It is great when you discover that a game you have long been anticipating delivers, but sometimes it is even better when an incredible new game drops out of nowhere and blows you away. World of Goo is one of these surprise titles that will not only blow you away, but will leave a lasting impression on you. Even after seeing a great review of this game, I was skeptical if it was worth plunking down fifteen dollars for a title I was previously unaware of. After I passed the first level, I immediately realized that it was worth it. World of Goo packs as much content as many full-fledged titles, and its innovative gameplay will amaze you.
Most gamers have played a puzzle game or two in their lifetime, but they have never played one like this. As much as I love Zelda games, the puzzles they contain have become too predictable over time. Likewise, games like Tetris and Planet Puzzle League quickly grow stale. World of Goo is set up like a platformer, you progress through a series chapters that each contain several levels, but that's where the similarities to those types of games end. In World of Goo, you control various types of goo with your Wii Remote by pointing. You don't utilize the nunchuk at all, and there are no traditional control methods.
With the Wii remote, you manipulate goo for the purpose of building structures that will get you from the beginning to the end of a level. While later levels use techniques learned throughout the game, the ways in which you can move your army of goo around never gets old. The levels in World of Goo will have you doing a variety of things such as building structures around a rotating head of spikes, so you can wake up an exploding goo that is dangling several meters above our spiky friend. After waking up the bomb, you can drop him with ease and destroy your spiky foe who is guarding the exit of the level. Other courses will have you building structures to travel around tall windmills, while dealing with wind and the rotating blades of the looming tower.
The game employs an excellent physics model to ensure that it is your fault if your building topples. You have to build at the appropriate angle, watch out for obstacles, move objects to various locations, keep your flammable goo away from fire, avoid sharp objects, support your structure with balloons, and sometimes even carry it into the air. Some levels will also utilize your Wii-mote skills; you have to be quick in Jenga-like missions and you must work to keep your structures from falling.
World of Goo is a fairly long title, which can't be said about most Wii Ware releases so far. The game should last you at least 10-15 hours, and possibly more depending on your ability to solve the World of Goo's numerous puzzles. The puzzles can be as easy as putting a slice of bread in the toaster, or can be excruciatingly difficult. I enjoyed solving most of the puzzles in the game; they really put my mind to work. I enjoyed the different gameplay styles featured in later chapters of the game; they were a fresh new experience and kept the game from becoming monotonous. Despite the variety of gameplay styles, I felt that a few puzzles were a bit too difficult for those who aren't budding physicists, but I managed to conquer them in due time. The last couple levels were definitely end-of-game worthy though, because they really had me struggling. While the difficulty level of a few of the puzzles might be daunting for some, most puzzles are eventually solvable through trial and error. Spending some time planning before tackling a level, or at least a part of it will greatly improve your chances of success.
Despite being a title that was developed by three people, World of Goo manages to look and sound nice on the Wii. The graphics are simple, but have a unique 2D look to them, and the physics engine that controls how things react is top-notch. World of Goo's audio sounds great too and is very atmospheric. It doesn't have songs that you'll be humming to yourself long past the game's release, but what is there sounds nice with the game. The sound effects perfectly match what you'd expect balls of goo to sound like. Listening to the sound effects is helpful when you can't see everything that is happening on screen. If a part of your structure leans into some spikes, you'll be able to hear it even if you can't see what is happening on screen, and you may even be able to remedy the damage if you're fast enough.
World of Goo is one of a few unique titles that have come out in the past few months, and it is amazing that it is able to rival several top-tier games as a downloadable title. As someone who felt that Braid was unique, but overrated, I am pleased that this game was worth fifteen bucks. The main game lasts longer than Braid, and once you complete everything, you are able to go back and complete levels more efficiently, which will net you more goo to compete to build the biggest tower in the world among World of Goo players. This is a fun challenge which I haven't been very successful with yet. Supporting this unique title will hopefully encourage other developers to follow suit and embrace innovation.