Goliath
- May 12, 2016
- Whalebox Studio
- 4h median play time
Goliath is an ambitious project. While a lot of its design ideas are really interesting, the execution of those ideas failed at every turn.
Get on Steam"Goliath" is a single-player Science Fiction Fighting game offering around 4 hours of playtime. Players explore a mysterious world and craft giant robots, known as Goliaths, to battle monsters and gather resources. The goal is to survive amongst the giant creatures in this dangerous and broken land by scavenging for resources and building stronger Goliaths.
PC
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox
Reviews
- The game has a really cool concept of building and customizing giant robots, which many players find engaging and fun.
- The crafting system is interesting and allows for a variety of gameplay styles, encouraging exploration and experimentation.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and are actively working on updates and bug fixes, which gives hope for future improvements.
- The game suffers from poor performance issues, including low frame rates and clunky controls, making it frustrating to play.
- Many players find the story and quests to be dull and repetitive, lacking depth and engagement.
- The camera controls and overall gameplay mechanics feel unpolished, leading to a disjointed experience that detracts from the enjoyment.
- story30 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story is generally perceived as weak and overly lengthy, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking engagement, leading to boredom and a significant drop-off in player retention. While some appreciate the initial promise and world-building, the execution is marred by bugs and linearity, making the narrative feel like a chore rather than an immersive experience. Overall, the writing is considered decent but fails to captivate, leaving players more focused on gameplay mechanics than the storyline itself.
“It's a cool world, and a cool story; I'll probably end up finishing it just for that, even if it'll be more of a chore than I'd like.”
“Story and writing is decent, with the style being one to not take itself too seriously.”
“Story and optional quests will lead you to a variety of zones with varying weather types, and since each type of goliath thrives or suffers based on the environment, it's essential to build and maintain a good selection of types/materials.”
“However, the story is long, repetitive text that NPCs just blab on; most of it is a waste of time.”
“Weak story, weak characters, monotonous gameplay with no soul.”
“There is no storyteller, so the story doesn't carry any weight and you are not dragged into it.”
- gameplay23 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of potential and frustration; while the core mechanics, such as crafting and the action-survival elements, are engaging and fun, poor implementation and numerous bugs detract from the overall experience. Players find the crafting system lacking in utility, leading to a monotonous loop of gathering and upgrading without meaningful rewards. Despite these issues, some users appreciate the unique concepts and addictive gameplay, suggesting that with further refinements, the game could fulfill its promise.
“The concept is really cool and unique, the gameplay is fun and engaging.”
“Addictive gameplay, quite varied and intense, that will not get boring even in the quiet moments of the game.”
“Coupling the crafting mechanics for creating new goliaths with a top-down shooter was actually a good match up here.”
“So gameplay turns boring more soon than later: there is no illusion for exploration, combat, loot, reward, or upgrade; there are many missions, but they do not change those facts, and less than 6% of players continue after the first half of the game.”
“Weak story, weak characters, monotonous gameplay with no soul.”
“The only reason to play seems to be to upgrade your goliath so you can enjoy more monotonous gameplay.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered decent and visually appealing, with a unique art style that enhances the overall atmosphere. However, many users report performance issues, requiring more powerful hardware than specified, which can lead to crashes and sluggish gameplay even at lower settings. While the graphics contribute positively to the game's charm, they are not groundbreaking and are accompanied by some lackluster animations and music.
“The graphics here are good enough to do what the developers were wanting to do here and it actually lends a certain basic charm to the game.”
“Graphically attractive enough, suits the overall mood of the game.”
“The graphics are decent and look nice; they certainly create the world in a good-looking way.”
“The graphics are decently serviceable, but also nothing to really write home about.”
“The graphics seem well stylized, but the music and animations are very lackluster.”
“I dropped the graphics from ultra down to the lowest one step at a time, and each time it played exactly the same with sluggishness.”
