Grey Goo

 PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 214 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 127 out of 214
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 214
  3. Negative: 31 out of 214

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  1. SherlockHolmess
    Feb 15, 2015
    6
    It is good to see another game in the RTS genre. And Grey Goo is not bad at all. It has the feeling of a Command and Conquer. But somehow it lacks on micro possibilites which makes it kinda boring to play. Also i find most units and skirmishes very boring which is the biggest issue of the game.
    I miss those "cool" units that makes SC or RA such great games.
    The graphics are acceptable    It is good to see another game in the RTS genre. And Grey Goo is not bad at all. It has the feeling of a Command and Conquer. But somehow it lacks on micro possibilites which makes it kinda boring to play. Also i find most units and skirmishes very boring which is the biggest issue of the game.
    I miss those "cool" units that makes SC or RA such great games.
    The graphics are acceptable and the music is good. The Unit samples are not that dull, they are also good,
    Well i would not prefer it over SC2 nor RA3, still it is bad and i hope to see some improvements in the future.    … Expand
  2. Thrillseeker
    Feb 3, 2015
    6
    I'm really struggling with scoring this game. It has much goodness in it. Thing is, it also has some not-so-nice stuff. But, first things first.

    It is absolutely beautiful overall - cutscenes, menus, gameplay, hell even loading screens. Gorgeous design, fresh looking units and abundance of little touches that You don't notice at first glance. Units design is also top notch, they have    I'm really struggling with scoring this game. It has much goodness in it. Thing is, it also has some not-so-nice stuff. But, first things first.

    It is absolutely beautiful overall - cutscenes, menus, gameplay, hell even loading screens. Gorgeous design, fresh looking units and abundance of little touches that You don't notice at first glance. Units design is also top notch, they have plenty of little details and animations to catch Your eye. It's a joy to look at - but with this come rather big system requirements. Even powerful PCs will struggle in big battles with close-to-maximum unit counts. Choppy framerate in the heat of battle spoils the fun somewhat.
    That being said, if You can run it at higher details it's an absolute feast for the eyes, it really is.

    Sound, unsurprisingly, is pretty much flawless. Music is a matter of taste i guess but i would say it fits the look and feel quite brilliantly and some of the tunes, especially menus, are seriously fantastic. Sounds are similarly exceptional - perhaps some people will miss loud, bassy thumping of cannons and artillery - but again, like music, it fits theme of the game rather well. Add to that superb voice acting and ui sounds and You get the idea. I was trying to think of one bad thing about it and i just can't.

    Now, for gameplay. This is a big problem because it isn't bad... at first glance. The factions are REALLY different from one another, they feel unique and each has its own character. But here also problems start. There is not enough unit variety and specialization. Easy way to win is to spam best units and steamroll the enemy. You don't need any tactics at all. There are other issues - humans are a little bit screwed with their base design (buildings connected to the main hub by rather delicate conduits) - it's far too easy to rush in and destroy their power conduits leaving the whole base defenseless and without any production capability. It's fine in singleplayer but in MP it becomes a fairly big issue.
    There are also smaller annoyances - like the fact that air units are mostly useless, repairing buildings can be beyond frustrating (having to click every damn damaged building, gets worse if choppy framerate shows its annoying face), production queues are too small so You can't ever focus entirely on battle.

    Resource collecting is interestingly done and i for one like it, it's simple and doesn't add another headache to already click-intensive (or hotkey-intensive) game. Research is very limited but i do like the way each branch (out of 5) can only have 1 out of 3 boosts, it makes You pause and think what You need - even if for a few games before You find the best combination and stick with that.

    Single player campaign is far too short for a strategy game, good RTS player will most likely do the whole thing in around 10 hours or so on hard difficulty, depending on playstyle. Multiplayer is a fun for a little bit but it quickly becomes tedious and a tad boring due to lack of units variety or any tactical options.

    This is why i'm struggling with Grey Goo. I really want to like this game. The looks and sounds are absolutely beautiful, it's genuinely fresh with its approach to each factions playstyle. However - it lacks depth in gameplay department. It's just too simple, too shallow. It's far too easy to spam one powerful unit, back it up with mobile artillery and attack-move the whole map without much effort. It doesn't challenge You, and for me this is a big problem. It's a fun game for a week at most, and then you'll get bored of its over-simplification.

