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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. The_DPZ
    Jan 25, 2015
    10
    This is the best RTS in a very long time hands down. Asymmetrical factions, beautiful cut scenes, very well balanced and polished gameplay. A must own!
  2. ouroboros11
    Jan 25, 2015
    9
    While this genre is now often called the grandpappy of MOBAs and Tower Defense games in this day and age, I'm still an avid fan of RTSs and Grey Goo does not disappoint! It takes many of the best elements from the C&C series and incorporates some progressive new ideas of it's own!

    - Single player is incredibly well polished, with great cutscenes, although the story itself leaves    While this genre is now often called the grandpappy of MOBAs and Tower Defense games in this day and age, I'm still an avid fan of RTSs and Grey Goo does not disappoint! It takes many of the best elements from the C&C series and incorporates some progressive new ideas of it's own!

    - Single player is incredibly well polished, with great cutscenes, although the story itself leaves something to be desired.

    - The QWERTY hotkey-bar setup takes a little while to get used to but is generally much more user friendly than other RTS hotkey configurations like SC and AoE.

    - The foliage cover mechanic is a fun twist to traditional cloaking.

    - So far balancing between the three factions looks solid, but I haven't played that many multiplayer games yet so we'll have to wait and see if it still feels right after that.

    - I enjoy having the resource rate meter on the top right, like Supereme Commander and other games in that vein vs. just a straight up resource count.

    - The multiplayer games I've played with my friends so far have been action packed from the get-go. Even with 2 factions having walls, turtling doesn't seem to work as a valid strategy for too long.

    - The unit upgrades in the game are more strategic than, "This just makes my units beefier," like SC2 where you pretty much have to get some upgrades without thinking too hard about them.

    - The Goo is probably the most unique faction I have EVER played in any RTS game. It will be a lot of fun to master!

    My only major gripe with this game is that the multiplayer scene looks a little scant so far. More people who love RTSs (of which there may not be many) please buy this game so I can play with yo'll!!! :D    … Expand
  3. NoradZero
    Jan 25, 2015
    9
    I grew up too playing Red Alert and Command & Conquer. Really loved Westwood and their games in the past. Some of the mechanics of the game are simple maybe not a revolution. But the other part of them are very original. Its a very good mix between old RTS mechanics and originality. You guys have to understand that if some mechanics are not a revolution (by that i mean they look like aI grew up too playing Red Alert and Command & Conquer. Really loved Westwood and their games in the past. Some of the mechanics of the game are simple maybe not a revolution. But the other part of them are very original. Its a very good mix between old RTS mechanics and originality. You guys have to understand that if some mechanics are not a revolution (by that i mean they look like a lots like old RTS games) its simply by design. The idea was to bring back some nostalgia in the C&C RTS games genre. They really hit the point here. The campaign is really interesting so far and i really love the story concept so far. The videos are awesome and the music soundtrack really have some Westwood RTS appeal to it. This game deserve a 9 for me.… Expand
  4. dodzylla
    Jan 24, 2015
    9
    Grey goo is a very good game. Easy to learn hard to master. You don't need super great micro skills like in starcraft, but you have to learn a lot of strategy element if you want to be a good player in pvp. The campaign got a lot of cinematic, so i love that too, but my fav is multiplayer, and i think thats well balanced atm.
  5. Semos
    Jan 31, 2015
    10
    Refreshing style for the RTS genre. I realistic and fluid resource management system combined with the encouragement to expand. This is how RTS games should be designed.
  6. qizin
    Feb 3, 2015
    10
    pretty awesome. I really like this game. can't wait to see where they take it, but I love it as is. It can get really stressful, but in a great way. No real micro managing, which I like. It's not too difficult to learn, but I'm still learning more as I go. There's a lot of like, hidden features, which can really turn the tides. Not your average RTS, more like, the new standard. imho.
  7. morbandit
    Feb 5, 2015
    9
    Specifically made an account to review this game as I think it really deserves it. I'm really loving this return to the classic take on this genre. It feels so polished, and the gameplay is smooth and stress-free.

