GOOD GOLIATH Review: Bringing The Arcade To Your Home VR System

PSVR Review Code Provided by Knocktwice Games

If you enjoy video games then you have spent some time at an arcade, but how many of those games give you an immersive experience that’s unlike any others? Knocktwice Games has created Good Goliath in hopes of providing an immersive arcade game that is truly fun and approachable to anyone. After learning that that was the goal from my interview with them, I have to say that the experience matched their intentions.

Story

Containing a simplistic story of a giant that was captured by villagers and is just trying to make his way back home, filling a fantasy-based ‘Gullivers Travels’-type set up. This game uses its story element as reasoning for player’s stationary position and overall reasoning for the gameplay style while being understandable and entertaining to all ages.

Gameplay

Being an arcade-style game, you will find that the gameplay is very straight forward being easy to learn and hard to master. Your goal is given to you at the beginning of each wave and all you have to do is take out the enemies to meet that goal. Progressively starting out with easy one-hitters and ending on a mini-boss like enemy.

There is only one button to use and that is the T-button on the back of your motion controllers. This will be what you use to make fists and catch things. Making fists is what you will need when it comes time to punch rocks that are flying at you, which quick heads up - if it is a blue rock then an explosive material is inside that you need to catch or you will take that damage yourself instead of using it on your enemies. Once you have caught your weapons, which could also be the enemy people themselves, you throw them at your current wave’s goal enemy. The controls are that simple.

Every enemy will attack in their own way, but it generally will involve throwing something at the player. You have two options with this and that is to either catch the weapon or to dodge with your head to avoid taking damage. Catching weapons is necessary because otherwise, you will have nothing to throw. Sometimes you will also have to look out and utilize extra aspects in waves, such as catapults or canons. You only have two hands so you can only hold two items at a time, but if you are hit by a weapon then chances are it is still stuck to your body until you brush it off or grab it to use.

There are a leaderboard and scoring system, so taking no damage gets you extra points, landing multiple hits in a row without missing multiplies your points, and general skill will be a factor. Other than focusing on your score, you can unlock more hand customizations to choose from by hitting hidden treasure chests. They will show up in various locations and have to be struck by you in order to be obtained so keep on the lookout for those.

Probably the most intricate factor to keep in mind with this game is, as mentioned in the interview, the ‘uptrading’ factor. This is where you trade out the weapon your holding for a better, more damaging option. Two examples that make it easy to understand are trading a basic barrel for a TNT labeled one for the explosion damage or trading a barrel for a cannon to shoot at your target. The shooting aspect was a godsend option in the pirate chapter for me because that was when things started to get more about the precise aim in the midst of chaos.

Visuals

The game maintains a very cartoon-style look to it, giving off a friendly atmosphere no matter how chaotic it became. Probably the best choice for the game style that maintained the general sense that it is meant to be taken as a fun time-killer and not a serious game. You know, how an arcade game is supposed to feel.

Sounds

Offering a mixture of accurate, yet cartoonish sound effects to go along with an always upbeat musical toon helped maintain the lightheartedness throughout the game. Even when it started to get challenging or the bosses had a somewhat scary design, the music and sound effects kept friendly the atmosphere up.

What Could Be Better

For a game completely based on catching and throwing, there were times that the throwing just felt off. I appreciate the forced calibration at the beginning of every session, but sometimes I would throw the weapon and it would just fall out of my hand instead. It didn’t happen enough to truly hinder the game experience, but it was a slight frustration.

Conclusion

Good Goliath brings the arcade experience to home VR! This game offers an at-home arcade gameplay experience that is unmatched by the actual arcade you could usually visit. Sure, sometimes they offer more than just buttons to press, but now you can be in the world that the game is trying to provide. A lot of fun and truly something that both casual and hardcore gamers can enjoy!