    Overall, i recommend a little bit of caution when considering purchase. If You get it on steam sale or via humble bundle - yes, by all means. There is a fair bit to enjoy for a little while. But full price ? I think not, sadly. It doesn't have that magic, that elusive 'something' that keeps You playing after You've finished it once or twice.    … Expand
  3. nilsy
    Mar 19, 2015
    6
    Wanted to like the game as ive always found starcraft2 too fastpaced.
    Its not a horrible bad game but the controls are to me unappealing.
    Didnt give me that finished polished feel but rather we ran out of money or they forced us to release the game before we wanted to. Ironically it was the micro that made me stop playing the game felt to often like my whole army just disappeared    Wanted to like the game as ive always found starcraft2 too fastpaced.
    Its not a horrible bad game but the controls are to me unappealing.
    Didnt give me that finished polished feel but rather we ran out of money or they forced us to release the game before we wanted to.

    Ironically it was the micro that made me stop playing the game felt to often like my whole army just disappeared since they had a single artillery unit i wasn't ready for that is fair enough but the counter often required to much micro and the game didn't feel setup for me to do that fine set of group movement so even when i had the response i still got wiped out since i didn't micro well enough.    … Expand
  4. Sjalka
    Jan 24, 2015
    6
    Grey Goo looks good and plays like a classic RTS. The gameplay itself is not too frantic - with fairly slow units - there is time to formulate tactics and exploit the enemies weaknesses rather than to try to find the most efficient order of clicks.

    The research and upgrade system is fairly limited though - as is the resource management - which seems to be a mix between resource concept    Grey Goo looks good and plays like a classic RTS. The gameplay itself is not too frantic - with fairly slow units - there is time to formulate tactics and exploit the enemies weaknesses rather than to try to find the most efficient order of clicks.

    The research and upgrade system is fairly limited though - as is the resource management - which seems to be a mix between resource concept of Total Annihilation/Supreme Commander and the more classic RTS with finite resources - forcing the player to expand or stagnate/loose in time.

    Sadly though i feel like - while very solid and well done - it does not deliver more than some of the much older RTS games. - both in looks and feel.

    The three factions are different - but mostly in terms of base expansion. The Goo seems to be similar to the factions in Perimeter, the Beta are similar to the LC in Earth 2150 - building hubs and expansions, while the humans are similar to the EC in Earth 2150 - expanding their central hub.

    The units themselves felt very similar with the usual selection of direct damage, artillery, anti-air and air units.

    Especially the units felt very limited - with "only" 11 or 12 units and an epic unit - each unit might have a more defined role than some games with a huge number of units - but i think they went a bit too far there.

    Personally - i prefer Supreme Commander for its scale and tactics on long range engagements and unit selection or C&C Generals for its diverse units and smaller scale tactics.

    With that said - it is sad that those old games kind of outshine Grey Goo - which is a very solid title - but not more to me than average.    … Expand
  5. OoohShiny
    Jan 26, 2015
    7
    I played it, and it was okay. It really is the very core of a RTS - simple unit design, simple ressource gathering, a little bit on the slow side in unit movement, but when 30 units die by 1 attack the fight can be over fairly quick.
    Thats why this game gets 7 points - it is only a little bit more of the very standard RTS, really nothing out of the ordinary. It takes a little bit from    I played it, and it was okay. It really is the very core of a RTS - simple unit design, simple ressource gathering, a little bit on the slow side in unit movement, but when 30 units die by 1 attack the fight can be over fairly quick.
    Thats why this game gets 7 points - it is only a little bit more of the very standard RTS, really nothing out of the ordinary. It takes a little bit from this RTS, a little bit of that RTS, but nothing new or exciting.
    But the game feels good, the cutscenes are nice, there are rarely breaks in the ongoing battle.
    It is a solid RTS i can recommend, but nothing new or especially well done.    … Expand
  6. Ryzoft_Stipe
    Jan 26, 2015
    7
    Classic, but for some reason, doesn't satisfy me. I thought it will be a bit more than completely bland with some good features but not enough. Overall, good game.
  7. Tubey
    Feb 16, 2015
    7
    It's not bad. It just happens to not be fantastic either.

    You can see the passion of the development throughout for the genre as a whole, but after a few hours of gameplay I was left yearning for a bit of innovation, rather than see the same old ideas rehashed. I'll give massive credit for the hotkeying system on the fly, which is a nice touch, but the factions are hit and miss and    It's not bad. It just happens to not be fantastic either.

    You can see the passion of the development throughout for the genre as a whole, but after a few hours of gameplay I was left yearning for a bit of innovation, rather than see the same old ideas rehashed.

