Valentine’s Day Gift Idea – World Of Goo

Does your special someone enjoy computer games? If the answer is yes then I’ve got just the title for you. It’s called World Of Goo.

Winner of the “Design Innovation Award” and the “Technical Excellence Award” at the 2008 Independent Game Festival, World Of Goo is far more than just a puzzle game. This puzzle and construction game requires patience and thinking. I love puzzle games and this is a new one so I was thrilled to get a chance to review it.

In this game you are the player and your goal is to get the Goo balls into the pipe while saving enough to meet the goal of that level. The game is broken up into chapters, with each chapter having several levels.

So. What is goo? Think drops of ink or oil but cute and with color. And a little sound. There are different kind of Goo balls. Each of the different balls looks a little different and has different characteristics than the others.

To get the Goo to the pipe you have to build a structure make of Goo balls that will allow other Goo balls to travel to the pipe. That may sound easy but I’m not talking about building like Tetris. I’m talking about trying to build a stable shape in an unstable environment with unstable pieces. See, the Goo moves.And, if you choose the wrong ball of Goo the structure you’ve built may come down and you’ll have to start again. From time to time you’ll see a wooden sign in the middle of the level, giving you information you need to succeed. The signs can be pretty amusing. Wondering who puts them there? The sign painter, of course.

To proceed from level to level you’ll have to overcome the obstacles or challenges in each level. The challenges usually involve the environment. You might have to build your structure upside down, or between two towers like this.

The only tools you have to help you reach your goal is the Goo. In this level the Goo balls on the bottom had to get up to where the Goo balls on the top are. The Goo balls on the top are sleeping in this picture. It took me four attempts to get the bottom Goo balls up to the top. I kept building my structure too close to those blades and it kept breaking.

The extra goo balls you save in each level go to the World of Goo Corporation, an area where you can practice building towers as high as you can make them. If you get really good at the game or want to challenge yourself you can play the game in OCD mode, which sets tougher goals or limitations on what you can do to reach a goal.

I enjoyed playing World Of Good. If you’re like me you might find it addicting, because each time I got stuck I wanted to try again. I found it challenging without being overly frustrating.  World Of Goo graphics are very simple, big and colorful. I’m not a big fan of game music but I can say this soundtrack isn’t awful like many, probably because it isn’t monotonous. The tempo and style of music match up with the different levels and what’s happening on them perfectly. What I like best about the game is that while it may seem simple it’s far from it. I also like that it makes you stop to think about the things that might effect your structure including the weather or even your own next move. The only thing I would suggest is to make selecting a Goo ball a little easier. Your pointer is basically a ball of Goo, and at times it was hard to pick up the ball I wanted amongst others.

World Of Goo may be played on both Windows and Macintosh computers. World Of Good would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for anyone who enjoys puzzle games, no matter what their age. World Of Goo is available for sale online from Brighter Minds Media Store and retails for $19.95.

The folks at Brighter Minds Media have graciously offered a coupon code to use when checking out on their website, www.BrighterMindsMedia.com . The code is VDAY09 and it is good for $14 off any purchase of $30 or more. The shipping is free, and the coupon can’t be combined with any other offer.

Thanks to Brighter Minds Media for this fun review opportunity!

Tags: computer games, games, val's views, valentine's day, World Of Goo

Category: Reviews