We’ve all been in a job that we didn’t like very much. Heck, a lot of people – this writer included – have had jobs that they’ve actively hated, filled with menial tasks that make time grind to an absolute halt. Given the current world climate, chances are you’re safe and sound in your own home (and if you do happen to be a key worker at this time, we salute you), so what better way to pass the time than with some of the most fun menial tasks you could possibly imagine. Thanks to developer Paladin and publisher Nintendo, that’s exactly what you can do with Good Job!
You take on the role of the up-and-coming offspring of a corporate CEO, and you’ll need to rise through the ranks the good old-fashioned way: by completing every job to the absolute best of your ability. If you’ve worked for a big company before, you’ll know how stringent they can be with health and safety, but that doesn’t appear to be the case here. You’re free to complete every task however you see fit, and the company doesn’t seem particularly fussed about the damage you may cause along the way. Call it favouritism, perhaps.
The game’s levels are split across the various floors of the office building. Starting from the ground and making your way up to the Penthouse, each floor has a specific theme. So for example, the first floor is full of small meeting rooms, storage areas, and toilets, with the next floor serving as more of a warehouse area with large crates and forklifts. Each level sees you tasked with one specific job, whether it be replacing a broken projector with a new one, ensuring all the employees return from their break, or watering all the foliage in the area. However you complete these is entirely up to you, and this is where the fun really begins.
As an example, the final level of the first floor requires you to hook up a projector in front of a large conference room full to the brim with employees. The problem is that it’s locked in a storage room upstairs. Now, you could simply unlock the relevant doors and slowly wheel it from room to room with nary a broken cup in sight, but why not save a bit of time and smash it through the window overlooking the conference room instead? Sure, you’ll incur a few thousand dollars worth of damage, but the job’s got to be done swiftly, right?
Littered throughout the levels are items of clothing that you can customise your character with, including caps, high-vis jackets, Thor helmets, snorkels, and more. These are often easy to spot, but tucked away in hard-to-reach areas, so you’ll find you may need to cause some damage if you’re to grab them. Popping on any item of clothing will cause you to drop what you’re currently wearing, but anything you’ve previously picked up can also be retrieved via a customisation screen on the pause menu.
You’re graded at the end of each level based on how long you take to complete the task and how much monetary damage you’ve caused. So if you manage to complete a level quickly, but leave a trail of destruction in your wake, you'd struggle to get anything above a grade B. There’s heaps of potential for replayability as you discover new ways to complete your tasks in the safest and most efficient way possible, so if you’re somewhat of a perfectionist, you’ll be right at home here.
Good Job! is playable either on your own or with a co-op partner. Playing together is great fun, but sadly none of the levels are designed specifically for this purpose. You’ll be completing exactly the same tasks as you do in single-player, and with another person in the mix, you’re twice as likely to cause unnecessary damage. On the flip side though, if you work together in harmony, you can complete tasks in record time, with one person pulling objects out of the way, while the other carries or moves essential equipment.
There’s little to complain about with Good Job!, all in honesty. The overall tone of the game is incredibly playful and mischievous, and the gameplay itself is endlessly imaginative. We did encounter some hiccups, including a slight stuttering when dragging certain objects, along with the familiar issue of the isometric camera angle blocking certain viewpoints. We also wish the NPCs would react to the chaos you’re causing a bit more, but we’re clutching at straws with this one. Good Job! is this year’s Untitled Goose Game; a superb example of why excellent gameplay matters above all else.
Conclusion
Good Job! Is a wonderful surprise that everyone should try out. Thanks to its hilarious physics, seemingly menial tasks have the potential to descend into utter carnage – whether intentional or not – and its grading system means there are plenty of opportunities to replay. Slight technical hiccups aside, its arrival comes at a time when we all could do with a bit of a laugh, and Good Job! is absolutely guaranteed to do just that.
Comments 42
Can’t wait to give this one a go. Good job, Nintendo!
@Ignatius Nintendo didn't make this game, it looks good though.
It was made by Paladin Studios.
Thats awesome to hear! Been wanting to get this since it came out!!!!!
It looks promising! Gonna pick it up when I can
@kalmaro thanks, I know... but Nintendo published the game and my rhyme worked better with Nintendo than Paladin. Good job Paladin, too!
Definitely going to have to get this after I finish goose game then. My friend and I played through the entirety of human fall flat together, and I think this will be our next game
Maybe we could replace our dull, boring OSHA training materials at work with this game!
This game certainly looked fun... Nice to see that it actually is fun
Been waiting for this review, happy it's so positive!
Looks like a bit of fun. I'll probably grab it if it ever goes on sale.
Watching the trailer in the Direct, it gave me the same feeling I get when I do Shrines in Breath of the Wild. Is there any validity to that?
Picked this up a few days ago. It is brilliant.