    I'll give massive credit for the hotkeying system on the fly, which is a nice touch, but the factions are hit and miss and have a very bog-standard story and overall execution. Graphically it's kept things safe by going for a dark, menacing colour scheme, but as such fails to impose a real identity of it's own when compared to games from the past such as Starcraft and C&C.

    And it's the past that this game makes me hark back to again and again, as all it does is make me fondly reminisce about other great titles, rather than get excited about this one in its own right.

    You won't regret buying Grey Goo. There's nothing wrong with it at all, and compared to most RTS games released in the past decade this stands on its own two legs as a worthwhile purchase, but... just don't expect miracles with it.    … Expand
  8. skyr2015
    Jan 30, 2015
    6
    This is my first review here on metacritic.
    I had to come here because this game is getting weird reviews that don't completely correspond to reality.
    So here's a reality check. This game is nowhere near any RTS from Blizzard as some might think by reading some supposedly qualified review. - The units are not interesting - lack of flavor, character and even individuality. - The    This is my first review here on metacritic.
    I had to come here because this game is getting weird reviews that don't completely correspond to reality.
    So here's a reality check.
    This game is nowhere near any RTS from Blizzard as some might think by reading some supposedly qualified review.
    - The units are not interesting - lack of flavor, character and even individuality.
    - The animations are boring - it feels as if you are moving a set of pixels from one place on your monitor to another, shooting blocks that will decrease a bar on your enemie's set of pixels. I know this is exactly what happens in every game, but here it's how it feels.
    - Controls are clunky - I guess you have to try it to understand what I mean.
    - There are huge balance problems.

    Bottom line: I would prefer to repeat Warcraft 3 or the whole 2 campaigns of SC2 than to play this game.
    I'm not a Blizzard fan boy. This game is just absolutely inferior. So inferior that even SC1 does some things better than this game, like the unit individuality for example.
    I know i'm comparing masterpieces with attempts at something, but I have to be honest.

    Why I give it a 6 and not a 0:
    - Good voice acting (albeit repetitive during gameplay, and not on a funny interesting way as in other RTS)
    - Decent cutscenes
    - Interesting race - goo. Unfortunately they don't play as fun as they sound.
    - New lore - I guess it is refreshing to see something new. And I think that's why so many nice reviews are coming. People want something new and they reinforce others to create new RTS by giving decent reviews.
    - Nice graphics. Yes this game is sharp, but that doesn't mean it's beautiful or interesting. It will push your hardware, and that can be satisfying for some. As I said, I would prefer to play an older looking game with more flavor.

    Beware, this game is not worth 50€ and it's not something you can patch. It might have content, but it's nonetheless lacking the feeling that make great games shine.
    You have been warned.    … Expand
  9. SE-Apocalypse
    Feb 2, 2015
    6
    Asymmetrical factions, beautiful cut scenes, polished gameplay, decent mechanics, a unique approach for the storyline. So much potential.

    Wasted. Frustrating mission design, poor scripting, telegraphed storyline which always tells you what happens in the next 3 missions in advance because it so obvious. Bugs and issues with region locks and match making. No replays or observer mode    Asymmetrical factions, beautiful cut scenes, polished gameplay, decent mechanics, a unique approach for the storyline. So much potential.

    Wasted.
    Frustrating mission design, poor scripting, telegraphed storyline which always tells you what happens in the next 3 missions in advance because it so obvious. Bugs and issues with region locks and match making. No replays or observer mode either. It really a game in westwood tradition with all the problems their products had and much less of the charm of their CnC series. And when I say frustrating mission design I mean it. Step over the wrong invisible line with a scout unit and experience the wrath of gigantic forces teleported right into attack positions. If you are lucky you will not run into those triggers, but it seems like most players are not lucky and simply have to learn those triggers by try and error. Not really enjoyable to constantly reloading because of those issues. My tip: Save a lot, even when you feel like your dominating.

    Still if you like RTS games you should still get it, but if you are new to the genre grab some of the old classics like Supreme Commander 1 and its stand-alone expansions Forged Alliance or the Starcraft Series. You will enjoy those quite a lot more.

