Goat Simulator 3is now out, with its goofy gameplay antics no doubt being the major draw for players, along with the game’s references to other titles, includingThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’s opening cart scene. What started out as a joke, with the original goat entry being developed during a Game Jam session, where people attempt to create a game from scratch in a short span of time, soon exploded into a phenomenon. As a result, 2014’sGoat Simulatorwent down as one of thesilliest and most memorable simulatorsin all of gaming.
Of course, with the sequel, which is being referred to asGoat Simulator 3, fans have been expecting parodies aplenty, and developer Coffee Stain Studios delivered before the game even released. TheGamescom 2022 trailer was a parody ofDead Island 2, which showed a jogger running along a pier as a bunch of goats wreak havoc in the background, headbutting pedestrians with nary a care in the world. Now that the game is out, fans will no doubt be looking out for even more references.
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They won’t have to look far, either, as a video from IGN shows 16 minutes of gameplay fromGoat Simulator 3, and the video opens with the player waking up in the back of a cart being driven by a farmer. Said farmer then says, “You’re finally awake,” before continuing to give a speech about what lies ahead. This is an obvious reference toSkyrim’s well-known opening cutscene, in which the player wakes up in a cart with some other prisoners and is being driven to Helgen for execution. In this parody, however, there is no execution for the goat protagonist, and the farmer, who even refers to the vehicle as the “Skyrim cart,” releases the animal to wander the land.
Theopening cutscene ofSkyrimis one of the most famous in gaming. So many players have seen this lengthy intro time and time again, to such an extent that modders have made it possible to begin the game without having to experience this part. While it is a dated reference, withThe Elder Scrolls 5coming out 11 years ago, it’s an obvious nod to one of the most famous RPGs in recent history.
Coffee Stains Studios' sequel even contains a reference toPT, which some may feel is dated but still somehow quite relevant. As many will be finding out, there’s a lot ofsilly gameplay inGoat Simulator 3, and while the reviews coming back so far are not amazing, there will be some diehard fans who get a thrill out of kicking bystanders once more.
Goat Simulator 3is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
