I’m not swimming in huge amounts of gold these days. So when it was announced that 2D Boy’s game World of Goo was celebrating its 1st anniversary by offering anyone the possibility to buy it at the price they wanted, I felt the urge of destiny: now was the time.

So I paid… And there’s not one cent spent here that I regret. (Well, even if I did regret them all, it wouldn’t amount to me feeling that bad anyway. But… that ain’t the point.)

The Wolfire Games guys made a video about the design of World of Goo.

Street Fighter 4 = no match

Very good things came from World of Goo so far. Like lessons in life.

People don’t talk enough about how video games contribute to learning and education but, see here for example, I learned you can’t play World of Goo at a Street Fighter 4 meeting. I tried the other day, and you just can’t. I mean, you can enjoy it a bit but deep down you know it doesn’t fit the “uhhh’s” and the “ahhh’s” and the “click click click click click click click click click click click click” from the joysticks. Even if it’s just with friends.

World of Goo is best played alone in some room. Where there’s no music too.

No sound off

Because that’s the other thing I learned with World of Goo: you just can’t turn the damn music off!

I was listening to the Naive New Beaters one night – good band, I recommend – when I started feeling like playing the Goo. Yet I couldn’t stop the music like that, it was good, could I? So I thought I’d turn the game’s sound off and keep listening to my music. Game launched, I started searching for a volume option… and I kept searching and searching…

It was never to be found.

Because, as I said before, you just can’t turn the goddam sound off in this game!

World of Goo has to be played with the right soundtrack, the right atmosphere.

The game, it doesn’t give you a choice

Sounds a bit harsh and cold for a title famous for greeny landscapes and teeny tiny harmless little goos? I thought so too, just don’t let them fool you.

With one simple building principle the goo suckers will have you working your imagination and creativity in their peculiar little world for hours on end, with all the perversity on earth. You will follow this route they have traced and go through the steps one by one when, out of frustration, you’ll discover how enjoyable it is to throw them around walls.

World of Goo lets you no choice but to enjoy.

Goo’s landmark

on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 3:29 AM - filed under Video Games. Both comments and pings are currently closed.