That’s the big problem with video games: To enjoy them, you have to play them. The only problem is that you have to play the game to do so. You gain a new perspective, having had the opportunity to be something grander than-or just different from-yourself. Games turn the world on its head, allowing you to become all the things you are not: a criminal, in Grand Theft Auto an explorer of alien worlds, in No Man’s Sky the universe itself, in Everything. It’s fun! Being a goose for a while is diverting and surprising, and embodying one in a simulated, pastoral environment speaks to the flexible power of games as a medium. For some reason, it turns out to be familiar to everyone, even city slickers who have never seen a goose in person. A recent, hugely popular video game, Untitled Goose Game, stages this conflict. If you are a person and one appears on your country estate, the advice recommends avoiding engagement and then standing your ground if it charges. ![]() They’re brusque, clumsy, and territorial. We reviewed the Switch version.Like games, geese are notoriously annoying. Untitled Goose Game was developed by House House and is available on PC and Switch. Which is a real shame, because I was desperate for more goosey fun – here’s hoping House House will treat us to some freshly laid DLC soon. The only real downside to Untitled Goose Game that I can think of is its length – I finished the whole thing in a morning, including most of the extra challenges that are unlocked at the end. This guy is in a whole world of trouble, and he doesn’t even know it. If you’ve ever been to or live in England, you’ll be smiling and nodding at all the tiny little references. The puzzle environments themselves are positively gorgeous, too, and there are some lovely details that really nail the English village setting – tiny things like the blue plaque on the pub wall, and the black and white water-height marker next to the canal. Each of the five areas has a ‘to-do list’ of mischief for you to perform, and working out how to manage things like ‘Get someone else to smash the woman’s fancy vase’ had me scratching my head for a while, before that all important eureka moment. Mostly, you’ll just be nicking things and running off with them, angry human in pursuit, or else sneaking up behind some poor unfortunate and scaring the bejesus out of them with a massive HONK.īut despite the simple set-up, some of the puzzles are positively ingenious. You can also lower your head to snaffle low-down things, as well as flap your wings aggressively – although the latter ability is barely used. The game itself is very simple – you have the all important HONK button, along with buttons to grab items with your beak and to run. Geese are the perfect comedy creatures, when you think about it. One of my favourite touches was the indignant flap of the wings that goosey gives whenever he or she is chased off by some irate human, just like a real goose being herded out of a farmyard – not quite being bothered enough to actually spread its wings properly and fly away, but also sufficiently alarmed that a simple waddle isn’t quite enough. The developers House House have perfectly captured that goose waddle, head held resolutely still while the rest of its chunky body lollops all over the place. And if any of that sounds remotely funny to you, then buy it immediately.Ī lot of the humour comes from old goosey himself. ![]() I guffawed out loud several times after pulling someone’s chair away as they were about to sit down, knocking a bucket onto someone’s head or causing a man to spit out his tea. That’s provided you have a strong appreciation for slapstick, of course. In short, Untitled Goose Game is a comedy that, unlike many attempts at video-game humour, is actually very funny indeed. Forget your Sonics and your Crash Bandicoots, Untitled Goose is the best animal to appear in a game in living memory. Goosey can even honk through a harmonica. ![]() And imagine my delight when I discovered old goose face could stick its beak in a milk bottle to make comedy echo honk sounds, too. ![]() Waddling around, honking my head off, has been some of the most fun I’ve had in a video game all year. After playing Untitled Goose Game, I’m now of the firm opinion that every game should have a HONK button.
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