Nostalgically true to the original games, Gobliiins 4 is a sedate journey through the quirky world of Tchoup, Perlius and Stucco. Each has their individual talents (Stucco possesses the strength to move heavy objects, while Perlius can wield magic) and it’s up to you to juggle their abilities to get past whatever obstacle stands in your way. This usually means utilising a variety of objects in your inventory in a set order until you’ve accomplished your goal. Trial and error is the key concept and you need a sharp brain to work your way through the game. It’s definitely not for the inpatient or hungover.
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| The 10.52 arrives. | Housing crisis to recover. |
Each level is a self contained puzzle which means there’s a distinct lack of scale. Conversely, with the removal of pointless navigation and backtracking you get a steady stream of mental taxation. There’s no filler – a clever choice, when you consider the typical effect of point and click ‘world exploration’ - a bordering on the mediocre. You’re simply given a puzzle and left to get on with it. Continuing from where you left off requires an old-school password (which you’re given once you finish a level). On the other hand, pressing continue on the menu screen has the same effect.
The inclusion of passwords is there if you wish to replay a level, (though once you have figured the puzzle out, there is little reason to return), but a puzzle-select screen would have been a more logical design choice. There’s minimal UI design. You can start a new game, continue your existing one or quit. Resolution and volume is set before you start the game (a big ‘convenience’ oversight), and when playing a level, there are no visible information minus the character you’re currently controlling. It must be said, the modern adventure gaming gimmick of pressing a key to highlight objects that can is sorely missed. What’s left in its place is a constant search for objects that may or may not be useful.
The cracks begin to show when you consider Gobliiins 4’s plot. Adventure titles are often known for their strong narrative, but Gobliiins struggles to spin a coherent yarn. Granted the game’s universe isn’t exactly global recession / classic literature territory, but you can easily discount the story’s worth. There’s a summons from the king and the rest results in dreary indifference. The dialogue is presented via text boxes and its brief / to the point. It’s easily ignored and serves little purpose.
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| The Natural History Museum reopens. | Fear the terror. |
Things aren’t much better in the looks department. An aged engine allows for Gobliiins to be played on even the oldest of rigs, but there’s little to get excited about. On the plus side, the game’s environments are creative and colourful, but it’s hindered by dated graphics. There’s also the fact that the game will not run a resolution above 1024x768. Gobliiins isn’t particularly ugly, it’s just showing its age – something that’s peculiar considering it’s only just been released.
Top Gaming Moment:
GOBLIIINS 4 VERDICT
The sound design is a mixed bag - there are some humorous sound effects that’ll make you smile, but on the other side of the spectrum, the game’s music is noticeably bland. There’s nothing glaringly wrong with Gobliiins 4, just that there’s nothing ‘stand-out’ good. It’s an old franchise that should have stayed in the past. It’ll struggle to pull in anyone outside of its long-term fan base. More of the same, just with a new coat of paint.
TOP GAME MOMENT
The cute vegetarian plant.
