Grey Goo

Two very similar factions dull its edge, but Grey Goos old-school take on strategy still makes it one of the most interesting new RTS games in years.

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"Grey Goo" is a real-time strategy game that features large familiar and alien forces in battle. Players can choose to command one of three factions: the humans, the Beta, or the Goo, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The game offers a single-player campaign and multiplayer modes, with a focus on strategy, base-building, and resource management. Character count: 162. More information about the game is available on its Steam page: .

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,702 reviews

story627 positive mentions

optimization46 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and well-produced cutscenes enhance the storytelling experience.
Each faction has unique mechanics and playstyles, providing a refreshing take on the RTS genre.
The campaign offers a decent challenge and engaging narrative, making it enjoyable for single-player fans.

The game suffers from performance issues, including long loading times and crashes during gameplay.
Multiplayer is largely dead, making it difficult to find matches and diminishing replayability.
The AI can be inconsistent, often leading to frustrating experiences in both campaign and skirmish modes.

story
1,816 mentions
35 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "Grey Goo" is generally regarded as engaging and well-presented, featuring high-quality cutscenes and a compelling narrative that unfolds across a short campaign of 15 missions, divided among three factions. However, many players feel the story is somewhat predictable and lacks depth, with some missions being frustratingly designed or overly reliant on standard RTS objectives like "destroy all enemies." While the game sets up an interesting universe, it ends on a cliffhanger, leaving players wanting more and questioning the potential for future expansions or sequels.
- “Amazing story and graphics for its time, greatly recommend it!”
- “The story is interesting and has some twists.”
- “The campaign is well done with some really nice cgi scenes and a good all-round story, nice visuals and game mechanics overall.”
- “The campaign story is meh.”
- “The story feels unfinished, and while the beta race certainly perform distinctly in game terms, their characterisation is just a little bit too human to be believable as an alien race.”
- “The story over the last few missions and to the ending gets progressively worse and is not rewarding at all (I watched the ending online after giving up on the last mission).”
gameplay
902 mentions
39 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Grey Goo" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its unique mechanics and distinct factions, while others criticize it for being slow-paced, repetitive, and lacking depth. Many reviewers noted that while the game features interesting ideas, such as the asymmetrical faction designs and base-building mechanics, the execution often feels clunky and unrefined, leading to a less engaging experience overall. Despite its beautiful graphics and solid story, the gameplay can become tedious, with some players recommending it primarily for fans of classic RTS games.
- “Gameplay is pretty solid, and the three races feel distinctive.”
- “Great story and gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and well thought out.”
- “However, I cannot in good conscience recommend this game as the actual gameplay quickly becomes tedious and frustrating, unfortunately as a consequence of the core concept - being modeled on grey goo events inherently makes the enemies incredibly difficult to wipe out, and most of the missions lean towards mass destruction.”
- “But the main curse of the game is the gameplay itself: you build a couple of refineries in the first couple of minutes of the match, then you set your factories to automatically vomit a loop of uninteresting plain basic units until you're able to multiselect a hundred of them and launch them mindlessly to your enemy's base.”
- “The gameplay feels really clunky and unrefined compared to other RTS games.”
graphics
503 mentions
60 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their high quality, beautiful cutscenes, and impressive art direction, making it visually appealing even compared to modern standards. Many reviewers noted that the visuals enhance the overall experience, although some pointed out that the gameplay mechanics do not always match the graphical polish. While the graphics are generally considered a strong point, there are mixed opinions regarding their impact on gameplay and the overall depth of the game.
- “The graphics are absolutely beautiful, especially with the goo and how it moves in this game.”
- “The graphics both in actual game and story cut scenes are great; the story grows on you as you progress through the game but only really gets interesting as you reach the game's conclusion.”
- “Grey goo is an RTS game whose defining feature is its great graphics.”
- “Crappy graphics.”
- “Characters are introduced at random, then never mentioned again, and the graphics in the cutscene slowly degraded into 2010 levels of cutscenes by the time we play as the humans, and then 2007 when we play as the goo.”
