Goat Simulator 3 Review – Hilarious Multiplayer Simulation

Goat Simulator 3 is a sequel to the original Goat Simulator that was released back in 2014, and it brings many changes, which we will discuss in complete detail in our review. But don’t let the numbering confuse you. The jump from 1 directly to 3 was completely intentional on the developer’s part.

And everything that you know and love about the original game is still present here, with the added benefits of a bigger open world, multiplayer, and much more content to play around with.

Story And Setting

Goat Simulator 3 is a sandbox game that lets you experiment around with everything as a Goat. Fans of the original game know that the story isn’t something to look out for here, and it is actually the really silly and ragdoll gameplay filled with janky yet comedic sections which is the key highlight of the series.

The game is set in a vast open-world environment with unique regions that are filled with easter eggs and references. The scale of this map is actually significantly larger than its predecessor in terms of the size of its open world and the amount of content in it. So if you were worried that this would just be a rehash of the first game, then you can put your fears to rest. 

Gameplay

The gameplay is where the title shines the most, but it is not for everyone as the whole thing is purposefully janky and filled with hilarious physics for players to mess with in order to provide a multitude of comedic scenarios. You can do whatever you want as a goat and that sentence should be taken in a literal sense. From driving a car to burning people alive or flying, there is nothing that a goat can not do in the world The gameplay is just based on experimentation, and you have so many tools at your disposal that you can use to wreak havoc in the open world.

Goat Simulator 3 does not require you to learn or concentrate, it is an extremely relaxing and fun experience where you just mess around in the world. And although there are quests that you can do that give your actions a bit more purpose, the vast majority of the time the fun you create for yourself will be much more rewarding.

Exploring the world and finding hidden references while creating chaos is the best way to play the game, and that too has now been enhanced with the addition of the latest multiplayer mode that works both online and locally. The new co-op mode adds so much to the experience and makes it even more chaotic. Those who didn’t like the first game should try out the second solely for its ability to accommodate multiple different players at once.

Playing as a goat with friends can be so much fun and the game has various mini-games where you can compete against your friends as well. Destroying things and messing around with the population is even more hilarious in multiplayer. The same can be said for exploration as well, and the fact that the game doesn’t constantly crash as various goats run around on the screen causing mayhem is a really good sign.

The multiplayer is not the only highlight, as the customization options in this game are also very well done. You can change almost everything related to the appearance of your goat, and there are so many different options to choose from that you almost end up grinding in order to unlock them.

Goat Simulator 3 sets out to accomplish something different and achieves that on a wider scale than its predecessor. This might be a sappy thing to say, but the developers really put a lot of love and care into designing the open world of this game to make the gameplay entertaining for as long as possible. Because let’s be fair, there is a point where everyone will get tired of the shenanigans, but I’m certain that this time around that point will come much further into the game than the last time.

Visuals And Performance

Visually, the game is just fine and gets the job done. It’s not ugly in any sense of the word, and it is in fact next-gen and PC only, but it’s just okay looking at best. And that’s absolutely fine because most of your time here will be spent running through the environment, causing vehicular crimes and causing massive explosions. 

We also saw no major performance issues in the game for the most part, apart from a few moments where the framerate dropped a bit when the carnage on screen got really out of hand. But even then, the game still kept on chugging pretty well on our GTX 1080.

There are however some bugs and glitches that can get annoying and will probably be fixed in a future update. However, the funny spazzing out or glitching of your goat is due to the unique physics engine of the game, and it’s fully intended.

Verdict

Goat Simulator 3 is a really fun and chaotic game that is best enjoyed in co-op with a bunch of friends by your side. But it isn’t for everyone, and you have to have a high tolerance for a specific kind of juvenile humor to be able to get the most out of it.

Everyone will have a different tolerance for this type of game and the gameplay, but as far as I can tell, it is still a massive step up from its predecessor. The world is bigger and more diverse, the objectives are a bit more varied if a bit mundane, and the destruction is way more satisfying.

If nothing else, this is a damn fine game to spend a couple of hours with to blow off some steam.

This has been our Goat Simulator 3 Review. While you’re here, consider checking out some of our other articles.

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