Grey Goo Review

The units on offer from the Beta and Humans have clearly defined roles but don’t have much in the way of personality. While I can still recall the names of units in class Red Alert games with ease (Mammoth Tank, V2 Rocket Truck, GI, yep they are still in there) I can scarcely remember the names of half the units on these two factions. The Goo’s units feel a bit more distinct however; many of them can walk up and down cliffs and behave in interesting ways. Their artillery unit is particularly interesting; it lobs slow-flying blobs of Goo which do tremendous damage if they hit, but can be easily avoided or even shot down using Anti-Air units.

One trait that all three factions share is access to their own Epic unit. Building the Epic unit usually requires some specific steps to be taken and a vast sum of resources. These are huge, powerful game-changers that might prove divisive among players. On one hand, it is fun to have something big to work towards, but it also encourages a style of play that some might find limited; often multiplayer matches are decided simply by whoever manages to pump out their factions’ super unit the fastest. They can, however, be turned off in custom skirmishes so if you don’t like their presence they shouldn’t be deal breakers.

Since the campaign feels in many ways like an elaborate tutorial for the three factions, it would stand to reason that the meat of the game lies in the skirmishes and multiplayer options. There are a solid number of options for custom games both offline and online, meaning you can tweak the settings to mitigate some of the more irritating aspects that crop up during the campaign. Turning off Epic units and fighting with the Humans and Beta will make for pure old-school RTS bliss. Right now the only game modes present involve trying to destroy the enemy player’s bases or Mother Goo's, and it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity as a new game mode would have helped give new context to the classic gameplay formula.

As for competitive multiplayer, my limited skills in this particular genre prevent me from talking about it with any sort of real knowledge. However I had a smooth experience with the matchmaking, being quickly placed into games where I experienced no discernable lag against opponents who seemed to be more or less in the same ballpark of incompetence inhabited by myself. It does seem that expanding your economy as quickly as possible is the best way to take control of a game, so if you are turned off by this macro-management, Grey Goo’s multiplayer might not be for you. The number of maps available and limited modes for both offline and online skirmishes are the biggest drawbacks, although Petroglyph are looking to remedy this with free updates in the future.

While the game design of Grey Goo successfully mimics RTS games of yore, it is the presentation that seals the deal. The game looks, feels, and sounds like a visually upgraded RTS from the late 90’s, with voice acting, music, and unit animations all working together to fire up those nostalgic synapses that immediately return memories of playing the likes of Tiberium Sun and Red Alert 2. The visuals are a bit on the dated side, but they do their job and the game seems to be very stable and fairly optimized with only the largest battles taking place in crowded bases causing the frame rate to dip noticeably. If I had one complaint it is that most of the maps are rather dark and might benefit from an injection of colour.

If you have been pining for an old-school RTS but don’t have the skill or bravery to face StarCraft 2’s competitive scene, Grey Goo might be just what you are looking for. It is a shame that the mission design can lead to frustration on many occasions, and that the Goo aren’t well thought out against as the broad strokes of their design might indicate. Regardless of this rather glaring flaw, in a genre starved for fresh blood, Grey Goo is ultimately a success as the modes with the potential for replayability are the strongest.