World of Goo 2

Familiar and inventive, tough yet easygoing, World of Goo 2 is a whole world of fun.

A gelatinous puzzler that blurts out a steady stream of fresh goo to prevent joy from drying up.

World of Goo 2 is a fantastic sequel to a stone-cold classic. The new focus on liquids feels right at home, and the utterly bizarre fourth chapter elevates the experience to one of considerable excellence. It's a shame that it's somewhat let down by limited control options, occasionally wobbly performance, and some underutilised mechanics, but its core is so solid, we can't help but recommend it regardless.

World of Goo 2 is exactly as it presents itself. It’s a lot more World of Goo, with more levels, gameplay mechanics, fancier visuals, and a new/continued storyline. As cute (in a sinister way) as its style looks, this is as hardcore as physics-based puzzlers can get. The game does not hold your hand, often has really tight margins of error, and only offers the bare minimum of guidance when it feels like it. That said, there’s a surprising amount of variety, and you’re allowed to skip levels without being penalized. Even if you struggle, there’s a lot of cool, smart design and an interesting world to experience. For fans of the first game, of course, World of Goo 2 is a no-brainer.

World of Goo 2 is the legacy-appraising send-off that the series deserves. Its inventive puzzling serves as a friendly reminder that the 2008 classic deserves its place in gaming history, even as a decade and a half of shiny new games pass it by. It’s still that foundational goo ball in an industry that keeps building higher and higher, even as the structure starts to sway. Without it, everything would fall apart.

World of Goo 2 is what nobody expected, but everyone needed. And no, it's not (just) a matter of nostalgia: gameplay proves extremely satisfying, puzzles are diverse and well thought out; visuals please the eye. On the other hand, the Switch version has slight control issues; also, the title's difficulty seems unbalanced. This, however, doesn't change the fact that the sequel does deserve much love. And now we want the third part. Sooner rather than later.

The slow pacing, along with unskippable story and dialogue, detracts from the experience. The game’s main redeeming quality is the distinctive, somewhat memorable aesthetics in certain chapters, like the Train, Noir, and Paper themes, which stand out from the rest. World of Goo 2 feels like a remastered version of the original game but lacks the charm and atmosphere of its predecessor.

World of Goo 2 is worthy sequel to its classic predecessor, while also standing tall (albeit a bit wobbly) as a distinct experience.

World of Goo 2 is a fine production that provides plenty of good, at times challenging fun. Of course, the game is not without flaws. It can be criticized of a chaotic and inconsistent storyline, occasional problems with accurately clicking on individual goo blobs, and the feeling that we are dealing more with an extended version of the original game than with a full-fledged sequel. Nevertheless, the game shows high quality, and the puzzles are interesting, requiring both thought and dexterity. This is enough to turn a blind eye to some imperfections and enjoy excellent gameplay.

World of Goo 2 understands what made the original so charming but adds a new coat of paint alongside some experimental gameplay and storytelling mechanics to keep the idea fresh. Whilst the sequel had the chance to become something completely new, as seen in Chapter 4, it instead chooses to largely stick with familiarity. This is far from a bad thing but may hold the title back from reaching its full potential. The game is worth a play if you have the time, and hopefully, the unique and new direction that the game teases is something 2D Boy is willing to continue to push toward in future releases.