‘Escape From Duckov’ Is the Cutest Little Extraction Shooter I’ve Ever Seen, and I Feel Just Ducky Thinking About It (Demo Impressions)

I spawn into a room. There is nothing here besides a small duck with a backpack, a white blob that is slightly in the shape of a duck, and a door frame. I waited for a few moments, hoping that my character would properly load in. After waiting for about 10 seconds, because I’m impatient, I walk forward toward the door frame. I figure that if I go into a new area, I would maybe load in. Well, as I quickly learned, I could create my own bird of choice, and this was just a blank canvas. I made the most generic-looking yellow duck I could possibly think of, and set off on my adventure. This is Escape from Duckov, the cutest little hardcore shooter around.

I Have No Beak, and I Must Scream: I Thought ‘Escape From Duckov’ Was Broken When I Started

Escape from Duckov doesn’t look like it would be a very serious game. But after getting into my first combat encounter, I learned that it doesn’t take the name lightly. Escape from Duckov may be cute to look at, but the combat can turn brutal very quickly — beating other birds down with batons and wooden bats. Rather than being bloody and violent, however, they just turn into a cooked duck when they’re defeated. How adorable!

After escaping from the Prison where I was being held, the world of Escape from Duckov opened up drastically. A massive map, with a few objectives gathered up from Jeffrey the Duck inside the bunker, and I was on my way. Weapons and items are picked up after defeating your foes, looting different objects, and finding them scattered through the world. Just as any good extraction shooter should be. For those who want to explore because of the cute art style, don’t fret. There are selectable difficulties here. My wife is going to be thrilled to hear that.

Don’t Be Swayed by the Cute Art Style; This Game Isn’t Afraid To Kick Your Butt

I figured that Escape from Duckov was going to be a walk in the park. How wrong I was. After getting my tail feathers handed to me more than I’d like to admit, I can say that Escape from Duckov is a genuinely challenging game. Its cute exterior quickly gave way to a much more challenging experience, but it’s one that I’m dedicated to mastering before the full game releases.

There are a few things that players should know before jumping into Escape from Duckov. Unlike its inspiration, there is no PVP here, or any Multiplayer for that matter. It’s a solo mission, but there are plenty of NPCs for us to hunt down and demolish. There are also a few typos, but since this is just a demo, I can look past that. The aesthetic and gameplay are enough for me to be entertained for hours.

Looking for something deceptively challenging, housed within the exterior of one of the cutest games you’ll ever see? Escape from Duckov is exactly what you’re looking at. What I thought may have been just a gimmick has turned into one of my favorite Next Fest demos so far, and I can’t wait to dive in head-first when the full game releases.