World of Goo

"This may sound crazy, especially coming from my mouth, but I can't think of any criticism for it!"

World of Goo is a WiiWare title that stands out from the rest; towering over them in a pillar of perfection. I heard of a game that was "outstanding" and "best" game on the WiiWare shopping list. Later on, I found out that it was this game. The title seemed odd to me, and I'm sure it felt that way with everyone else, but it looked promising enough. So I downloaded "World of Goo" for my Wii and tried it out.

Design:

World of Woo is a puzzle game involving goo balls (no surprises there) and constructing objects (usually pillars) with them. While this isn't the newest idea for a puzzle game, it is the most ingenious! Also the learning curve for this game is pretty straightforward. Let me put it this way: You're asked to get across a gap using the provided goo balls. You grab one of them and connect it to the provided base. After adding a few more, you notice it begins to sag, so you add a few on top to weight it downwards, but long enough to reach and, ta-da! You beat level One! World of Goo is separated into five different chapters, which you will get a lot of playing time out of, might I add. Plus there is a bonus feature called "World of Goo Corporation" where it allows you to build up the goo balls you collected from each mission into whatever you want. Imaginations can run wild here. However, as the game progresses, the levels become more difficult and you are forced to use your engineering logic as quickly as possible to complete a level. There's a lot of repetition involved, but that's what makes puzzle games so fun: challenging your mind to try seemingly impossible challenges and be rewarded after doing it the right way. The puzzle formula feels intact in the design.
10/10

Gameplay:

The key factor in this game is to build a lot to cross gaps, reach an upper ledge, dangle below to collect more goo balls, or, just simply, build a pillar. Your goal is to aim for an extending pipe. The pipe is used to collect the goo balls you didn't use on your piece of construction to reach the pipe. A required amount of goo balls is needed to pass a level. It sounds simple, but you'll be frantic to try and preserve your amount of goo balls in order to get to the pipe. Along every level is a sign made by the Signpainter who drops hints. Even if you have a strategy in mind, it's always worth it to see this guy ramble on using a sign. If you make a mistake, though I won't blame you if you do because you probably should have developed a strategy, there are white little "birds" that develop every time you make a move. They are limited to five, but it seems to be enough as every puzzle I've done had no problem as I reset all my moves. if you aren't satisfied at all with your piece of construction, you have the option to reset it with no penalty. There are three different types of goo balls: black, green, and balloon. The black ones can stick together to any surface or other goo balls, but after using them once, you can't use them again. The green ones can branch off in three stems from the others and are usable after adding them to your construction. However, greens do not stick to walls very well, and your only option is to prop them up. And, finally, there are balloons. These ones can connect to any of your goos and make them float. While one balloon isn't enough, several more are provided to make your construction ascend gently. The possibilities for your handiwork is wide, giving you ample time to think of a plan. While the gameplay sounds boring on paper, the experience is simply addicting!
10/10

Presentation:

Puzzle games are never known for their graphics, but World of Goo is eye candy to see in its artistic tone. It feels necessary While gameplay consists of cartoon-ish like visuals, the cutscenes give an impression of hand-drawn stop-motion images. And that's not a bad thing! While there is no voice acting in the game, the chirps and giggles of the goo balls feels well put together. Wherever your cursor moves, whatever you are aiming for is highlighted by enlarging itself. The camera movement is smooth and not erratic. moving in the exact direction you aim your Wii-Remote. All factors in this game are very appealing to see.
10/10

Conclusion:

You are witnessing puzzle games reborn into a new form. This is a game that took chances, went against odds, and became the king of all puzzle games. I went into this game expecting a slew of interesting construction and game design. I got all of that and some of the greatest deadpan humor I've seen in a game. While many games require a large team to create stellar results, this game was designed by only two men: Kyle Gabler and Ron Carmel. They did everything: the artistic design, the levels, the dialogue, and even all the music just by simply meeting up in a coffee house every day!
World off Goo is sublime from start to finish and I'll stab someone in the forehead with a knife if he or she disagrees. It may sound ridiculous of me to be ranting on on how much I love this game, but SCREW YOU! World of Goo is great, and if you don't think so you must be stupid!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/23/09

Game Release: World of Goo (US, 10/13/08)