The unique first-person shooter goblinAmerica has launched into early access, offering players a chance to embody US Presidents in a grotesque and warped version of America. The game casts players as goblin reincarnations of presidents from George Washington onwards, battling through a world seemingly constructed from "kaiju innards" and embroiled in a celestial holy war.
Presidential Failures Reimagined
Each mission tasks players with reliving a President's "worst moments," characterized by the game's description as the instant they "fell to the forces of Bedlam." The tutorial level, for instance, involves the player gunning down a mutated cherry tree, a reference to the apocryphal tale of George Washington. The narrative is delivered through a "haunted gasmask" figure that guides the player through these altered historical events.
The Abraham Lincoln level, also playable in the current build, puts players in the shoes of "Abraham Goblincoln" as he evades assassination. Your goblin wife character humorously points out John Wilkes Booth's presence, and the surrounding environment is depicted with surreal details like cars molded from pancake batter and buildings resembling snakeskin. While the early access demo may not fully showcase the high-octane, "Tribes: Ascend-esque" action seen in trailers, it does highlight the game's focus on movement mechanics such as rocket-jumping and knee-slides, rewarding player agility for uncovering secrets.
Despite its unique premise and disturbing aesthetic, which draws comparisons to titles like Cruelty Squad and Sluggish Morss: Pattern Circus, goblinAmerica is noted for occasionally feeling like "vibey pissing-around with grotesques for the sake of it." However, the developers aim to imbue the game with a clearer sense of purpose as it progresses through early access. Players can currently try the demo on Steam, with the full early access launch occurring today.