Goo.
Game: World of Goo
System: WiiWare
Release Date: October 13, 2008
Developed and Published By: 2D Boy
Genre: Puzzle
Cost: $15
My mom really doesn’t know much about games, besides what she overhears me talking about. But she probably said it best when she said, “What happened to Zelda and Mario? I wouldn’t think a game about goo would be much fun.” And yet, World of Goo just may be the best game released this year.
The point of the game is to use goo balls to build structures in order to get your remaining goo to a pipe, which leads to the next stage. It isn’t always as easy as it sounds; there are plenty of obstacles and hazards to navigate, and if you’re not careful, your goo are easily squished. The early stages are easy, allowing the player to get a hang of things, but the difficulty ramps up as the game progresses. It’s refreshing to play a game that is challenging through the strength of its puzzles, and not through ridiculous, frustrating gameplay.
The game’s music is simply fantastic and helps create an intense, yet varied, atmosphere. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought Koji Kondo himself had been the composer. It uses a wide range of musical styles, from horn-laden battle themes reminiscent of the Old West, to carnival-like race-to-the-finish themes, to epic, haunting concertos. The music is so good I’d play the game just to listen to it.
Music aside, World of Goo has a lot to offer. The game reminds me a bit of Pikmin; they’re both well-polished, very unique puzzle games involving simple, yet cute, creatures in an epic world. There are different types of goo you’ll find along the way. Some are detachable, some are highly flammable, and all are expendable. But you’ll learn to be careful about how many soldiers… er… goo you send to their deaths or use improperly, because you may find yourself with too few to accomplish the mission. You’ll restart certain levels more than a few times.
Besides goo, the main character you’ll encounter is the Sign Painter, an anonymous figure you meet only through read
ing the signs he/she leaves for you. But is this faceless personality a friend or foe? The Sign Painter has got to be one of the best new gaming characters to come along in quite some time. Through these signs you learn about the game’s story. I won’t go into it here, so you’ll have to check out the game for yourself.The replay value is high, and you’ll keep going back for more, even after you’ve played through the 4 chapters and epilogue, with over 40 missions in total.
Like Barack Obama, World of Goo was a no name that came out nowhere, and is a very legitimate candidate for one of the highest awards in video gaming: Game of the Year. It’s epic, funny, and most importantly, fun. The amount of attention and effort that went into this game is outstanding, and feels more like it was done by one of Nintendo’s famed EAD studios. You would never have guessed it was almost entirely made by a two-man team. World of Goo is truly a quality product, and should not be missed by anyone. And for $15 dollars, it makes a great economical gift, even if it’s just for yourself.
Score: 97% out of 99% possible
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