Mighty Goose

2 levels in and I can already tell this game is well worth the purchase, and when it comes to platformers, I am not easily amused.
This can be described as a mix of a story-heavy Megaman X level design with Metal Slug's run-and-gun, weapons, and vehicle mechanics, good cutscenes, and great music.
The game has left an amazing initial impression, and I think this game should be in the tens of thousands of reviews by now. It's a pity how niche it is.
If the devs still read reviews, my only criticism is the lack of an accessibility option to make the smoke and debris fire effects translucent. There is a lot of them, and all this thick smoke everywhere makes things confusing sometimes.

Initially I had some issues with this game to the point I refunded it and left a bad review. But after doing some reading, changing some things and "getting gud" decided to give it another shot and it went well.
Now, here what the newcomer should know off the bat, but is not mentioned:
- In the settings you can turn off the excessive visual effects
- Basically all projectiles can be destroyed by shooting
- If you have enough money, then at any point during a run you can request any type of weapon or vehicle to be delivered
And keep in mind dodging allows you to completely bypass damage and attacks.
Now onto the game itself.
In terms of style and presentation its pretty great. Graphics may feel a bit too pixelated and the soundtrack a bit limited and repetitive, but they are still nice.
The story, while comical, is somewhat too simple. Youre a mercenary goose fighting bad guys. It doesnt really do much with narrative or character progression and I feel its a wasted opportunity, but all in all its fine.
In terms of gameplay this is pretty much a Metal Slug clone. You have a standard weapon, but can collect different ones during a mission, as well as use different vehicles. You have a health bar and can refill it with health packs. Most stages have bosses. While going through the campaign you unlock various upgrades, special skills, companions.
You also get a ranking for each level.
Sounds fine, but is undermined by the following:
- The screen close up doesnt leave much space for intricate level design, which makes many encounters feel identical.
- The camera is often free flowing when you traverse, but locked onto segments when youre in combat. You can sometimes navigate these segments during combat, but it feels disjointed.
- Level design sometimes has some nice ideas, but often feels overly simple.
- There can be a lot of visual clutter on screen to the point you are not sure where you are or whats going on, thats why its advisable to turn all extras off.
- Movement can sometimes feel stiff and cumbersome, especially when using vehicles.
- Balancing can feel very wonky, especially with the scorpion car boss. Drops, especially for health, can be very random.
- And a host of other small nit picks.
Also, if you dont mess around too much you can beat the campaign in 3 hours. Then its just new game plus after that and improving your ranking on each level.
The highlight of the game is its style, the story is almost placeholder and the gameplay isnt very long, refined or deep, but ultimately still satisfying.
6.5/10

unapologetically short
5h to 100% the game
still theres good work here so i wont give it thumbs down

Picked this up as heard about it from a friend of mine, thought it looked fun and man was I not disappointed.

Imagine if you will, Metal Slug mixed with Untitled Goose Game. Now I know that you will laugh at that prospect but honestly this game is basically that, ever wondered what would happen if you gave guns to a goose and told it to save the universe? This game answers that question.

In terms of level design, this game is short (Even shorter if you speedrun it) and honestly you'll burn through it in a few hours. This isn't a bad thing though as there is a additional world you can unlock on your journey however be prepared as the game difficulty does ramp up.

There are different powerups you can activate on your travels as well as different companions that can fight by your side, having a mess around with them and seeing what works for you is always a good idea and gives you a good idea as to who to have fighting alongside you in those crucial moments. Learning this game shouldn't take too much effort even for someone such as myself who focuses on racing games over shooting games like this I found it to be relatively easy to pickup and play.

The destruction in this game and flashes may stun some people but luckily this is something you can deactivate in the settings, which brings me nicely onto my next point: The settings of the game - KEEP AUTO FIRE SWITCHED ON!
The settings do allow anyone to play this game, there is no difficulty option so this is very much a trial and error game but fun nonetheless.

Co-op is a thing on this game however I haven't gave it a try so can't say much on that front but if you wanted to cause chaos with a friend then definitely do so :D

Closing thoughts:
Great game, short but very satisfying with its destruction and animations. Great handling of the main character and interesting plot although with the game being as short as it is you could easily miss it. Would recommend :)

Saw a video of this game on Twitter that one of the devs posted (Hi RIchard Lems!). I have been looking for a Metal Slug like game, and this is THE game I was looking for. Great gameplay, art, and music. Must play for Metal Slug fans.

Fun and short, loved it. Only thing is that I don't get why is there a co-op mode, the second player can't do much. Other than that it's pretty good

Incredibly well-made Metal Slug clone. Killer soundtrack, crisp animations, and a surprising amount of character customization between stages.
I like how one of the first companions you unlock gives you unlimited HEAVY MACHINE GUN use.