    Story is good if you're into the single player, and there's more than enough variety for multiplayer. Worth the buy.
  8. Blackbag
    Feb 3, 2015
    10
    Really enjoyed Grey Goo. It returns to base building RTS glory days. Super polished cutscenes and a difficult campaign that hearken back to when games were tough. Three well balanced factions and great UI allow the player to always be in the middle of the action.
  9. invizo
    Jan 26, 2015
    9
    Revival of the classic Westwood RTS genre. Given the development team size, the amount of content, and the polish the only thing that holds this title back is the lack of 'AAA' for the $50 price tag.

    $50 these days needs to be more than a simple 8hr campaign with skirmish and multi-play. SC2 is not my favorite game but they offer a neat aesthetic progression system for your profile    Revival of the classic Westwood RTS genre. Given the development team size, the amount of content, and the polish the only thing that holds this title back is the lack of 'AAA' for the $50 price tag.

    $50 these days needs to be more than a simple 8hr campaign with skirmish and multi-play. SC2 is not my favorite game but they offer a neat aesthetic progression system for your profile which I believe Grey Box should consider.    … Expand
  10. Bearblasting89
    Feb 1, 2015
    10
    If anyone is thinking about picking up Grey Goo, do it! It has many of the great aspects of RTS's past and present. Currently besides Blizzard games, Grey Goo represent the best this genre has to offer. A compelling story line, Interesting and varied characters, and get this...A Language barrier within the game. Ever wonder why all aliens always speak English in games today? Not in GreyIf anyone is thinking about picking up Grey Goo, do it! It has many of the great aspects of RTS's past and present. Currently besides Blizzard games, Grey Goo represent the best this genre has to offer. A compelling story line, Interesting and varied characters, and get this...A Language barrier within the game. Ever wonder why all aliens always speak English in games today? Not in Grey Goo. Small features such as the language barrier really make the game stand apart of other titles.

    This game does not require excess competitiveness from the player, nor micro second reaction times. Just a keen interest in Science Fiction, and a yearning for great game.

    All three races distinctly stand apart from each other, from resource management, base construction and even units. While there are some very minor issues with balance, they are sure to be fixed and patched. Grey Goo is a game meant to be enjoyed and savored, not a mad rush to the end to win.

    A little about me in terms of previous games I've played to make the above statements validated.

    Starcraft Series
    Warcraft Series
    Age of Empires Series
    Rise of Nations
    Stronghold Series
    Sins of a Solar Empire Series
    Black and White Series
    Dungeon Keeper Series
    Command and Conquer Series
    Supreme Commander Series
    Battle Realms
    Dune
    The Settlers Series
    Majesty Series
    Empire Earth
    Age of Mythology
    Evil Genius
    Warhammer 40k Dawn of War Series
    Anno 2070
    Planetary Annihilation    … Expand
  11. kingfrog
    Jan 26, 2015
    10
    This game man.... this flippin game... I've been waiting for a good RTS for awhile. Gameplay is solid, it's amazing! I haven't had any "crashing" problems, maybe the 1 negative reviewer should get a better computer instead of trying to play on his grandma's pc before spewing out dumbspeak.

    Cutscenes rock, super high polish... Controls for units are superb... I friggin love the GOO! I've    This game man.... this flippin game... I've been waiting for a good RTS for awhile. Gameplay is solid, it's amazing! I haven't had any "crashing" problems, maybe the 1 negative reviewer should get a better computer instead of trying to play on his grandma's pc before spewing out dumbspeak.

    Cutscenes rock, super high polish... Controls for units are superb... I friggin love the GOO! I've never seen that kind of stuff done in an RTS, or any other game, before!

    One thing that I REALLY appreciate is, there seems to be SO many "Early Access" titles out there it's sickening. Kudos to these devs for making a COMPLETE GAME! That alone is pretty refreshing.

