Imagine being the Superman of goats. Goat Simulator 3 enhances the barnyard shenanigans of the original game with co-op, multiplayer, and more to do than ever before. It’s more like a radical expansion of the core Goat Simulator concept than a direct sequel — which is probably why they skipped over Goat Simulator 2 altogether. (Actually, it all goes back to developers at Coffee Stain Studios having a real fondness for silly gimmicks and jokes.) In any case, this is guaranteed to be one of the most absurd and funniest games coming out this year.
If you don’t know how Goat Simulator works, then buckle up.
These goats have unrealistically sticky tongues that can drag items as if they were holding them with thumb-having hands. They can survive falls from heinous heights, mind-blowing explosions, and just about any ridiculous thing you can imagine. They can also somehow shoot rockets and wield weapons like a military professional. Set people on fire? Check. Knock over their hotdogs? Yep. Banish them using a giant beansprout? Sure! Why not. Those meat sacks will probably live! Right?
Oh, who are we kidding? You don’t care.
Your mission is to discover all the creative ways you can cause chaos. In Goat Simulator 3, you also have your own goat castle, which you can upgrade by completing certain goals and achievements related to messing things up. These “quests” pop up in the game as you progress, such as headbutting items or planting trees. Then, after completing enough of these quests or achievements, you can unlock the next section of your goat castle.
Unfortunately, the Goat Simulator 3 multiplayer component wasn’t available for testing, but a representative confirmed that co-op and player-versus-player would make it into the final version. You can form a squad with up to four friends and explore the map or compete in mini-games for fun. It’s also a perfectly reasonably single-player experience, though, if you simply want to discover all the achievements you can get for annoying people and making a mess.
If you loved the first Goat Simulator, you will undoubtedly also adore this one. It’s for people that love exploring for the sake of it and playing through silly shenanigans whether for hours or just a few stupid minutes at a time. However, if you’re not much of a completionist or party animal, you’ll probably get bored of the sandbox really quickly. There’s no overarching plot to speak of, however, which is probably fine for a game where you’re just a rowdy goat doing bonkers stuff.
There are progression systems and milestones to complete, which will certainly keep some types of gamers content. If it’s anything like the first Goat Simulator, part of the fun will be unlocking increasingly ridiculous achievements like finding the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a sewer.
Goat Simulator 3 will launch for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on November 17, 2022.
