Netflix's latest foray into mobile gaming, Squid Game: Unleashed, has been met with disappointment from fans of the original series. The new game, part of the streaming giant's fledgling gaming efforts, takes the core concept of the show and turns it into a multiplayer party game, stripping away the dark, gritty charm that made Squid Game so compelling.

In Unleashed, players compete against 31 others in a series of random games, similar to Fall Guys, with the goal of earning a massive cash prize. While the game's aesthetic follows the show, with cartoonish characters and bloody obstacles, the connections to the original series are superficial at best. There is no story element, and the games are designed to be short and fun, with respawning and limited frustration, which erases the tension that made Squid Game so appealing.

The game's structure, despite having no in-app purchases, is reminiscent of typical free-to-play games, with players earning cash to unlock new characters, costumes, and emotes. This approach has led to a cluttered experience, with frequent pop-ups and notifications, which feels at odds with the show's dark and gritty tone.

While Unleashed is not a bad game in and of itself, it fundamentally misunderstands the appeal of Squid Game. The show's success was rooted in its exploration of personal anguish, social commentary, and the human condition, which are all absent from the mobile spinoff. Instead, Unleashed feels like a shallow, colorful take on a brutal story, similar to Fortnite's adaptation of Battle Royale.

The failure of Unleashed to capture the essence of Squid Game raises questions about Netflix's approach to expanding its intellectual properties into new mediums. With Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality TV show, also receiving criticism for its tone-deaf approach, it seems that the streaming giant is struggling to translate the show's success into other formats.

Ultimately, Squid Game: Unleashed feels like a missed opportunity, a game that could have been a unique and thought-provoking experience but instead settles for shallow, mindless fun. For fans of the original series, Unleashed is a disappointment, and for Netflix, it's a cautionary tale about the importance of understanding what makes its properties tick.