Mighty Goose Review (PC)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Mighty Goose
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: No
  • Reviewed on:
Mighty Goose key art

This goose does not lay golden eggs but she does pack enough firepower to defeat her foes quickly and efficiently. She sprays hovering craft with machine-gun bullets while jumping over platforms. She uses a shotgun that feels more like a bazooka to clear drop crates filled with troopers.

She has an even more powerful form that can be activated to deal with especially difficult battles. She can use vehicles, alongside her companions. Massive bosses with overpowered weapons are no match for her skills if the player controlling her is patient and learns how to deal with them.

Mighty Goose is created by Blastmode and MP2 Games and published by Playism. I played it on the PC using Steam but gamers can also pick it up on the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, and the Nintendo Switch.

As the name implies the main character is an anthropomorphic goose that has a gun wing and cannot fly. Instead, she can roll, gaining temporary invulnerability from enemy attacks, and jump. These core abilities allow the players controlling the creature to navigate levels and deal with a Void King who seeks to conquer the galaxy.

Mighty Goose
Mighty Goose
Mighty Goose
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The mechanics do not get much more complex as the game progresses. Players can activate a super mode and the game also introduces a set of special attacks. Both are designed to offer a way to take out big groups of enemies or to push forward through a level when low on health. Help is also offered by companions, unlocked when levels are cleared, and special items that boost the capabilities of the goose.

At the end of each chapter, players have to deal with a boss, in pure arcade shooter fashion. The design of all these creatures is great and they offer very different challenges. I died quite a bit before I learned how to dodge attacks and when to press my own assaults. These are the best parts of the game, even if the titular goose gets cooked often while fighting the bosses. The vehicle-based sections and the light platforming are less exciting but add variety.

The development team clearly wants to give gamers tough fights to deal with. The end of the level score screen is unforgiving in its evaluation. But Mighty Goose does not want to frustrate. When I died a lot in one section I saw more health dropping from enemies, alongside better weapons. When I moved forward or took down a boss I felt good even when if the game helped me out a little.

The biggest problem I had with Mighty Goose is the screen clutter that’s a trademark of the genre. There are moments when so many enemies and projectiles vying for my attention that I don’t know where exactly my character is. And, even worse, I lose health because I am hit and utterly unable to dodge the hit or take down the incoming fire. This is where the extra health dropping after a few deaths feels like a great balancing system.

The game features cooperative play, which is cool, but when two players fill the screen with bullets it gets even harder to keep track of everything. The fun is very chaotic.

Mighty Goose executes the retro game look concept very well when it comes to the graphical department. The main character and the enemies are chunky in all the right places and the screen quickly fills with tons of projectiles and soldiers when a big fight takes place. The levels are a little too samey and gray but they do make for good places to get into a massive firefight. I would have liked to see a little more innovation sneaking through the commitment to retro concepts.

The sound department suffers because of the insistence on the use of gibberish sounds for character voices (which too many small titles feel like they have to include when text-only would serve them better). On the other hand, the music is pounding and active, a perfect accompaniment to the chaotic on-screen action and I never felt the need to replace it with something else.

Mighty Goose
Mighty Goose
Mighty Goose
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The Good

  • Impressive boss battles
  • Cool goose action
  • Good balancing

The Bad

  • Some confusing moments
  • Limited innovation
  • Not much narrative

Conclusion

Mighty Goose is a very good experience for a clearly defined set of players. One needs to love old-school arcade action to love it. An interest in wacky characters helps, as does a focus on gameplay and an interest in trying to best one’s old scores. The game knows what it can deliver and offers a very pure experience for those who know what they want from it.

The problem is that the developers do not push the limits of the space they settled in. The companions and the special powers are attempts at this but limited ones. After three or four levels even the idea of battling new bosses failed to excite me about the game. Mighty Goose is another title that needs more than very good execution of core concepts to stand out.

Review code provided by the publisher.

story 7
gameplay 8
concept 9
graphics 8
audio 7
multiplayer 9
final rating 8
Editor's review
very good
 
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Mighty Goose screenshots (21 Images)

Mighty Goose key art
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