- “Sadly I've ended up with a very disappointing strategy game that seems like it's 10 years in the past in every way except graphics.”
music
299 mentions
61 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game, composed by the legendary Frank Klepacki, receives widespread acclaim for its quality and variety, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the dynamic soundtracks that change with the action, as well as the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RTS titles. While some reviews mention occasional repetitiveness, the soundtrack is generally regarded as a standout feature, with many recommending it as a key reason to engage with the game.
- “With these three distinct factions, the game should have had everything it needed to be a compelling RTS, especially when you take into account that the game looks pretty damn good and has an incredible soundtrack.”
- “The story mode is a lot better than I was expecting, with some lovely CG cutscenes backed up by 10/10 music by Frank Klepacki.”
- “This game is worth it for the soundtrack alone, with different themes for each of the 4 factions.”
- “The graphics are pretty good, the voice acting is nothing to complain about, but the underlying designs are bland, the music is nothing to remember, and the level design is just awful.”
- “There simply is not enough to the game to justify the 'full' price or frankly even half the price even if you consider the 'DLC' campaign and a fairly uninspired soundtrack.”
- “The music is okay, and gets repetitive quickly.”
optimization
172 mentions
22 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frame rate drops, stuttering, and long loading times, even on high-end systems. While some users have noted improvements and smoother gameplay after recent patches, others still experience severe lag and unresponsive controls, particularly in multiplayer and during late-game scenarios with many units. Overall, the consensus indicates that the game requires further optimization to fully realize its potential.
- “For me at least, this game's really quite optimized now and runs great which is always a pleasant thing given the scale of some of the battles you have in an RTS game.”
- “The game has nice graphics, runs smoothly, and has polish.”
- “Game has been optimized for slower PCs and newer machines alike.”
- “Extremely poorly optimized controls make a game that had a chance at excellence become a poor mediocre frustrating experience where they want you to be precise and accurate and well timed with everything, and the map formatting makes it to where clicking, selecting, or placing certain tools and units impossible.”
- “The performance issues of this game are the major hampering factor to truly enjoying the experience.”
- “Unfortunately, it's been optimized rather poorly.”
replayability
46 mentions
30 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the unique mechanics and variety among factions that offer multiple playthroughs, many criticize the short campaign and lack of depth in multiplayer modes. The absence of extensive customization options and limited unit variety contribute to a perception of low replay value, although modding potential and optional objectives may enhance longevity for dedicated players. Many recommend purchasing the game on sale due to its limited replayability at full price.
- “This produced a very unique experience and style between each faction, and the multiple combinations of gods and their tech trees/units allow for much replayability.”
- “With the various factions, their many units, and virtually unlimited supply of maps, Grey Goo has lots of replay value.”
- “In terms of replayability, I have played the campaign about 5 times over now, and multiplayer can give you an endless amount of time to practice and hone your skills.”
- “The campaign is short, extremely short, and for single player, the game lacks some of the features of other RTS games (in-depth scenario customization, etc.) that might've given it more replayability.”
- “I don't think the campaign has much replay value.”
- “Not worth the purchase price until the price plummets significantly, thus justifying a game of very limited (or non-existent) replayability.”
stability
46 mentions
22 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
78 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and various bugs, particularly with the AI and unit selection. While some players note improvements and a generally optimized experience, others still encounter serious issues that hinder gameplay, especially at launch. Overall, the game appears to have improved since its initial release, but stability remains a mixed bag, with many players experiencing frustrating technical problems.
- “Polished to a spit shine and runs great on any rig.”
- “For me at least, this game's really quite optimized now and runs great, which is always a pleasant thing given the scale of some of the battles you have in an RTS game.”
- “The game is generally bug-free.”
- “The game freezes when trying to launch.”
- “The game is buggy, frequently giving me a flickering screen that only a restart seems to fix, and issues selecting units whereby single or multiple units do not respond to clicks or dragging the mouse.”
