There is a very efficient method of describing the degree of absurdity to which Goat Simulator 3 aspires: There is no such thing as Goat Simulator 2.
Coffee Stains' caprine and wacky antics will most likely be familiar with the immensely popular Sandbox game from back in the day: You're a goat who's tasked with causing as much of a ruckus as possible. From headbutting civilians to sticking your tongue to everything in sight, its a game that's largely centered on complete and total bedlam.
Goat Simulator 3 is a three-parter game that is based on the same set of rules of chaos. What may strike some as surprising, however, is that it is filtered through a layer of sophistication. Its certainly not an Arkane game (imagine if Goat Simulator was set in Dunwall), but it's an enjoyable experience.
The game's greatest strength was always its roughly hewn mechanical makeup. The game's original intent was to make it near-impossible to play but due to its nature as a literal goat simulator, they just made it even funnier. From the raucous ragdolling to the wild emergent shenanigans that might arise from invisible gaps in the sandbox stitching, Goat Simulator quickly established itself as a great game to play with friends.
Coffee Stain's Goat Simulator 3 is a compilation of many concepts that the team has been aware of while developing the game. These include proprietary golf, treasure hunts, and The Floor Is Lava. If the original game was a jagged rock, Goat Simulator 3 is a product of what happens when you mine it for gems and embed them in something more attractive.
Goat Simulator 3 is quite different in that it isn't a pure sandbox that's exclusively intended to cause chaos; rather, it's a story mode that seeks to inform all of the individual instances of absurdity. Each of these world-style towers is dotted across the map, each of which will assist you in unlocking a mysterious entrance to Goat Castle. It's unlikely that it's going to be revealed until the end.
The main story isn't overly demanding. A major component of Goat Simulator 3sappeal is the fact that it tends to ask very little of you, leaving you to your own devices more often than not. But this is also expanded and iterated upon.
The difficulty of How bizarre can we make this game? was evident during the development.
You can play Goat Simulator 3 as a shark on a skateboard being ridden by an old lady with a rocket launcher.
Goat Simulator 3 is, in many ways, exactly what you want it to be. Tons of new features have clearly come from carefully observing the ones that appealed to people. The mobility is a little narrower, the sandbox is more responsive, and the random achievements have a little more rhyme and reason to them. However, in the end, its still a silly game about being a really annoying goat, and there's a pretty low ceiling for how serious that may be.
Goat Simulator 3 is a great party game to play with friends, especially the people I was not in a lobby with most of the time. It isn't deserving of special respect for its work in innovation, systems design, or anything else.
If you think you'll be interested in Goat Simulator 3, you will, and that's the most truthful statement anyone can make.
On November 17, Goat Simulator 3 will be released on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.