World of Goo Review for iPad

When World of Goo made its debut for Nintendo's WiiWare service and PC last year, it enchanted players with its innovative gameplay system and its delightful design, all revolving around lively little balls of goo slipping into formations to survive. Still, as great as those games are, your only way of interaction with these little critters was through either a mouse or on-screen cursor. With the game's arrival on the iPad this week, you can actually use your finger to guide these little guys to freedom -- and it's that kind of personal touch that really makes this edition the best one to date.

In case you're unfamiliar with the plot, it takes place in the aforementioned World of Goo. A corporation is running amuck, causing chaos that only you can contain with two unlikely sources for help. The first is The Painter, an anonymous tipster who notifies you of gameplay tips to help you survive. The second are the balls of goo, who you chain together into bridges, platforms and other formations in order to reach access pipes. The tricky part is that, with each Goo ball you slip into place, you lose its use. The goal is to reach the pipe at the end of the each stage with the minimum count of Goo balls required -- a feat that's trickier than it looks.

But not to worry. This isn't a puzzle game built on unfairness. Instead, it relies more on innovation, with a little real-world structure thrown in for good measure. The first few stages of the game introduce you to the excellent gameplay tactics, as well as the real-world physics that could make -- or break -- your Goo ball creations. The way your finger guides these Goo balls to their destinations make World of Goo more accessible than previous versions, as there's less room for error. And you'll need this accuracy in later stages, dodging environmental dangers (like buzzsaws) and working your way to trickily located pipes -- including one embedded in a monster's intestines. Yuck.

With dozens of stages available, World of Goo has replayability to spare, and it also gives you three free solves per day, should a puzzle be pushing you to wit's end. In addition, the game has a cool cooperative activity, where, as you and fellow players complete challenges in the first stage, you build a real-world tower outside of the World of Goo Corporation. We would've preferred direct cooperative or versus multiplayer components, but this certainly beats nothing.

World of Goo's design is absolutely charming. The little balls of Goo move around like independent beings, and even show small signs of emotion through their eye movements as you slide them around. The stage designs are innovative, between brightly colored backgrounds and large beasts with expressions of their own. As for the music, it's simply astounding. It's as if Danny Elfman stepped in and conducted the score, with orchestral majesty setting the stage for each Goo challenge. Do yourself a favor and listen to this one with headphones, you won't be sorry.

Kudos to 2D Boy fo delivering a version of World of Goo that feels just right on the iPad. The gameplay works much better through touch-screen control, and the presentation hasn't changed a bit, between the quirky graphics and the spellbinding music. For $9.99, this World is a steal -- and one of the best iPad games of 2010.

Price: $9.99

File Size: 75.5 MB

Developer: 2D Boy

Platform: iPad

iPadNewsDaily Rating (out of 4): ****

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