Goblins 3

Goblins 3 is a puzzle adventure game developed by Cocktel Vision and released in 1993 for MS-DOS and Amiga. Created by Pierre Gilhodes, this third installment in the Goblins series represents the pinnacle of the franchise's unique blend of slapstick humor and fiendishly clever puzzle design.

The game was later ported to Macintosh, maintaining the series' tradition of multi-platform availability that had made the earlier Goblins and Gobliins 2 accessible to a wide audience of adventure game enthusiasts. Unlike many adventure games of the era that focused on inventory management and dialogue trees, the Goblins series carved out its own niche with cartoon-like visuals and physics-based puzzle solving.

What sets Goblins 3 apart from its predecessors and establishes it as the finest entry in the series is the introduction of multiple controllable characters working in tandem. While the original Goblins featured three characters that players could switch between, and Gobliins 2 reduced this to two, Goblins 3 takes a different approach by having the main character Blount encounter various other characters throughout his journey, requiring cooperative puzzle-solving between different personalities with unique abilities.

The gameplay revolves around single-screen scenarios where players must figure out the correct sequence of actions to progress. Each screen presents a self-contained puzzle that often requires precise timing and creative thinking. Unlike traditional point-and-click adventures, there are no inventory items to collect or complex dialogue options to navigate. Instead, success depends entirely on observing the environment, understanding the behavior of interactive elements, and executing the right combination of actions in the proper order.

The character cooperation mechanic adds a layer of complexity that was largely absent from the earlier games. When Blount teams up with other characters, players must coordinate their actions carefully. One character might need to distract an enemy while another sneaks past, or they might need to work together to operate machinery or reach otherwise inaccessible areas. This collaborative element makes the puzzles feel more dynamic and engaging than the more straightforward cause-and-effect scenarios of the previous installments.

Pierre Gilhodes' artistic vision shines through in every frame of animation. The characters are wonderfully expressive, with exaggerated facial expressions and body language that convey personality without the need for extensive dialogue. The backgrounds are rich with detail and often contain visual clues essential to solving each puzzle. The animation style draws clear inspiration from classic European comic books and animated films, creating a distinctive aesthetic that sets the series apart from more realistic adventure games like Monkey Island or King's Quest.

The puzzle design in Goblins 3 strikes an excellent balance between challenge and fairness. While some solutions require lateral thinking and careful observation, they generally follow logical rules once players understand the game's internal consistency. The trial-and-error nature of many puzzles is softened by the game's forgiving approach to failure – characters might suffer comedic mishaps, but true game-over situations are rare.

Compared to contemporaneous adventure games, Goblins 3 offers a more focused and streamlined experience. Where games like Day of the Tentacle or Sam & Max Hit the Road feature extensive dialogue and complex storylines, Goblins 3 prioritizes pure puzzle-solving entertainment. This makes it particularly appealing to players who enjoy the mental challenge of adventure games but prefer to avoid lengthy conversations or complex plot developments.

The audio design complements the visual style perfectly, with whimsical sound effects that enhance the cartoon-like atmosphere. The musical score, while not as memorable as some Sierra or LucasArts productions, provides appropriate accompaniment without becoming intrusive or repetitive.

Goblins 3 represents the culmination of Cocktel Vision's experimentation with the adventure game formula. By refining the cooperative gameplay mechanics and maintaining the series' trademark humor and visual style, it created an experience that feels both familiar to series veterans and accessible to newcomers. For players seeking adventure games that prioritize clever puzzle design over narrative complexity, Goblins 3 remains one of the most satisfying examples of the genre's potential for pure, concentrated entertainment.