It is said that the second parts have never been good, because improving or surpassing what started it all is quite complicated. So, GOAT Simulator 3 had a tough time. But wait. You’re talking about a sequel and you say it’s the third? Exactly, because in Coffee Stein North they took the path of humor all the way, which we can see from the title of the game and its first trailer in which they parody that of Dead Island 2, until all that the game offers us.
Something tangible from the first moment we started playing, where we can see an intro copied from Skyrim. We (a goat) are imprisoned in a van in which they transport us to free us later and go out into the world. And this is not the only reference that we will find in our games, since it is a constant and, ultimately, a criticism of sandboxes like Skyrim or Assassin’s Creed.
But you have to know how far to go and, although so much gossip ends up becoming something heavy, the problem with GOAT Simulator 3 is that it becomes its own victim, it falls into what it seeks to criticize and the final feeling is to be in another open world.
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technical part
Graphically the game is quite ordinary. He doesn’t stand out in any facet and has a crazy physique. And while we know that’s part of the essence of the proposal, there is a fine line that is hard to distinguish between what is intentional and what is malfunction
On the other hand, the game does not maintain stable fps. We played on an Xbox Series X and suffered more than one bump and drop, suffering from performance. In addition, the game has a brutal pop-in and a graphical finish that does not shine, the environments and NPCs have little personality, leaving us with a very bad feeling in this regard.
Also, the soundtrack is pretty bland. It’s not bad, but it’s not one that you end up fondly remembering. Well accompanied, but nothing more. Finally, the game is entirely in English with texts in Spanish, well localized and without obvious errors or translation problems.
gameplay
The first thing to say is that, just like the original title, GOAT Simulator 3 is an open world sandbox, where from the start we have the freedom to do what we want and, above all, how we want. Because this is the strong point of the title, the maximum freedom it leaves us to solve all the situations that have existed and will be, each crazier than the previous one. And of course the resolution will be even crazier.
In this way, we are left with an open world full of activities to carry out, collectibles to find and objects to hit. A very light story, dozens of side activities and various mini-games open before us from the first moment. And there is no adaptation or learning phase, we don’t have a tutorial or anything, we learn everything through the classic system of experimentation.
Although the city and the world presented to us are not very big, they are full of activities, which can be found in two ways. The first, more classic in the genre, synchronizes with the turns of the goats to reveal nearby points of interest. The second, meet them directly while exploring the map. In addition, to overcome them we barely have clues and we will have to use our skills, equipment and ingenuity to find out what we must do. So, for example, at a gas station we will find a man locked in the bathroom and we will have to search and find the key, or in town we will find a birthday party in which we can sneak in and activate the assignment. What do we have to do? Toss a cake in the face of the guests.
Thus, in a world full of conflicts and activities we find a repetitive gameplay. Yes, everyone’s approach is original, but the way to overcome it is always the same. And it’s because of how little we can do with our goat. Beyond banging our heads, licking and dragging things, and jumping, we are capable of nothing else. Yes, we can find crazy ways to overcome them, find objects that help us fly, hover, reach high places… but we don’t find great depth in this.
Speaking of items, they are scattered all over the world and finding them is like finding treasure. For some it will be necessary to open a room using three bells and reproduce a certain imperial march. For others, finding a way to reach that impossible height. Thus, discovering each and every one of the teams becomes essential, but once we have got the hang of it, we will rush headlong into them, since they are essential.
Finally, let’s mention that the mini-games add a good plus and that the multiplayer aspect makes the proposal even crazier. But he has a big problem: he doesn’t have matchmaking. That is to say, you can only play with friends, at no time can you find someone to play goat with… A somewhat incomprehensible decision, especially when you bet on this aspect as the one of the novelties of the franchise.
Duration
With GOAT Simulator 3 we have to divide the game experience. The “main” story or common thread that will lead us to open the door of the first tower will not take us more than five hours. Although, as always, it will depend on our ability at the controls. On the other hand, doing the kaffir, sorry, the goat for the open world of the title is eternal and will depend on each of us.
The overall feeling is that the game gets tired quickly, and although it has online multiplayer, the minigames repeat patterns. Of course, to laugh with friends or play on platforms like Twitch is ideal.
conclusion
GOAT Simulator 3 is the evolution of the franchise that take madness and freedom one step further. But among so many jokes, references and humor, he ends up getting lost and becomes more of a victim of what he criticizes. Thus, the game is, from its concept to its gameplay, a critique of open world sandboxes full of activities, which is clear from the first moment. But comes the moment when we end up doing the same thing as in the titles he parodies: open the map and look for the next closest point of interest.
On this path of vital transformation we find a fun game, with a lot to do, but with a simple structure, with few playable options. Does that make GOAT Simulator 3 a bad game? Not at all, it’s fun, in multiplayer with friends it raises the bar and playing goat is always welcome.
Javier Bassols
Good
- Being able to do the goat in every way imaginable.
- The equipment we find and unlock is original and very fun.
The bad
- Very poor performance.
- Lack of matchmaking.
- Clipping failures are a clamor
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