Goat Simulator: The GOATY Review

Goat Simulator is a game that is something that we all thought would never catch on, but due to its insane sense of humour and craziness and began to grow in popularity. The game is a third-person action video game developed and published by Coffee Stain Studios. It was originally released on Steam way back in April 2014 and ports were released for Mac and Linux shortly after. There were also versions for the Xbox 360, Xbox one, PS3 and PS4. We have now got the Goat Simulator: The GOATY Edition for the Nintendo Switch.

Goat Simulator: The GOATY contains the original game, as well as the Payday and Waste of Space DLC. It also includes goat MMO and GoatZ, which is a zombie survival game. Yes, it certainly sounds insane but they have actually done remarkably well. I will with the core game, which sees you play as a feeble goat. I would normally start by talking about the games plot or at very least the thin storyline, but you’re not going to get that this time as the game doesn’t have one. The game sees you exploring small urban areas and causing chaos. The environments you explore are pretty small. So is the game actually worth your time and what has made it such a popular game?

The game does have a few technical issues and buggy moments, but the game is simply about having fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The goat you play as may seem ordinary, until you realise it has some weird abilities, like an extendable tongue that can grab objects and fling them around. This bundle also gives you access to modifiers like a jetpack, that sees you twirling around in the air and causing mayhem. I can see why some people find the game amusing, but essentially it’s a one-joke game that wears thin pretty fast. I feel like after an hour or so of playing I had seen all it had to offer. The actual main gameplay consists of finding hidden objects and collectables, time trials and leaderboard scores. This isn’t a game that’s going to blow you away and it doesn’t have a story or incredible graphics, but it offers some funny moments and silly gameplay that is good for a lighthearted laugh.

There are online leaderboards which can be a bit tricky to access, but its nice that the developers decided to add it in there. You can really see that the developers really enjoyed making this game and have certainly spent time simply creating something that can be picked up now and again to have some fun. The game is a nice change of pace from the more serious games out at the moment, and if you want something that doesn’t require too much thought or concentration, then this is a great game to get into. The more interesting aspect of this bundle is the DLC packs that come with it. I actually liked the idea of spoofing online multiplayer games and the popular survival game DayZ. The MMO type game has clear references to games like Skyrim, which is set in a medieval world. The game is still bizarre, buggy and offers even more ridiculousness. The DLC offers two different maps with four game modes. The MMO version is about exploration and discovering various hidden items and Easter eggs. Modifiers give you various abilities and skills that mix things up a bit, and give the game some interesting and unique twists that keep things entertaining. You can level up but this is merely an aesthetical change as it makes little difference if you’re level 1 or 50.

GoatZ has three different game modes, firstly you play as the instigator of the apocalypse. You can also play as a survivor or simply try out the training mode-all pretty basic stuff. The core gameplay is once again about bizarre and often hilarious tasks that I kept me laughing throughout. The most interesting aspect of the two DLC for me was in GoatZ, which sees you having to monitor your health bar, food and water levels. The controls are once again very basic, and still includes everyone’s favourite ragdoll button. The game uses the Unreal 3 and NVidia PhysX engines.

The bundle has the option for local multiplayer for Mmore GoatZ Edition, which allows you to play with up to four friends. The game isn’t competitive in any way and is more about playing together in order to complete goals. Multiplayer is probably the best way to play the game and is more bearable with someone by your side to mess about with.

The overall presentation of the game is pretty basic in terms of graphics and style. As I said the world often feels empty and the ‘sandbox’ areas area actually pretty small. I can’t tell you the amount of times I would get stuck on walls, fall through the ground or glitch. This is all part of the experience though and in my opinion it can make moments in the game even more funny. The game is simply going for straight up craziness and just wants you to experiment and have fun.

Overall I have to say that I wasn’t sure what to make of Goat Simulator: The GOATY when first starting out. I thought the game fell short at first with dodgy gameplay and graphics, but I soon realised its all part of the quirky charm. I have obviously heard a lot about the game and have always been curious to see what it has to offer. Its probably the most convenient way to play the full package, with the DLC bundled in. I would have liked to have seen more to do in terms of actual gameplay and objectives. I would certainly recommend this game if you want something that’s completely off the wall, bizarre and has some really funny moments. Don’t expect top quality graphics or story, but do expect to have some lighthearted fun and laugh out loud moments.

Rating 7

REVIEW CODE: A FREE Nintendo Switch code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.

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