    I highly recommend this game! Now if you excuse me.... I'm off to sink days of my life away in goo    … Expand
  12. ovoon7
    Jan 23, 2015
    10
    I grew up playing Command and Conquer, and the aesthetic of those game means a lot to me. That classic RTS formula that the Westwood team perfected that been dormant these past few years. The only game really bringing that classic RTS formula to modern PCs is Starcraft 2. Finally, a lot of veteran guys from Westwood reformed to form Grey Box and made this game. I've been stoked for itI grew up playing Command and Conquer, and the aesthetic of those game means a lot to me. That classic RTS formula that the Westwood team perfected that been dormant these past few years. The only game really bringing that classic RTS formula to modern PCs is Starcraft 2. Finally, a lot of veteran guys from Westwood reformed to form Grey Box and made this game. I've been stoked for it since I played it at PAX.

    I haven't played as the third faction yet, but I've played several matches as both humans and the goo, and can say that both factions have a very original design, keeping you thinking outside the box. The humans run on gridlines and instead of making multiple bases, they keep expanding their walls and turret influence until they control the map. Everything connects. The Goo use mobile bases and everything splits from the host Goo. The Beta seem pretty standard in terms of a vanilla race.

    The music has that same poppy flare to it that C&C had, and the OST is included, which is awesome. In short, you can really feel a solid mix of both C&C and Starcraft 2 in the game. The HUD is also very unique in that it teaches you to macro the moment you pick up the game, which is VERY nice for picking up the game quickly.    … Expand
  13. shnndr
    Feb 9, 2015
    10
    Things that are great about this game:

    1. Gorgeous graphics. 2. Goo race has some exceptional and innovative design (although the other races are very well designed as well). 3. Very importantly, this game is not an e-sport wannabe; there are no unnecessary chores: you don't build workers, there are no supply blocks; unit production can be set to automatically produce a certain unit;    Things that are great about this game:

    1. Gorgeous graphics.
    2. Goo race has some exceptional and innovative design (although the other races are very well designed as well).
    3. Very importantly, this game is not an e-sport wannabe; there are no unnecessary chores: you don't build workers, there are no supply blocks; unit production can be set to automatically produce a certain unit; this makes the game focus more towards strategy, as opposed to unnecessary actions that uselessly complicate your experience.
    4. Less frustration: units move more slowly and die slower than in other popular RTS games. There is no imba harassment to ruin the experience or overly weak defenses that promote great viewing experience to the detriment of good actual gaming experience.
    5. The music is very engaging and the cut scenes basically rival even the best cinematics out there, as they have been created by the same guys that worked on Lord of the Rings trilogy and District 9.
    6. The tone of the game is more sci-fi oriented, more serious, as opposed to cheesy, cheap and commercial (no corny love story **** in this one); it gives me the same feeling I got when watching a great Star Trek episode; it is definitely catered towards a more mature audience; and the characters are very believable and likeable.
    7. The way in which you build structures and gain access to units is quite different from other strategy games, which opens up a lot of options.

    If you want to play a good RTS when you get home in the evening, without worrying that you have to spam 200 actions per minute to stand a chance and focus on 10 repetitive activities that pointlessly complicate your gameplay or if you want to enjoy a good solid strategy game with gorgeous graphics and intriguing faction design, then this is the game you've been waiting for.    … Expand
  14. Gakolil
    Feb 15, 2015
    10
    I've not experienced any problems in this game, and I've found it polished and fun. People might think that this is a Starcraft clone (Beta = Protoss, Zerg = Goo, Terran = Human) but it plays very differently. You wouldn't really compare C&C style games to Starcraft?

    I also personally enjoyed the storyline, with great cinematics after every mission. The soundtrack by Frank Klepacki is    I've not experienced any problems in this game, and I've found it polished and fun. People might think that this is a Starcraft clone (Beta = Protoss, Zerg = Goo, Terran = Human) but it plays very differently. You wouldn't really compare C&C style games to Starcraft?

    I also personally enjoyed the storyline, with great cinematics after every mission. The soundtrack by Frank Klepacki is also very good.    … Expand
  15. Zen-Zinxe
    Feb 2, 2015
    8
    It's an unusual sight to see a new RTS these days. Starcraft 2 has basically been the only option in what some people call a dying genre.