- “30 minutes playing a fun campaign, then the game crashes and manages to fill my system SSD partition to 90% with a useless crash dump, freezes my desktop and forces me to reboot.”
grinding
34 mentions
6 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Grey Goo" is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with players noting that the gameplay often devolves into repetitive trial and error on small maps. Many missions feel monotonous due to a lack of variety in objectives and slow unit movement, leading to a sense of boredom. While some innovative mechanics exist, they are overshadowed by the overall tediousness of resource management and micromanagement, making the experience less enjoyable.
- “However, I cannot in good conscience recommend this game as the actual gameplay quickly becomes tedious and frustrating. Unfortunately, as a consequence of the core concept, being modeled on grey goo events inherently makes the enemies incredibly difficult to wipe out, and most of the missions lean towards mass destruction.”
- “I played until the human faction and a few more missions, but the whole single-player game just feels like tedious trial and error on rather small maps where only one tactic works. Every mission start is just 'sit there and watch a being built slowly, then b, then c, and now you can build some units.'”
- “The faction this game is named after, the goo, is really tedious and boring to play.”
humor
22 mentions
91 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its quirky unit designs, particularly the "beta" alien race, and the absurdity of gameplay mechanics, such as the overpowered goo units. Players find enjoyment in the lighthearted nature of the game, with moments that elicit genuine laughter and excitement, especially after completing the surprisingly engaging campaign. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth and creativity in the overall design, contrasting it with more established titles in the genre.
- “Apart from that, it's a back-to-roots game of building a base, spamming units, and shooting everyone who looks at you funny.”
- “I was bouncing around my house for a good 10 minutes after finishing the last level; smiling, laughing, pumping my fist.”
- “Playing with goo and having 10 mother goo is just funny to cap out unit count within seconds.”
- “Right now, it's not funny; just a few days later, a patch fixed all that.”
character development
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely lacking, with minimal plot progression throughout missions. However, the character design is praised for its visual quality and nuance, particularly influenced by Weta, making the characters visually compelling despite the absence of deeper narrative exploration.
- “The character design is nuanced and interesting, since the beta have much more in common with the ancient humans (us) than the neo-humans do.”
- “In all of the missions, there is basically no plot or character development.”
- “The cinematics, though not having as much action as a Blizzard production, absolutely can compete with Blizzard in terms of character design and visual quality.”
- “As for the singleplayer, Weta's influence with character design is one of the stronger points.”
atmosphere
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highlighted by exceptional sound and voice acting, along with beautifully composed music that enhances the experience. While some reviewers note that the story may not be the most innovative, the immersive universe and captivating cutscenes contribute significantly to the overall ambiance. Overall, the atmosphere is described as engaging and well-crafted, despite some mixed feelings about the narrative.
- “The sound and voice acting are really well done in this game; the music is beautifully composed and atmospheric.”
- “An immersive universe and truly captivating atmosphere.”
- “Well, my problem is with the story and atmosphere of the game.”
- “It's not the flashiest, it's not the most innovative, and it's not the most immersive, but it is innovative; the story is worthwhile and the cutscenes add a lot to the atmosphere.”
- “- immersive universe and truly captivating atmosphere”
monetization
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users expressing disappointment that the actual gameplay and quality do not match the promotional materials. Many feel that the game falls short of expectations set by its advertisements, leading to a perception of it being subpar.
- “What a freaking cash grab.”
- “Game is nowhere near the quality of the ads and trailers.”
- “This game looks nothing like what it's advertising; it's very subpar.”
emotional
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game's music, which can evoke feelings of inadequacy and self-reflection. Additionally, the game successfully fosters empathy for a character whose primary goal is destruction, showcasing a remarkable ability to create emotional connections with unconventional entities.
- “Actually made you care about and feel concerned for the welfare of an entity whose only real goal in life is to wipe out all other life. This is actually a pretty difficult feat to achieve; it's kind of like making someone feel emotionally connected with the Tyranids or Zerg.”