Years after its initial release, House House's award-winning debut, Untitled Goose Game, is now available on PlayStation Plus Extra, offering players a chance to revisit or discover the title that laid the groundwork for their latest cooperative hit, Big Walk. The studio's signature blend of playful design and unique character animation is on full display, making it a standout experience.
Untitled Goose Game defies easy genre classification, blending elements of stealth and puzzle-solving. Players embody a mischievous goose determined to wreak havoc on a quaint village, engaging in activities like theft and general nuisance-causing. This seemingly simple premise was a breath of fresh air in 2019, earning the game critical acclaim, including Game of the Year awards from both the DICE Awards and the Game Developers Choice Awards. It demonstrated the potential for innovative game ideas at a time when the industry felt increasingly stagnant.
Character and Animation
The game's success can be attributed to several key components, chief among them being its character animation. House House committed fully to animating the goose with a grounded yet expressive style. Even simple movements, like the goose's characteristic waggle while running, imbue the character with surprising personality. This focus on animation has carried over to Big Walk, where its characters, despite their abstract designs, exhibit a level of expressiveness comparable to more realistic figures in other games. The flailing limbs and animated mouths contribute to a sense of life and distinct behavior, representing a natural evolution from the studio's earlier work.
Sound Design and Multiplayer Evolution
Complementing the visuals is the game's exceptional sound design. Untitled Goose Game, much like Big Walk, excels in using sound to create an immersive world. Subtle audio cues, from the splat of the goose's feet on pavement to the gentle watering of a garden, contribute significantly to the environment's believability. The game's most iconic sound, the goose's honk, was instrumental in its rise to meme status, offering a devious sound effect with enough variation to feel authentic.
Furthermore, House House refined its multiplayer capabilities within Untitled Goose Game through a September 2020 update that introduced a cooperative mode. This addition allowed two players to tackle bite-sized challenges together, interspersed with moments of chaotic sandbox fun, clearly foreshadowing the cooperative nature of Big Walk. For those who did not experience this update, it serves as a perfect follow-up to playing Big Walk.
Revisiting Untitled Goose Game provides valuable insight into the design choices that elevate Big Walk, underscoring House House's consistent quality and creativity as a development studio. The game's continued availability on PlayStation Plus Extra makes it an accessible and highly recommended experience for players seeking a uniquely charming and engaging adventure.