- 3RD-STRIKE.COM - A La Une - 28/Jun 03:48

World of Goo 2 – Review

We’re returning to our irregular series of backlog reviews with World of Goo 2. The game slipped through the cracks when it debuted back in August of last year, but we do have a very good reason to take a look at it now. We’ve specifically taken World of Goo 2 on a spin on the Nintendo Switch 2. If you already have an inkling as to why this is relevant, then yes, we will be answering that question. If you’re clueless about what we’re talking about, then read on to find out. Story For a puzzle game, World of Goo 2 is surprisingly heavy on story. The game delivers a satirical social commentary over the course of five chapters. After the events of the first game, goo balls have seemingly gone extinct. When they make an unexpected return, corporate greed kicks in. The World of Goo Corporation starts harvesting goo balls again, under the guise of wanting to protect the environment, although they are, of course, doing this for profit. This sets in motion a series of increasingly unhinged and bizarre events. Without wanting to spoil too much, World of Goo 2’s narrative involves a massive sea monster, a mysterious onlooker from another planet, and even a fourth wall-breaking multiverse plot. Graphics If you’re familiar with the other games from Tomorrow Corporation, like Little Inferno or Human Resource Machine, then World of Goo 2’s art style will be instantly recognizable. The Tim Burton-esque character designs and muted color scheme create an atmosphere that is both cutesy and somewhat unsettling. From what we gather, World of Goo 2’s visual performance isn’t completely up to snuff on the original Switch, with frequent stuttering and frame drops. On the more powerful Switch 2, this wasn’t an issue, with World of Goo 2 providing a smooth experience instead. Sound For as unhinged and chaotic as World of Goo 2 can be at times, its soundtrack is surprisingly understated. That’s not a complaint, mind you, as Jonny Trengrove’s music hits the right balance between mysterious and cheerful, in accordance with the game’s visuals. Sound effects are pleasingly squelchy when they need to be. Our only complaint with World of Goo 2’s soundscape is the lack of voice acting. Gameplay Like any good puzzle game, World of Goo 2 takes an easy-to-understand gameplay idea and pushes it to its logical limit. The aim in each level is to herd a specific number of balls of goo into a pipeline. To do so, you’ll need to use some of those goo balls to create structures. You only have a limited number of goo balls at your disposal, so you’ll need to carefully consider how much goo goes into structure creation. New types of goo are gradually unlocked, introducing new puzzle mechanics. These include splashes of liquid goo, and container-type goo balls that let you suck up and transport those splashes to other parts of a level. Variety is the key word here, with all of the different goo mechanics being implemented in fun and clever ways. The main goal of each level is hitting that target number, but there are three side objectives to complete as well: retrieving more goo balls than the target number, using only a limited number of moves, and staying within a specific time limit. Looking at the Switch version of World of Goo 2 specifically, there are two ways to play the game. You can either use touch screen controls or motion controls to move the cursor around. Touch controls are vastly superior in this case, as even with the new and improved Joy-Cons, moving the cursor around is a bit fiddly. The Pro Controller can also be used for motion controls, but it suffers from that same issue, often requiring re-centering by hitting the +-button. This, of course, brings us to the elephant in the room, and boy, is it a doozy. Arguably, the Switch 2’s biggest innovation is the new mouse control option. We’ve tried these in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour as well as in Nobunaga’s Ambition. Unfortunately, as it stands, World of Goo 2 does not support the Switch 2’s mouse controls yet. That’s a missed opportunity, as the game screams for an update that enables support for these controls. The PS5 release of World of Goo 2 was only two months ago, and with it came an update for other platforms, including new levels. This indicates that Tomorrow Corporation and 2D Boy still have the game on their radar, so a Switch 2 update isn’t out of the question. As it stands, the Switch 2 -and by extension, the original Switch- probably isn’t the best platform to play World of Goo 2 on. That doesn’t mean the game itself isn’t worth picking up. Far from it, in fact, as this is an absolutely delightful puzzle game. With over 60 levels, you’re looking at around 8 hours’ worth of base content here. If you’re looking at completing all the bonus objectives, something the game itself cheekily refers to as an OCD thing, you’re probably looking at a multitude of that timeframe. This helps with justifying World of Goo 2’s mid-range RRP of €29.99. Even then, the game can occasionally be picked up cheaper on Steam. Since that version already has the superior control scheme, it’s arguably the better choice. Conclusion We’re admittedly very late to the party, but we wholeheartedly recommend World of Goo 2. Even with less than ideal controls, playing through the goo-filled puzzles was delightful. The satirical story is also a highlight, although voice acting would have elevated it to the next level. If you want to play this one on the go, we do recommend holding out for a potential mouse control update on the Switch 2. Otherwise, PC is the way to go.