    Grey Goo is a completely solid RTS that plays a lot differently than Starcraft. There are no unit abilities so micromanagement is limited to positioning and targeting. Basically the game shows you a unit, tells you how it attacks and what it is good    It's an unusual sight to see a new RTS these days. Starcraft 2 has basically been the only option in what some people call a dying genre.

    Grey Goo is a completely solid RTS that plays a lot differently than Starcraft. There are no unit abilities so micromanagement is limited to positioning and targeting. Basically the game shows you a unit, tells you how it attacks and what it is good for, then you get to use it and move on to the next one. Its simplicity might turn off some people, but for someone like me who loved Tiberian Sun, this was nice to see again.

    The units are fairly tame save for the epic units, each unit ties in very closely to the theme of the faction it is from, which makes a lot of the units from each faction look very similar. But they are different enough that you'll be able to tell which unit is which when you play.

    The game shines in the campaign cutscenes and story which do an awesome job of investing you in the story and making you interested. The gameplay is well polished and the graphics look great. My only real gripe is that while I was playing I felt like all the maps used the same tileset. Which coincidentally Tiberian Sun suffered from the same thing. Despite entering different biomes on the campaign map, every map felt dark and dusty.

    The only performance issues I came across were the in the menus of the game. The main menu took a while to load and the cinematic leading up to it was really choppy which made me worried, but after I got into a game and I got 60fps gameplay I don't know what to think about that.

    So it's a good game. It's somewhat simplistic, but the concept is great and the story alone is a high selling point for me. It doesn't do anything crazy but it sticks to what makes an RTS fun. It's a good polished game.    … Expand
  16. BigBossManXXXX
    Mar 11, 2015
    8
    This is a personal opinion, so i will not speak for everyone saying this is a really good game and you should get it yourself.. Having said that, it really is a solid game imo, but it's not yet perfect in any way tbh. What i do hope is that there will be further plans to expand this game into a long going franchise, such as C&C from way back in the days.. With these expansions they mightThis is a personal opinion, so i will not speak for everyone saying this is a really good game and you should get it yourself.. Having said that, it really is a solid game imo, but it's not yet perfect in any way tbh. What i do hope is that there will be further plans to expand this game into a long going franchise, such as C&C from way back in the days.. With these expansions they might also try to include more worlds, and races, and it wouldn't hurt if they could make the pace slightly faster ect. I like the game so far, but there are some things that i think they could have done better, yet they most likely will improve the game after the following months.. Also mods are most likely to implement cool new additions, and there's an editor which we all can use ourselves, if we have the know how ect.. Anyway, to conclude i would rate it 8.5/10 but because i can't give half a point, i will just make it an even *9/10. Not perfect, but i do believe things will surely be improved later on.. Well done, Petroglyph!… Expand
  17. Metachoi
    Jan 26, 2015
    10
    Goo buy it! Grey Goo is a great RTS!!!

    I've been playing RTS games since the original Warcraft, where one my fondest RTS memories was being at my friend's house for a sleepover where we linked two computers with a serial cable and played multiplayer games. We'd let our peons and peasants hack at trees all night and wake up to spend all our vast resources of gold and lumber for an epic    Goo buy it! Grey Goo is a great RTS!!!

    I've been playing RTS games since the original Warcraft, where one my fondest RTS memories was being at my friend's house for a sleepover where we linked two computers with a serial cable and played multiplayer games. We'd let our peons and peasants hack at trees all night and wake up to spend all our vast resources of gold and lumber for an epic battle.

    So whether you are a long time fan of the genre, or are new to it, add this gem to the collection! There is something about great RTS battles that you take with you for life. So goo get it! Oh, and Grey Goo actually has LAN support so you can go have a sleepover, LAN it up and RTS on!    … Expand
  18. insomniac1257
    Jan 27, 2015
    10
    Finally, a great RTS. I'm an avid gamer of all genres... but could never get really deep into an RTS recently simply because you need ridiculous APM to be competitive. Do I want to spawn larva? Yes. Just auto-cast the stupid thing. This game isn't a click fest. It's a strategy game.

