World of Goo 2 Review: It’s been 16 years since the first World of Goo won over players with its unique mix of physics-based puzzles and offbeat charm. Now, in 2024, the long-awaited sequel World of Goo 2, has hit the market, and it’s a game both fans of the series and new players should try.
Gameplay Mechanics
World of Goo 2 sticks to the main gameplay that made people love the original while bringing in lots of new ideas and challenges.
Your goal stays the same: guide goo balls to the pipe at the end of each level by building complex structures. But the sequel adds a bunch of new goo ball types each with its special traits and actions.
One of the biggest new things is that you can now control liquid goo, which you can channel through special conduit balls to make new paths.
This feature adds another level of difficulty to the puzzles, as you need to handle both the solid goo balls and the liquid goo to reach your goal.
Beautiful Visuals and Delightful Presentation
World of Goo 2 has an influence on players with its visual upgrade showing better graphics than the original. The game keeps its quirky, hand-drawn look, but now has brighter colours and smoother animations.
The game’s charm comes from the return of witty signs and snarky comments that made the first game so fun.
The story continues to critique consumerism focusing on how companies pretend to be green and the problems with sustainable capitalism.
While the story takes a back seat to the puzzles, it gives players something to think about as they play through their gooey adventures.
Fun for All Skill Levels
World of Goo 2 manages to find a sweet spot between being tough and easy to play. The first few levels ease you into the game letting you get the hang of how things move and try out different ways to build. But as you go on, the puzzles get trickier and make you think harder.
The game shines in how it lets you choose how to play. Each stage has some tough extra goals, but you don’t have to do them.
You can skip them, come back later, or try to nail them all at once. This way, everyone can enjoy the game, whether you’re new or looking for a real challenge.
Control Scheme Limitations
World of Goo 2 offers a fun time overall, but it has one big downside: how you control the game. You can play it using either the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con motion controls or the touch screen.
This choice has caused some headaches since Joy-Con’s gyro-based pointing can be off-target and jerky at times.
The touch screen fixes these problems, but it brings up new ones – your fingers can block what’s happening on screen, and you might not be able to control things.
The game’s lack of Pro Controller support or a regular cursor option is a letdown, given what the Switch can do. Though the controls don’t ruin the game, they can bug you at times especially when things get intense or you need to be super precise.
Performance Issues
Another potential problem with World of Goo 2 is how it runs on the Nintendo Switch. When a lot is happening on screen, the game can slow down a lot dropping from its usual 60fps to as low as 20-30fps.
While it’s a bit smoother in handheld mode, it’s obvious that the Switch has trouble keeping up with all those goo balls on screen.
This drop in performance can be unsettling and has an impact on the overall experience in tough parts where you need to react fast. It’s too bad that the game’s technical shortcomings might take away from the otherwise great gameplay and presentation.
Conclusion
Even with its control scheme limits and performance problems, World of Goo 2 is an amazing follow-up that keeps the magic of the first game while bringing in lots of new ideas and tests.
The puzzles grab you, the visuals charm you, and the presentation is first-rate. While it doesn’t break new ground, World of Goo 2 is a game fans of the series have to play and a good starting point for new players.