#World of goo box series#

And while Chapter 2 is when it gets interesting, it isn't until Chapter 4 (the last chapter) that the real fun shines. It took nearly an hour (yes, it's a short game) before the fun began peeking its head out. I also found the first quarter of World of Goo to be extremely dull. These kinds of levels could've benefited from a rework, or even being cut from the game altogether. An interesting exploration of physics? Sure. One level in particular sticks out in my mind: you're instructed to attach and detach and reattach a set of balloons on a goo structure in a way that causes it to spin, allowing you to use its momentum to travel over a chasm. It starts off well enough, but quickly loses much of its narrative charm by the end.Īnd while all of the puzzles are well-designed, some of them just aren't fun. Normally this wouldn't be a negative, but it feels like the developers got a bit too caught up in it and flew off the deep end, trying way too hard to be quirky and distinctive and humorous to the point where it just becomes eye-rollingly tiresome. World of Goo has personality-perhaps a bit too much, if you ask me. If the game is hard, you can progress if the game is easy, you can still be challenged.Īnd we can't forget that we, as gamers, owe a lot to World of Goo, whose commercial success in 2008 proved that indie games could be a viable path for game developers, thus opening the door for more indie success stories. And if you ever get stuck, you always have the option to 'Skip this level for now' (I love that the developers added this in.) Hardcore puzzlists who really want to test their brains (and egos) can strive for the optional 'OCD' achievement in every level. The levels in this game are difficult, but they never feel impossible. World of Goo also sidesteps another common flaw in puzzle games: the progression plateau. The developers put a lot of thought into each one, and it shows. But World of Goo's levels feel different, specific, refined.

#World of goo box series#

A lot of puzzle games fail in this regard, presenting series of levels that are basically the same challenge over and over. Despite only introducing a handful of mechanics, it explores each one to the fullest and leaves no stones unturned. In fact, it's the kind of game that makes you think, 'Why didn't I think of this?'Īnd it certainly delivers as a puzzle game. This is the kind of perfect storm that skilled game designers are always striving for, and none of it is contrived. We're talking about a learning curve that's almost non-existent, yet paves the way for all kinds of riveting challenges that require thinking outside the box.

Using simple actions to solve complex goals is the holy grail of puzzle games. Actually, there's a type of goo ball in the latter levels that involves clicking and dragging, but that's as far as 'game controls' go. The entire game is played with only one action: the mouse click. What's most remarkable about World of Goo is how simple it is. Each type of goo ball plays to a certain aspect of physics, and that's what makes World of Goo interesting. As you progress, you're introduced to other kinds of goo balls with unique properties: some that fall with gravity and hang low, others that ignite when they touch fire, and still others that drift upwards like helium balloons.