Creative and fun game let down by poor physics.
Story: World of Goo has a really bizarre story which will not be to everyone's taste. However, it is charming and funny. While many puzzle games have a bland setting, World of Goo is bursting with life and character. Each chapter holds a mystery which is only revealed at the end of that chapter. For example, one chapter leads us closer and closer to an unknown power source. This adds to the desire to keep playing.
Graphics: World of Goo has simple 2D graphics that are bursting with life and colour. The visual design is full of quirky character in keeping with the rest of the game, for example, in the way the goo balls have eyes. The visual design varies through the course of the game. Most levels are full of colour, but some are just a single colour. The designers went to great lengths to create a visually striking game.
Gameplay: World of Goo is a real-time puzzle game in which one constructs frames out of goo balls while trying to keep them balanced. Most levels require the player to reach a pipe in order to save a certain number of balls. Other levels have hidden objectives the player must work out for himself. Different goo balls have different properties. Some can fly, some are removable, some explode, etc. The variety of gameplay is incredible. Almost every level introduces new ideas, which keeps things fresh and exciting.
Gameplay consists of puzzling out what a level requires of you, then working out how to build the right structure. The puzzle element is perfect. Some of the levels make you think, but none are unintuitive. On the hand, actually executing the right structure is where the game sometimes fails. The biggest complaint here is the physics. Every structure sways back and forth. The taller or less balanced the structure, the more it sways. This makes is very hard to tell if a structure is balanced, as it may be swaying dangerously even when balanced properly. Larger structures can be almost impossible to balance, and even one piece can topple them. The poor physics have other effects too. Sometimes you will do everything right, and still fail. For example, I had balls get stuck in a pipe when they were meant to go right through. Sometimes, you need a ball or structure to fall in just the right place, but it will fall to the side for no good reason. On one level, your structure is meant to fall down a hole with a pile of rubble. Sometimes the rubble falls on top of your goo balls, trapping them and forcing you to start again.
There are other problems as well. Some levels are a bit tedious. There was one level where I had to roll a long structure across a series of pits using balloons. I soon worked out what to do, but completing the level took time doing the same thing over and over again. Even one small mistake, and I had to start again. Another complaint is selecting goo balls. Often you will have multiple different types of goo balls moving back and forth over each other. When you try to select the one you need, you often find yourself with the wrong one. This can be a problem when you have to react quickly to structure balance.
That being said, most of the levels were not greatly affected by these flaws. In fact, the game allows you to skip a level if you're having a problem with it, which is a blessing.
Overall, World of Goo is fun puzzle game that is different from anything else. I recommend it, but be aware that a degree of frustration awaits.