- music9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as decent but lacking memorability and consistency, with players noting that it often cuts out abruptly and fails to enhance the gameplay experience. While the overall aesthetic is well-developed, including the art and character styles, the music needs more energy and cohesion to match the game's atmosphere, particularly during combat and exploration. Overall, the soundtrack feels underwhelming and could benefit from more dynamic and continuous elements.
“The music, art, and character styles are well developed, making me feel like I'm in a steampunk/old west movie with attitude as soon as I launch it.”
“For example, I would really like the music to fit what the title screen has, this thumping, bass-heavy tune of impending poundage while in combat and maybe a jolly thumping while walking through a forest.”
“That being said, it is obvious that not everything is implemented just yet; the animation and textures could be brushed up, and the music needs a bit more oomph!”
“Consistent music would be nice, but I played for about 15 minutes in silence with only a sparse lackluster punching sound effect.”
“The music switches on and off (it actually feels like it switches off mid-song, mostly during combat).”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the game's optimization to be lacking, with significant performance issues reported and no updates provided for over a month. While some users mention that these problems can be worked around, the general sentiment is that the game is poorly optimized and in need of urgent performance improvements.
“At times it will feel a little grindy and there are some optimization issues, but these are problems you can work around.”
“Fun so far, looking forward to performance updates.”
“Game is interesting, but performance is one of the worst.”
“It's been a month and a half and no word on optimization.”
“Poorly optimized.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a mix of self-aware jokes and snarky commentary, which some players find charming and enjoyable, while others feel it often falls flat and comes off as rude. Despite its shortcomings, many players appreciate the comedic elements in dialogue and the overall fun experience of exploring the game. However, the humor's inconsistency can detract from the overall enjoyment for some.
“It has a certain charm to it, and I find myself enjoying going through the content, trying to unlock new Goliath parts, laughing at some of the dialogue, and generally just having fun.”
“Combat is lacking a guard button; it's funny that a Goliath so big can't block.”
“The game is trying to have self-aware humor and just comes off as rude and snarky.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its ambition and enjoyment, despite experiencing several glitches and clipping issues. While frame rate problems persist during special moves, overall stability has improved, making it easier to play.
“There are a couple of glitches, that's for sure, and the game can be devilishly difficult sometimes, but it's very enjoyable.”
“Tl;dr: Goliath is a buggy, ambitious release that is great fun, and looks to improve quickly.”
“There are some glitches and clipping problems.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in this ARPG to be both mandatory and frustrating, as it involves leveling up to effectively combat enemies that continuously scale in difficulty. While some enjoy the nostalgic gameplay reminiscent of older titles like Diablo, the experience can feel tedious and stressful, particularly due to inventory management issues during farming.
“It's also the only ARPG I can think of that has both mandatory grinding to be able to feasibly kill enemies and level-scaling, meaning you never stop seeing those enemies the game just expects you to avoid because you can barely damage them.”
“- Tedious quests; the dialogues are fun sometimes, but the rest is boring.”
“I'm used to this gameplay; it's a lot like Diablo of old, but in a crafting game, it feels very restricting and, honestly, very stressful playing when I don't remember if I have enough space in my chests for something while I'm out farming for drops.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its cool and varied environments, providing players with diverse settings to explore. However, the audio elements, while present, are considered somewhat lacking in enhancing the overall experience.
“Cool atmosphere, with different environments to visit.”
“The audio contributes significantly to the overall atmosphere, enhancing the immersive experience.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Users indicate that the game lacks sufficient replayability, suggesting that additional content or features could enhance the experience and encourage players to return.
“The game offers endless replayability with its dynamic storylines and multiple endings.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh thanks to the diverse character choices and branching paths.”
“I love how the game encourages you to try different strategies, making every run unique and exciting.”
“The game lacks any real incentive to replay it after finishing the main story.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little reason to go back and experience it again.”
“The limited choices and outcomes make replaying feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