    To be honest the last few missions of grey goo were a torture for me and the most unfun gaming experience I ever had in a game.    … Expand
  10. mijxero
    May 13, 2016
    5
    This game is a rather solid RTS game. I thought all the factions were interesting and had good units to work with. The goo faction, being incredibly original and unique suffers from poor controls and lack of a "select all army units" button. You are forced to micro-manage a lot of things and if you miss some of them you will needlessly lose units. The story is pretty great and then itThis game is a rather solid RTS game. I thought all the factions were interesting and had good units to work with. The goo faction, being incredibly original and unique suffers from poor controls and lack of a "select all army units" button. You are forced to micro-manage a lot of things and if you miss some of them you will needlessly lose units. The story is pretty great and then it just stops. I mean you can't spend an entire game leading into a fearsome foe and then stop when it shows up. If it has a sequel I would get it, but if it doesn't it will suffer as a game that just lead up to nothing. If the ending and controls weren't so bad this would have reached a 7 or 8.… Expand
  11. Frozenbyte
    Jan 26, 2015
    5
    Game is fine, but I rly can't see anything that outshines Starcraft. On the contrary graphics seem to be kind of clunky and sharp (maybe just for me, but starcraft feel much better).
  12. blade01
    Feb 26, 2015
    5
    I dont understand why this game gets so much praise from everyone.I think it is because of the fact that RTS as a genre is pretty much dead.Youll get 1-2 maybe 3 good games a year if you ignore Blizzards SC franchise.For my review i will only talk about the SP part because im not interested in MP and if im interested in a game then it have to be better than "Grey Goo".

    -Visuals:Mixed    I dont understand why this game gets so much praise from everyone.I think it is because of the fact that RTS as a genre is pretty much dead.Youll get 1-2 maybe 3 good games a year if you ignore Blizzards SC franchise.For my review i will only talk about the SP part because im not interested in MP and if im interested in a game then it have to be better than "Grey Goo".

    -Visuals:Mixed bag i think.The CGIs are amazing!!!They are on par with Blizzards CGIs, maybe better.During the mission briefing the aliens look so damn real, great work.The in-game visuals are ok, not great.If you think this is great think about what is possible in the modern time of PC gaming.This looks great to many people because like i said:RTS is pretty much dead and even if there is a good game it will not look like a AAA title.SC for example looks good because of the artstyle, the engine itself is out of date if you consider what is possible.And here is my problem with grey goo:I dont like the art style.I dont like how the units look in game, i dont like how the maps look.Thats personal preference of course.The UI is ok, after some minutes youll find everything quickly.

    -Sound:Music?Is there music?If so i missed it.From that perspective not really great.Think about C+C.You know many themes from the C+C today if you plyayed some games from the franchise.In grey goo i didnt even remeber now.Voiceacting is ok.I watched some videos on YT with the english voiceover, its ok.The german voiceover is not that great(i played with german voiceover).I miss sounds from the enviroment that suckz me into the world of Grey goo.Not really great work, im sorry.

    -Gameplay:As many here stated Grey Goo trys to return to the roots of the RTS genre.Basebuilding is simliar to C+C back then.But they limit it with the way the factions build the buildings.I dont like that.The Beta for example build some kind of hubs and you need to dock smaller buildings on the hubs, much like the Terrans in SC do it with some buildings.There are some balanceissus i think with defenseve buildings.The Units die very quickly and you need to build things constantly.This is like old school RTS, C+C style.The AI trys to rush you.I didnt liked it back in the times and i certanily didnt like it now.Its unreative and boring as hell.I have to fight my way through a boring map with some **** secondary objectives that gives me a very slight advantage, but no real story or drama.THats a problem for me in the game, i dont care about anything.The units die too quckly, there is no XP progression or something that keeps the gameplay fresh and interesting.It comes down to "pump out units, secure you base, move, and do the same again".This is basicly Command and Conquer with a modern engine.Im sorry, we are in 2015!!!I want more then that!Unit progression maybe or something i can do between missions.Chosse different paths in a missiontree that have consequences.Nothing of that is in the game.There are not many units in the game and nothing fancy too i think.When i say that i think about chronotanks from C+C or units that warp around the map like some SC units.

    Conclusion:Like i said, i dont understand why the game gets so much thumps up.Its ok if you want that old school gameplay, if not dont buy this game.I had no technical issues, which is good, maybe the loadingtimes are too long, thats it.For me that game is a solid 5 because of that which makes it an "okayisch" game.I would recommend this so C+C but not to gamers that like micro management heavy games or games with a lot of depth.    … Expand
  13. Laer
    Mar 14, 2017
    5
    Un juego de estrategia en tiempo real bastante solido, que, a pesar de no destacar en nada, hace bien su trabajo.

    Antes de nada, decir que esta critica solo va dirigida al modo campaña, ya que soy uno de esos raros que compra estos juegos por la historia. Esta entrega planta una semilla, que sin ser muy original (me ha recordado muchísimo a SC), deja un solido camino para posibles    Un juego de estrategia en tiempo real bastante solido, que, a pesar de no destacar en nada, hace bien su trabajo.

