Game review: Goodnight Universe (Switch 2)

I've said this many times before, that it's always a breath of fresh air to play indie games because they like to deliver unique ideas that AAA publishers rarely explore. 

This is the case with Goodnight Universe because it has one of the most interesting stories I have ever seen in a game in recent years. 

The reason that makes this game so unique is that you assume the role of a six-month-old baby called Isaac. I have been gaming for over 30 years, and I think this is the first time I have played a game as a baby!

Isaac isn't just your average baby, though, because he has special powers that he does not know how he got in the first place. His earliest memory is hanging out with his grandfather before he sadly passes away. 

Isaac has lots of powers that normal human beings don't have. He can levitate objects in the air, he can read people's minds, and he can even listen in on other people's conversations from several miles away. Not to mention, he understands the English language very well, although his baby body cannot talk for itself. 

At the start of the game, Isaac experiments a lot with his powers, although he has to try his very best not to expose himself to his family members. Isaac lives with his parents as well as his teenage sister, named Cleo. Only Cleo suspects that something is special about Isaac, while his parents are oblivious to his abilities. 

It's hard to talk about this game without giving too many spoilers away, but I will say a third party in the game is also interested in Isaac, and they want to study him and his abilities. Even though Isaac has these special abilities, he's still a baby, so he cannot talk on his own, and he cannot walk on his own either. 

In terms of gameplay, Isaac is usually stuck in sticky situations, and he usually uses his powers to help himself or others. For example, Cleo invites a dodgy-looking boyfriend to the house, but Isaac hates him. 

In order to scare the boyfriend away, Isaac uses his powers for mischievous reasons. This includes switching the lights on randomly and opening the windows by themselves. The controls of the game are very simple because you use the right stick to highlight tangible objects, and press the shoulder button to interact with them.

Later on in the game, Isaac may have to read the minds of people to see their true intentions. I won't give away anything too story heavy, but let's just say that third party I mentioned before does not have good intentions in their heart, and Isaac knows this by mind-reading their company's leader. 

The best part of the game, though, is Isaac researching about himself and why he has special powers in the first place. The game has a big twist, and I urge you to play this game without spoilers because that will ruin the entire experience. 

While Goodnight Universe has one of the best narratives I've seen in gaming all year, the game still has some minor flaws. For one thing, the right stick of the Nintendo Switch 2 is too sensitive, so I sometimes found it hard to highlight specific objects. It would have been more useful if the game had made use of the Switch 2's touchscreen to interact with objects instead. 

Another thing that might bother some people is that Goodnight Universe is a very short game. Most people should be able to finish the game in 3.5 hours. I only managed to find two different endings, so there's not a lot of replay value on offer either. 

Aside from some minor flaws, Goodnight Universe is a blast to play thanks to its amazing story. If you love science fiction stories, you're bound to love playing this game. 

Verdict: 8.5/10