I managed the first floor's challenges without breaking anything!
@leo13
In terms of 'If you think it should work, it does", then yes. Any solution that you think should work, does work.
Unlike BoTW though, you are given a score at the end. Better points for faster time, worse points for more damage.
I wonder how many hours it takes to play through the entire game? (first time through). I'm not worried if it's on the short side, but I'm still curious.
Thanks for the review, Ollie!
Picked this up at the weekend and been having a lot of fun playing it with my kids. For anyone looking for a family-friendly couch-co-op game this is a great choice. The controls are simple, you can take as long as you like at levels and messing things up just makes it more fun.
The fact that the levels don't require explicit cooperation in 2-player is also great if you're playing with younger kids since they can still have fun mucking around while you (or an older sibling) does the fiddly bits.
The "joys" list is really helping to sell this game, glad it turned out great. Guess Nintendo saw a good game on their hands and wanted in on the publishing. Good job.
Pretty much sold on this one by now. Think I'll have to get it soon - it looks like a lot of fun.
To buy or not to buy, that is the question — wait not anymore. Nintendolife you are responsible…
Nintendo does it again, they just can't be stopped.
The only question for me is how long is the game? I like the looks of this but not if I'm done with it in an hour.
@Kalmaro - True, but this is like The Stretchers, Snipperclips and Sushi Striker before it, this is a Nintendo IP.
So he is partially right.
@Paraka That's a bit of a stretch though, I'm not aware of nintendo doing anything other than publish it. I don't mean they don't deserve some credit but only a little bit.
Love the look of this. A throwback to the days when people used to go to offices!!
Nah pretty sure this isn't a GooseGame.
@Kalmaro - Well, publishing works in wierd ways. Most I listed Nintendo has commissioned them to make a game, Flip Wars and Snipperclips are those kinds. I haven't done any research to the others, but likely a situation there as well.
I’ll be picking this one up soon. The direct video made me laugh.
@Paraka Hard to say without getting more info.
To me, it looks like they had a game and just approached Nintendo to get it out there. Which is still cool of Nintendo. It just would strike me as odd to praise Nintendo over the developers of the game.
@Kalmaro - Well, we tend to do that often when they're the ones fronting the money, see what we do with Bayonetta.
@Paraka I dunno, I've always given platinum credit for that one, then again, I'm a Platinum fanboy. I was really excited when Nintendo kept it alive.
I'm so glad you guys gave it a great score! I just got done with my playthrough and am now trying to beat everything with an A and collect all outfits. Not to mention that i can't wait to play this with my partner!
I seriously love this game. I hope there'll be a sequel at some point, but i feel it might be more of a one-off kind of thing. Still though, i love seeing it slowly but surely rise into the ranks of my most played games!
This game was one of the highlights of the Direct Mini for me, and it certainly wasn't because of a lack of interesting announcements. I just imagined the kind of chaos that could be caused, along with the trial and error you could go through to find the best times. All I was waiting for was some sort of score and a few details about what the game is like, and it seems like it's just what I imagined. Glad to see these smaller, experimental titles come about, especially when big companies like Nintendo publish them (Good Job Guy for Smash!)
I went in to this one looking to create carnage, just like the Direct suggested. But it was actually when I started trying to complete the levels that I was really cracking up. There's something about trying desperately not to cause any chaos that makes spilling an entire coffee tray on an auditorium full of employees so much more rewarding.
That and trying not to destroy shipping containers with a claw machine only to destroy most of them with the same claw machine.
Cant wait to get this. One of the highlights of the direct.
I've put in a couple hours and still have a way to go to reach the top. Then will come the replay, the accessory-finding and the score maximizing. It's a pretty meaty game. Longer than goose game, at least.
This game was one of the highlights in the Direct for me. It looks absolutely bonkers and, according to reviews, well worth the Rupees. Onto the wish list it goes!
@WoomyNNYes
I also want to know
Only played the first floor but so far it's an absolute blast, well worth the £18 asking price
I have sooo many games to play through at the moment but I'll definitely be picking this one up at some point this Spring. Nice to hear it's solid game!
The conundrum of having so many titles available at the same time has left me sticking to New Horizons for now. I'll still likely pick this up sooner rather than later. But with Final Fantasy VII Remake, Resident Evil 3, and Trials of Mana among others out this month I've held off on picking this up so far. I still want to grab this, Jedi Academy, and Panzer Dragoon. That Nintendo Direct Mini caught me off guard.
Oof, comparing it to Untitled Goose Game makes me want to avoid this game now. That was my biggest gaming disappointment last year.
Wake me when it's half price
I might download it someday.
As for untitled goose game: I haven't played that one yet but it sounds soooo overrated. Maybe good for thousands of meme-videos, but that doesn't immediately turn it into a great game.
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