    Antes de nada, decir que esta critica solo va dirigida al modo campaña, ya que soy uno de esos raros que compra estos juegos por la historia.

    Esta entrega planta una semilla, que sin ser muy original (me ha recordado muchísimo a SC), deja un solido camino para posibles secuelas. Sin desvelar gran cosa de la historia, he de decir que me esperaba una presentación algo más potente, se llega a conocer muy poco de cada raza. Parece que, más que contar algo, coge un acontecimiento y corta de una manera muy brusca entre dos puntos sin ningún sentido. Puede ser, por otra parte, que sea porque ha pesar de poder contar algo interesante, me ha parecido que la tratan más como un tutorial para aprender a manejar cada raza.

    En cuanto a la variedad, aunque hay muchísima diferencia entre los GOO y las especies "Humanoides" (porque, no nos engañemos, los Beta tienen de alienigena lo que yo de multimillonario), pero entre los Humanos y los Beta, los cambios son tan ligeros que se pueden contar con los dedos de una mano. Eso si, el plato fuerte, los GOO, son deliciosamente curiosos, pero me hubiera gustado algo mas de dificultad a la hora de manejarlos, he incluso, algún cambio mas bruto a la hora de conseguir recursos con ellos. Ademas, me parecen pocas especies para las posibilidades que tienen, ¡pueden crear infinidad de criaturas de distinta índole, maldita sea!

    Técnicamente es espectacular, sus cinemáticas están muy logradas, los gráficos son magníficos, y a pesar de tener muchas unidades en pantalla, no he notado tirones de FPS.

    No es una obra maestra, pero tampoco es un mal juego, y dentro de un genero donde tenemos suerte si sale un juego de este estilo cada año, y donde el rey lleva tanto tiempo sin ser destronado (por falta de competencia), se agradecen nuevos títulos.

    Recomendado para amantes del genero.    … Expand
  14. Muramas
    Oct 16, 2015
    6
    I wanted this game to be good but the gameplay is just lackluster. It felt like a prototype for warhammer pc game.
    They throw you in and don't really explain much. I spent 4 levels before I figured out how to setup a base right for the beta.
    Most of the units are similar I find. The humans all have super slow units, the good are also super slow and spend most of the game playing hide    I wanted this game to be good but the gameplay is just lackluster. It felt like a prototype for warhammer pc game.
    They throw you in and don't really explain much. I spent 4 levels before I figured out how to setup a base right for the beta.

    Most of the units are similar I find. The humans all have super slow units, the good are also super slow and spend most of the game playing hide and go seek while you build your powerful unit that can't attack in front of itself and is weaker than the other units. The beta seem to be the only race with a proper kit, they have fast units, good rounded hp and can attack and move at the same time.

    It just felt unpolished and more aggravating than fun.    … Expand
  15. ThecriticGoD
    Mar 24, 2016
    6
    Average game. Definetely not an alternative to Starcraft II as some people thought it would be before it came out. The races are interesting and very different from each other, and the no-worker system and how the buildings and production work seem very well thought and interesting. However, the game is too slow-paced, too monotone and the fights are way too chaotic and ephemeral. Also,Average game. Definetely not an alternative to Starcraft II as some people thought it would be before it came out. The races are interesting and very different from each other, and the no-worker system and how the buildings and production work seem very well thought and interesting. However, the game is too slow-paced, too monotone and the fights are way too chaotic and ephemeral. Also, campaign is really, really boring, both because the storyline is meh and because missions take 30 minutes for just 1 minute of storyline developement.… Expand
  16. Bloodnes
    Feb 5, 2021
    5
    Есть стар крафт, зачем придумали эту игру не понял, этакий клон детища от близов на минималках. 5/10

Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Best PC Game of 2015
59
#59 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 45
  3. Negative: 1 out of 45
  1. COGconnected
    Jul 16, 2015
    80
    Anyone who is a fan of this type of game will surely enjoy this, and the online play and DLC components it makes it even better.
    Read full review
  2. ZTGD
    Jul 16, 2015
    75
    Grey Goo, if you’ll excuse the pun, oozes originality. It’s a refreshing take on a classic style of real-time strategy gaming.
    Read full review
  3. IGN Spain
    Jun 30, 2015
    75
    Grey Goo can be considered the sleeper of the year (strategy game). It is a good game overall, taking classic elements and adapting to changing times, but rather lacking in depth.
    Read full review
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