Happily Stuck in a World of Goo

World on Goo’s core gameplay is delightfully simply. Using the Wiimote, you grab small, globular droplets. As the player brings those to the edge of a structure, a translucent figure will display, showing how the goo piece will expand your core building. One click of the “A” button will release the droplet in place. Each added piece affects the overall balance of your structure; one or two goos on the right side and your carefully assembled construction will be leaning like the Tower of Pisa. Imagine trying to build a tower out of warm Junior Mints and toothpicks, and you have a good idea how Goo’s gameplay works.

                                                                                             Clank, is that you?

While the first type of goo the player encounters offers a one-time use, sacrificing its body for the sake of the structure, others are recyclable. Additionally, the player will find highly elastic, rigid, and even flammable goos. The amount of variation in this title is both ingenious and inspiring; each level feels delightfully unique. Environmental hazards are equally fascinating- from chain saw blades to be avoided, to constructing a tower within a revolving cylinder, each level has its own separate identity.

Goo’s bright colors and overall cheeriness may remind gamers of PSP title Loco Roco. Graphically, the title contains enough diversity and beauty to rival a disk-based game.  Each of the game’s forty-eight levels has a vibrant cartoonish style that complements the gameplay exceedingly well.  For multiplayer games, the basic premise remains, but players must communicate to build cooperatively. We could see a lively session erupting from this option.  Gamers can expect at least six hours of play out the title, which seem quite fair for the fifteen dollar admission price.

                   World of Goo is all about the smiles. It’s nearly impossible to resist its charms. 

World of Goo’s weakness is typical for most puzzlers- enjoyment rapidly decreases with subsequent level playthroughs.  Once the player has gleaned the winning strategy for a level, there is little incentive for replay. To remedy this, players can return to previously played levels to collect additional goo that is used in the World of Goo Corporation. This mini-game challenges players to build the tallest structure possible from collected goo balls. Players are then ranked globally via the Wiiconnect 24 feature. For us, this was the most compelling and enjoyable aspect of the game. While playing through puzzles was engaging, we would have loved to see additional freeform activities supported. How about building a bridge to support an ever-increasing cascade of animals?