Not sure if I really understood this game. If the core mechanic was to lead the ducks through the facility then there is little to no difference between having them and not. They don't seem to trigger the enemies and the player is caught whether the ducks are present or not. The game feels like it wants to be an escort game, but the ducks behavior is too unpredictable to punish the player if they step out of line, so the obstacles are only a hindrance for the player. Also because the ducks do not follow the player into the vents, it adds to the feeling that the ducks are not really a part of the game because they are missing for large portions of it.