Good Goliath | PSVR Review
You know those movies where an ugly giant tries to take on an innocent group of villagers? Have you ever felt sorry for the giant? Maybe you even cheered him on, wishing to see those pitchfork-wielding freaks be pounded into the dirt? Knocktwice Games‘ Good Goliath lets players experience the other side of the situation in this hilarious VR arcade experience. And it’s a ridiculously fun, albeit short-lived experience. What makes this title worth your attention?
Better Out Than In
Good Goliath plays from the perspective of a massive giant overlooking a small village. Naturally, the inhabitants of that village aren’t too happy to see a monster on the horizon, and they take precautions to defend their town. They’ll grab whatever they can to hurl at you, including the above-mentioned pitchforks and even exploding barrels. For some reason, other creatures show up. I’m still processing why a witch on a broom has it out for our giant, but I just went with it.
Gameplay works very much like a shooting gallery. You have a certain number of enemies that need to be defeated to pass each wave and advance to the next level. Unlike most shooting galleries, however, you don’t have a weapon. Instead, you use the Move controller (I played on PSVR) to grab items out of the air that are thrown at you. Then you fling them back at your attackers, and watch them explode or flee in terror. The game also uses head tracking to allow you to bob-and-weave out of the way of projectiles. Yes, you can be taken down by these villagers, so keeping your health bar active is very important.
Hands of a Giant
The controls in Good Goliath are very simple and surprisingly easy to use. It does take a bit of practice to learn when to release the trigger, however. I can’t even count how many times I either overshot or undershot a villager because I wasn’t quite dialed in. I still missed quite often, even after getting it down, but it becomes natural very quickly.
What makes this title worth your time is the way the village reacts to your presence. Not only can you take out villagers, but you can also destroy parts of the town. For some unknown reason, there are red and white targets littered around the environment. Throwing exploding barrels at buildings causes them to explode in a very cathartic manner. It’s a very oddly satisfying experience.
Although this is very much an arcade, score-grab experience, there’s more depth than I expected. After the initial “villager” stages, it just keeps going. You’ll face off against dragons and other enemies. It’s not nearly as satisfying as taking out those torch-bearing cretins, but maybe that says more about me than the quality of the game.
Good Goliath Final Verdict
Good Goliath is an easy recommend, especially for the price. Its cartoony graphics are a ton of fun, and the gameplay offers satisfaction and a decent workout. Don’t go into it expecting a rich storyline or anything more than an entertaining arcade shooting gallery. Regardless, it’s worth your time and feels like a very underrated VR title with a clever hook. I could see this one being a very fun “pass the controller” (or in the this case, VR helmet) game. Give it a shot.
To hear me talk more about Good Goliath, be sure to check out Episode 288 around the 1:47:45 time stamp.
This review is based on a PlayStation VR copy of Good Goliath provided by Reverb Inc. for coverage purposes. It is also available to play on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Valve Index.
Good Goliath
$19.99
Pros
- Easy-to-Learn Controls
- Hilariously Fun Gameplay
- Pleasing Cartoon Graphics
Cons
- Novelty Wears Off Quickly
- Touchy Throwing Mechanics
