If you regularly follow JEUXACTU, you are aware of our strong belief in Microids’ Goldorak project. Given that many of us grew up with Récré A2, Youpi school’s over, and Dorothée’s Club, it is understandable why we would be excited about this development. As the first exposure to Japanese pop culture for many French generations, Goldorak holds a significant place in our hearts. Consequently, seeing its adaptation into a video game in 2023 was naturally met with high hopes. Up until last month when unreleased footage emerged, we, as nostalgic fans, expected to be satisfied. However, upon receiving and completing the game, we must sadly report that Goldorak Le Festin des Loups falls short, often bordering on being a disaster.
Pleasant to look at from afar, far from being beautiful up close.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes evident that the modeling of environmental elements is simplistic, sometimes appearing surprisingly inadequate. The rendering of trees, vegetation, and even rocks forming hills or mountains is notably poor. Despite efforts by Endroad developers in Nantes to create an illusion through moving grass, a closer look reveals that the entire textured plane undulates, resulting in an extremely basic effect. Furthermore, upon examining details more closely, it becomes apparent that they are lacking. Houses and cars appear rudimentary, as if hand-drawn in Paint due to their simplicity. Additionally, around halfway through the game “Goldorak: The Wolves’ Feast,” it is no longer possible to overlook these shortcomings. The city, purportedly representing Tokyo, a vibrant and illuminated metropolis, appears stark and unsatisfactory. This ugliness is particularly noticeable, explaining why Microids did not showcase this standard during their promotional campaign. When examining building renderings, one notices textures reminiscent of PS2-era graphics, nearly 20 years ago. Moreover, it becomes clear that the level design does not accurately reflect reality; Tokyo is depicted as a grid of perfectly straight, square blocks devoid of life, in contrast to earlier levels which at least featured non-existent traffic.
However, another significant issue with Goldorak Le Festin des Loups, which was noted in early previews, is the lack of grandeur. This becomes even more evident when holding the game, creating the sensation of being a human disguised as Goldorak rather than a 33-meter metallic giant robot. There is a clear problem with proportions and scale throughout the entire game, it is shocking, and unfortunately, Microids could not rectify this during development because it should have been considered from the start. Furthermore, we encounter awkward moments where fishing boats are as large as our robot while OVTerre of Alcor orbiting Goldorak appears like a mere mosquito. This is striking. Moreover, having Alcor circling around Goldo throughout the adventure serves no purpose whatsoever. It does nothing, never acts, does not assist Goldorak in fights, and often disappears under the map. Because yes, the Microids and Enroad game is riddled with bugs. While we do not reach the level of blocking glitches seen in Tintin, a parade of collision bugs becomes almost humorous. For some unknown reason, Goldorak can pass through certain environmental elements but not others. One might assume this facilitates the movement of our giant robot, but no, sometimes it makes no sense. For instance, one can pass through large electrical poles and some buildings, yet cannot jump over a plane anchored to the ground. Once entering Tokyo city level, these collision issues multiply due to the numerous buildings causing camera management that developers may not have foreseen. These fights amidst tall buildings can lead to getting stuck, and in addition, the camera goes haywire.
Delivery Missions That Aren’t Even FedEx
There are bugs in every game, even the biggest AAA titles like Assassin’s Creed and Cyberpunk 2077; no one is spared. If Goldorak had been an interesting game, it might have been more forgivable, but unfortunately, the game also falls short. In practice, Microids’ game recounts the beginning of the animated series up to episode 7, “The Loups’ Feast,” which is likely one of the most intriguing, featuring internal strife within Vega’s army. However, at no point does the game successfully convey the intensity of the animated series, possibly due to the lack of staging and reduced “cinematics” to static images with characters expressing themselves through speech bubbles. This could have been an acceptable style if there had been minimal effort to animate these characters, but unfortunately, it lacks even this basic element.
If you follow JEUXACTU diligently, you are aware of the strong belief we had in Microids’ Goldorak project. For those who grew up with Récré A2, Youpi school’s over, and Club Dorothée, it is understandable to have high hopes for this game. As the beginning of everything, Goldorak represents the transmission of Japanese pop culture in France across generations. Thus, seeing it adapted into a video game today naturally stirs excitement. Until last month when unreleased game sequences were revealed, we, as nostalgic fans, anticipated satisfaction from the game. However, upon receiving and completing it, the reality was disappointing. Unfortunately, we must report that Goldorak Le Festin des Loups is a failed game, often bordering on being a disaster…
Hack Tarus
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If you regularly follow JEUXACTU, you are aware of our strong support for Microids’ Goldorak project. Given our backgrounds as fans of Récré A2, Youpi school’s over, and Club Dorothée, it is understandable why this sentiment exists. Goldorak, the beginning of Japanese pop culture transmission in France, holds significant cultural importance across generations. Therefore, the anticipation for a video game dedicated to it in 2023 was high among nostalgic fans. Until recently, we had hoped that the upcoming release would meet these expectations. However, after playing and completing “Goldorak Le Festin des Loups,” we are compelled to report that the game is a failure, often bordering on being unplayable.
For those who have been eagerly awaiting updates on classic video game remakes and sequels, Ahmed Hassan’s latest post on Players for Life is a must-read. Titled “Flashback 2: New Trailer with French Voices, Including Donald Reignoux,” this article published on August 22nd delves into the exciting trailer debut of Flashback 2 at gamescom 2023. The sequel to the beloved 1992 game offers a 3D take on the original’s 2.5D perspective, complete with enhanced voice acting by none other than Donald Reignoux. With its release set for November 16th, just after Microids’ Goldorak: Le Festin des Loups on the 14th, this promises to be a thrilling month for fans of retro gaming classics. For those who have been eagerly anticipating the release of Microids’ Goldorak project, Carlos Mendoza’s latest piece on Players for Life is equally captivating. Published on August 21st, “Goldorak: The Wolves’ Feast – New Beat ‘Em All Gameplay Sequence with Official Music” offers a glimpse into the game’s core mechanics through a brief but exciting gameplay sequence unveiled at gamescom. Featuring French voice acting and reorchestrated music by Marcin Przybyłowicz, this short clip gives us a taste of what to expect from “Goldorak Le Festin des Loups,” set for release on November 17th across various platforms. Head over to [Read the article] to catch the latest trailer and learn more about what’s in store, and check out this exciting gameplay sequence [Read the article]!
