9 / 10

RGN Rating: Platinum Game

Publisher / Developer: Different Tuna

Available On: Steam (Windows PC, Mac OS X, Linux)

*PlayStation 3 Version Available on PSN as well.

Played On: Windows PC

Review Copy Info: A digital copy of this game was provided to RealGamerNewz by the publisher for the purpose of this Review.