Grey Goo
Out of the ashes of war, a tentative truce emerges between the Humans, Beta and the Goo—but peace doesn’t last long. Ecosystem Nine finds itself thrust into turmoil once again with the arrival of a destructive, alien life form known as the Shroud. Grey Goo is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that combines classic strategy mechanics and a balanced combat system with an emphasis on large-scale decision-making. It puts you at the center of a tactical struggle for survival—and ultimately, control of Ecosystem 9. Take on the single-player campaign to command three factions: the Humans, masters of defensive architecture; the Beta, a proud, versatile alien race; and the Goo, an enigmatic, highly mobile life form. Or compete with any of the four multiplayer factions—including the disruptive, unpredictable Shroud.
Game Discussion
Steam User 4
Great game by Petroglyph. Developers of the FANTASTIC games Star Wars:Empire at War, C&C and C&C: Red Alert, Universe at War, etc. These guys/ladies make some awesome RTS games and Grey Goo deserves your attention if you're a fan of the old school RTS genre.
Steam User 4
Not sure the point in reviewing a 9 year old game, but I think this was a solid showing for the RTS genre. It did some things poorly - unit pathing, for example, always felt poor, but honestly everything Petroglyph does feels that way.
The factions are unique and well thought out. I love their diversity and interesting uniqueness. The units themselves, however, are a little less interesting, often falling into rather uninspired unit types. Even the Goo end up just creating a bunch of basic types that you spam when you need them. The humans are the worst, I think.
One guy was shitting on the campaign. Apparently he felt like the whole premise could be avoided if everyone clearly articulated their intentions. Well, no shit. Turns out, most wars could probably be avoided if people communicated clearly. But they don't. Often. Especially if they all speak different languages and look completely different.
And it just seems shitty to invalidate a premise because the protagonists "could've" acted differently. I mean. That's the story. They didn't act differently.
But people are pretty dumb.
Ultimately, the story has other problems, the largest of which is that it was simply never finished because the devs abandoned the game after it didn't make them the next Elon Musk. But the overall story was fine otherwise, though the individual missions were often obnoxious, grindy slog-fests that involve throwing yourself against the enemy or painfully exploring the map in search of the final Goo Mother.
Either way, this is not a perfect game, but every now and then I like to turn it on and dick around with it. It's a middling showing of the genre that was, overall, enjoyable.
Unless you have something against stories that are based on fallible characters who make basic mistakes like jumping to conclusions or failing to communicate.
Steam User 5
Decent campaign, good gameplay. Unfortunately got stuck in the last part of the campaign, as I don't like how the goo faction plays.
Steam User 4
It's admirable to see a studio like this take on the big boys with such an ambitious game. It has clear influences from classic RTS games like Starcraft and Command & Conquer, which is why it caught my eye. There just aren't many games like this around these days and I do miss them. Grey Goo may scratch that itch, but it's clear that they didn't have the same budget as their inspirations. The cutscenes are impressive, but the story is only serviceable and is a little predictable (not helped by them spoiling one of the major 'twists' on the box art!). It also ends on a cliffhanger that I suspect will never be resolved! Gameplay is pretty solid, and the three races feel distinctive. Each campaign map also introduces new challenges, units and gimmicks. However, it feels like you spend a lot of time with The Goo, who - to me at least - are the least fun to actually play.
It's a nice little throwback to the heyday of the RTS, just don't expect a product that can truly compete with the classics.
Steam User 4
Everyone is complaining that there is no new game with new ideas.
Especially because this is not a new game, it had ton of new ideas.
It is such an underrated game. One needs to try each faction and understand how they are built.
Also, for the players complaining about the commands in the game, i suggest you to just look in the settings.
I like the C&C series and of course the Blizzard ones but this is something totally different.
It is a great game which I would play again and again!
Steam User 2
Beautiful cinematics, 4 different factions that besides their similaties there are key factors that make you think on how to play different. Interesting scientific references with the naming, the nerd inside me overjoyed when I heard the term "von neumann probe".
Sure their units are somehow similars within the same faction; however I do not think it is a bad thing, they follow a "style"; it is just that in the beginning is harder to recognize them. I would love to see more of the game and a campaign continuation.
Steam User 2
This game does not get enough love, but it's actually great - It has the vibe is like an old school RTS with a decent story. Definitely reccomended,