Goats are particularly popular in video games right now… After the unimpeachable and hilarious Goat Simulator, now is the turn of the FPS: Goat Of Duty developed by 34BigThings and Raiser Games, this new shooter was released on July 10 in early access on Steam.
The gameplay here is hanging together perfectly. Fast, nervous and challenging, it is inspired more by Quake and Unreal Tournament than by Call of Duty. The indie game will be launched out of Steam Early Access on January 16th, 2020.
Fast-paced multiplayer PC shooter with goats
With its seemingly nervous gameplay and destructive arsenal, this shooter seems to be getting closer to a good old Quake. 2 to 10 goats, equipped with robotic arms to use heavy weapons (Ripper, Blaster, Grenade Launcher, Piercer, Fus Ro Bleat, Roaster, Light Gun), and fight each other to determine which one deserves to “bleat” and rule the game.
At launch, Goat Of Duty featured several game modes, including a free classic multiplayer for all, a team Deathmatch and two other original creations. Future Farm, Mountain in Space, Desert of Lambs, Medieval Village, Horror Well and Space Station…. the zany side of the game is also extended to the 6 available maps, each with its own style. Add to that a personalization tool that allows you to customize your goat with multiple skins “Goatstumes” and other crazy emotes.
4 game modes (5 including the practice mode)
Free-for-all: no rules during this match where the goal is just to kill the maximum of enemy goats, avoiding dying of course. To win, you must be the last goat standing.
Herd Wars: A Team Deathmatch where once again the goal is to kill as many enemies as possible while defending members of your own team.
Gun Deathmatch: each goat starts with a rocket launcher and then the weapon automatically changes right after every two kills.
Fus Ro Arena: This exclusive mode takes place in special arenas in which goats are equipped with a special weapon that repels the opponent with its shockwaves. The goal is to knock the opponents out of the map limits or push them against electrical or barbed fences.
More about the gameplay
During the game, the goats move very fast and jump very high, offering a frantic general pace. The players gallop everywhere and leap from one place to another, creating a crazy but happy mess. It’s not always easy to keep up, but that’s the stated goal: the goal is to come up with something fun, without the need for elaborate strategies or learning to master different classes. Everyone is equal on the field, only talent counts… and a little bit of luck too! In addition, the more you kill your opponents; the more you earn experience and level up to unlock new skins and appearances. Also, you can dance like a goat and troll your enemies when you kill them.
The graphics are globally good and the sound effects are fun. The gameplay is great with destructive shots and a varied arsenal with good overall accuracy. The maps of the three classic modes are well balanced, designed to offer enough hiding places, boosts, healing items and weapons scattered everywhere. The maps of the Fus Ro Arena are specific and deadly: composed of different air platforms, the slightest mistake is fatal. Especially since spiky and barbed cubes or electrified fences are dispatched everywhere to kill the nearby goats.
The ultimate gimmick in Goat Of Duty is the ability to personalize your goat with many cosmetic items like outfits, hats and a wide choice of over 250 bleats to drive your opponents crazy.
What’s really funny about this game?
Being able to bleat at will, which is certainly not very useful but funny; also the fact of being able to carry out a charge “a head-butt” so that you make enemies lose their life points and throw them backwards, which can be very fatal to them sometimes; in addition, you can even fake your death, which seems ironic, but quite useful; you can trick and fool the enemy by playing dead and attacking him from behind or dragging your inanimate dead body on the floor and move it slowly to a health drop. Very ironic!
After killing the enemy goats, their organs burst and the blood spurts, this may seem violent, but it is the optimal moment to troll your opponents and dance near their dead bodies.
An explosive, funny and challenging FPS but it lacks some key elements
This indie game is a multiplayer shooter that is loved and played by many people regardless of their age. However, unlike some other FPS, Goat Of Duty does not offer any single mode. With a goat as the main character, there was however enough material to add a small and delirious campaign. In the absence of such a mode, you can still rely on bots in the practice mode to train in solo mode.
Know that the goats are actually equipped with a harness on which is mounted the weapon they use. On the screen, we see both the head of the goat and the weapon on his shoulder. This configuration prohibits any manual reloading of weapons, which slightly decreases the “tactical” aspect of the battles.
Critics and reviews
Most of the players who have tried Goat Of Duty said that the game is a parody of the famous Call of Duty license and even other current FPS games. However, no one can deny that this indie is fun and exciting, especially when played with friends and family members. And despite it lacks content, the game offers innovative game modes like Fus Ro Arena, which is very explosive and challenging. In addition, the crazy and the fast-paced aspect of the game is what matters the most.
However, even if they have the desire to offer qualitative content, developers say there is no headway in their title, the goal is to have fun: “OK, look, we admit it,” they write. “There’s no lore here. You are a goat. You’re armed to the teeth (well, the horns). There are other goats out there who want to kill you. It’s as simple as that.”
Goat of Duty was released in early access on Steam last July and it does not seem to have managed to interest the players. After a peak at 135 at the time of its release, the number of all players connected each day has not stopped falling since. However, this does not seem to affect developers who have just published an article revealing a release date for the game as well as the roadmap planned by then. Goat of Duty will be released on January 16, 2020 on Steam at 14.99€/$ and will receive in the meantime, two updates bringing private matches, a domination mode and a new map.
Goat of Duty is not perfect, but keep in mind that it is available in early access. Its sales (6.99 € during the early access period) don’t mean that the game is over; the only First Goat Shooter in the world has plenty of time to improve and become even more interesting. Developers are planning to add new maps, new game modes, skins, and even new weapons over the next quarter. So, until then, join the herd and become the goat of the goats! And if you want more Shooter Indie Games, check out this section.