Goat's Tale is something of a precise platformer that has its own take on the genre which, given that I have experienced both the original Jump King to near-completion alongside other multiple indies inspired by it, I was quite intrigued by with the usage of what the team behind FoxSox Games were aiming with by implementing 'ragdoll physics' into their game to stand out from the crowd of precise platformers out there, both in the 2D lane and in the more open-ended 3D worlds out there.
Sadly I have to say, having spent some hours progressing towards what content there is available on the standard release, that Goat's Tale fails to hit the mark where a satisfying precise platformer goes and I'll go in-depth to explore why this is, seeing as I was hoping to enjoy my time overcoming a good jumping challenge as I have done so in the past.
To start off, Goat's Tale has you take control of a goat with a bagpack as the goal is simply to make it to the top through seventeen increasingly perilous screens by means of the fine arts of precise jumping! Though as hinted above, what makes this so different from just about any other precise platformer is down to how one has to also work with the strong (and likely inevitable) possibility of entering a ragdoll state, should you make a poor landing by hitting the edge of a platform or a corner that is at a 45° slant, although this can also be avoided when taking into account that hitting walls and ceilings head-on will not result in the goat ragdolling uncontrollably.
On the note of the physics, I can see where the developers were going for in terms of having a more 'dynamic' approach to the consequences of either missing a platform or making an awkward landing, however I find the execution of this game mechanic to not be nearly as enjoyable or interesting as it is made out to be. Since precise platformers often succeed or fail by how much control it offers to their players when dealing with the ever-high odds of overcoming various platforms, doubly so where one fall could end up costing you a LOT of progress, however Goat's Tale has the extra addition of having the ragdoll physics work against you in such a way where barely missing or even making the landing but seeing the goat tilt away back down and seeing the poor buck tumble at increasingly rapid speeds where, often, the end destination is right back where you first began your journey.
Having to start over when you make an especially poor jump is par for the course, with even the legendary Jump King being more forgiving on this front with the worst bad falls making you go down no more than a dozen or so screens at once, however the way this is executed in Goat's Tale largely ends up feeling unsatisfying and discourages the player from continuing when the ragdoll physics just doesn't work out in multiple ways.
Even if I could ignore this issue and just chalk it up to early 'skill issues' and being punished harshly for it on random, I was a little disappointed to see that the first map 'Capra Mountain' was not as big as I had hoped it would be. Whilst this may sound contradictory to the issue I just mentioned above, I will give kudos to FoxSox Games for the inclusion of checkpoints at the 1/3rd and 2/3rd points on the map that work in a rather interesting way. To go into detail, essentially you can 'buy' a flag from these vendors that allows you to put down said flag anywhere on the map which, when activated, will teleport you back there and consume the flag in question.
Although this isn't exactly free for use as each bought flag adds 10 minutes to your total counter which disincentivises speedrunners or even those who like keeping their total time as low as possible from pursuing this option in the long-run, however it is a good safety net for casual gamers or those who don't care about setting scores to lean onto it to minimize the frustrations that this game will likely bring with the physics side of things. (There's also a 'Noob Mode' in the settings that shows the power meter above the goat when making jumps alongside reducing the volatility of the ragdoll physics, though to what degree is hard to say)
Going back to the map choice, I did push through and eventually beat Capra Mountain and was eager to see how the second map, Capra Mountain V. II, would further develop on the platforming side of things and perhaps add new obstacles for our goat adventurer to overcome. However, to my dismay, the second map of Goat's Tale is essentially a mirrored version of the first map without the checkpoint vendors displayed in a monochromatic filter. Not even any slight changes or gradually becoming its own fiendish challenge to spicen things up for those who pushed through the original version and sought more difficult content.
Also whatever was the purpose of those five treasures, little golden trinkets that you see in out of the way spots similar to those avian birds in the Jump King towers? Since I had specifically went out of my way to collect all of them on the first map in the hopes of unlocking something, a new cosmetic or an extra optional challenge or anything, however having checked this thoroughly I can confirm that it does practically nothing and is just there to be collected without any greater purpose or incentive for players to reach out for them.
Such are the disappointments that Goat's Tale brings with it, which is truly a shame given that I wanted to enjoy a new adventure of climbing up the heights of an evergrowing tower to conquer. However it appears that this indie is not the game to satisfy that particular type of experience, whether you call it 'arduous' or 'masochistic' will likely depend on your view of the precise platforming genre as a whole. Regardless, I generally do not recommend this to anyone who fancies the likes of or has played Jump King and other inspired games, even taking into account the much lower price point of just £0.89 compared to almost every other precise platformer out there.
Perhaps the sequel to this game, Goat's Tale 2, will have fixed most of these issues present in the first game alongside all of the new gameplay mechanics that I had hoped would be featured in this title. However, given the several hours already spent trying to enjoy this game alongside the DLC being priced unreasonably high at £4.29 compared to the base game of just £0.89, I am not encouraged to give it a shot anytime soon.
TLDR Version:
• A new take on the precise platformer genre, where every mistake made is either saved or enhanced by the inclusion of 'ragdoll' physics (+)
• Features two maps (plus DLC) of charmingly-illustrated screens that naturally extend from the starting forest floor all the way to the mountainous peak (+)
• Goat's Tale is quite cheap and accessible for most people to buy with being priced at just £0.89 (+)
• Offers a robust safety net in the form of flags that can be pinned down and used as a respawn point for casual gamers to make use of who wish to minimize frustration (+)
• The unique gimmick of potentially ragdolling for bad jumps, whilst a good idea in concept, does not translate well to fun gameplay as the lack of control leads to added frustration (-)
• Goat's Tale features only two maps in the main game, with the second being a lazy mirrored copy of the first in black and white without the checkpoint flag system (-)
• Optional collectables in the form of golden trinkets spread throughout the maps in hard-to-reach spots offer no reward or incentive and are essentially just there to be collected (-)
• Does not expand on the gameplay outside of making later screens feature more tight platforming as no new mechanics are introduced to vary things up that would've proven ideal in later maps (-)
• DLC is included that introduces further maps, however is priced far higher than the main game at £4.29 and does not warrant that price with the new content it brings forth (-)
