Great God Grove Review (GABRIEL GAMING)
this is genuinely one of the best new games i've played in 2024. i first heard of this game because of a thespius edit i saw on tiktok, and i put it on my wishlist and didn't think much of it until it was launch day, and i bought it a couple days later. little did i know i was in for an incredible, silly, and heart-wrenching adventure wrapped up so neatly in just under two gigs of data.
the twist on the silent protagonist trope is done incredibly well, giving the player a literal megaphone (megapon) to talk their way through the grove. every character has a unique personality and often has a piece of dialogue that might not always further the story, but will definitely get you some funny reactions from throwing them around at people. the world is full of life and the gods feel like they truly embody the aspect they represent. the usage of the humans and their world being done in 2D while the gods and their domains are done in 3D is an incredible touch that helps shift your perspective from that of a mortal human to being in a god's home.
then there's the endgame.
i'm not going to go too deep into it. you need to play it to truly experience it. but as a very brief td;lr on my feelings about the endgame, without mentioning any character names: it is so beautiful to me how the climax of the game shows that you can make mistakes but still be loved, and that people can and will love you. there are people who will love and forgive you even if you mess up. and it's not too late to fix what you broke. that it really takes other people to make things right.
i also entered the game thinking i would fixate heavily on thespius; i did! i absolutely love that big man and his world. hobbyhoo is easily my favorite chapter of the game. but in reality, bauhauzzo really got me. he has no qualms about showing his emotions and he doesn't care who's watching. he's very old and wise but also so tender and emotional and feels. i love him. i wish to yield all my mortal possessions to bauhauzzo.
okay this review is getting too long lmao. buy great god grove, play great god grove, tell your friends about great god grove, let it live in the back of your brain for a very, very long time. this is the funky chaotic queer game of 2024.