    I've played a significant amount of multiplayer and must say the factions play very, very    Finally, a great RTS. I'm an avid gamer of all genres... but could never get really deep into an RTS recently simply because you need ridiculous APM to be competitive. Do I want to spawn larva? Yes. Just auto-cast the stupid thing. This game isn't a click fest. It's a strategy game.

    I've played a significant amount of multiplayer and must say the factions play very, very different. I suspect the ones that see any similarities only played for a few minutes.

    There is no "golden build" and every game can be different. Many different viable strategies with super units coming into play sometimes. Every game is fun and different.

    There are of course a few rough edges (I want observers personally) but I'm confident in the developer.    … Expand
  19. GunnerFire
    Jan 26, 2015
    10
    the game look good, maybe its will be kind of RTS rebirth, i know in past years i play most of my time RTS, gery goo come from nowhere and bring high quality, hope its will succedd.
  20. micic00
    Feb 18, 2015
    9
    Disregard my last review I mixed games. And because this site's million inadequacies, I can't change or delete my previous review but have to write another one. I don't know anything about this game.
  21. rahnkavall
    Jan 26, 2015
    10
    pretty awesome. I really like this game. can't wait to see where they take it, but I love it as is. It can get really stressful, but in a great way. No real micro managing, which I like. It's not too difficult to learn, but I'm still learning more as I go. There's a lot of like, hidden features, which can really turn the tides. Not your average RTS, more like, the new standard. imho.
  22. Vamrem
    Jun 3, 2015
    10
    A perfect RTS! Very similar to Starcraft with some differences, Starcraft is a sportgame (competitions), is about spamming units as soon as possible running against the clock while Grey Goo is designed "to be played", you can take more time to build an army and attack when you feel ready. The game is well designed, balanced factions, immersive cut scenes and beautiful environments. InA perfect RTS! Very similar to Starcraft with some differences, Starcraft is a sportgame (competitions), is about spamming units as soon as possible running against the clock while Grey Goo is designed "to be played", you can take more time to build an army and attack when you feel ready. The game is well designed, balanced factions, immersive cut scenes and beautiful environments. In synthesis: if you like Starcraft, Dawn of War, or Universe at War, you will love Grey Goo.… Expand
  23. SH1
    Jun 19, 2016
    8
    This was fun to play and had decent graphics. It is refreshing to see a good non-Blizzard RTS with a proper story line and a sane price. I really liked the characters in the game, even though they had very limited screen time.

    My only problem with it is that there seems to be something missing: After mission 16 it just ends. I guess they expect you to play the multiplayer after that,    This was fun to play and had decent graphics. It is refreshing to see a good non-Blizzard RTS with a proper story line and a sane price. I really liked the characters in the game, even though they had very limited screen time.

    My only problem with it is that there seems to be something missing: After mission 16 it just ends. I guess they expect you to play the multiplayer after that, but this doesn't work for me seeing that I usually only play single player campaigns in games. Imho it should have stopped after mission 15.    … Expand
  24. destinyfan1
    May 13, 2017
    8
    fantastic game, there are not many rts games that keep you up for months
    Greyth work grey box !!!!!!
    positive + actually strategy needed to win + great campaign (but could have been way better) + cover mechanic is great + decent graphics + great factions and units negative - brings almost nothing new to the genre - average story - sometimes to easy conclusion: grey goo is a    fantastic game, there are not many rts games that keep you up for months
    Greyth work grey box !!!!!!
    positive
    + actually strategy needed to win
    + great campaign (but could have been way better)
    + cover mechanic is great
    + decent graphics
    + great factions and units
    negative
    - brings almost nothing new to the genre
    - average story
    - sometimes to easy
    conclusion:
    grey goo is a great try to get people back to the genre , but if it doesn't do anything new it is not gonna bring most of rts fans back for months. But for me someone who played rts games since he was a child must admit the game is still great and made me think of those good old rts days    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
See all critic reviews »