I couldn't stop saying WOW! while checking out a pre-release version of Gish.  Sure there were some things that showed that this game wasn't quite finished, but there was so much good in the game I think most anyone who played it would be willing to pay for it now!

Gish is a small bar of Tar who is trying to rescue his girlfriend.  Though the character may look something like Kirby at first glance the reality is he is much more charismatic then you might think a ball of tar could ever be!  Key abilities are key to any hero, and Gish has simple abilities that lead to seemingly endless possibilities in game play.  Since he is a piece of tar, squeezing through small spaces is something that comes natural to our hero.  Gish also has the ability to stick to things.  Whether it be a wall, a block or a ceiling, Gish can hold on tight with the best of them.  However, as this is a Chronic Logic game, you can expect that physics make the game much better. 

In the case of Gish, you will find that sticking to a ceiling is certainly not something that you can do indefinitely.  Gravity pulls things down, and slowly you will be pulled down to the floor.  The game presents a series of obstacles that you have to overcome by using your inherent properties as a tar ball to overcome.  For example, one level has a series of switches that need to be depressed so that you can move past the doors that block your way.  The switches are in the ground.  Down lower on the board, you can find some loose blocks.  What you need to do is get the blocks to the top of the ledge and then on the switches...but how?  With Gish, you can roll over the blocks, then activate your sticky tar surface and grab the block.  If you are moving when you get to the block, you may even carry the block with you.  However, you aren't likely to carry a block up a wall.  Tar only sticks for so long, and a heavy object, will eventually fall.  Instead of trying to take the object up the wall, you can roll over it, and as you continue to move, it will rotate towards the top of Gish.  If you deactivate your sticky tar as it comes around towards the top of the character, the block will fly into the air.  After some practice, you will be able to hit the block with the right velocity, and release the block at the right time, sending it flying towards the switch.

That is only a single example of how the inventive creators of this game have put forth ways to use their lovable character.  It's unbelievable how acrobatic you can fill with a piece of tar as you move about the levels, using your inertia, and sticky body to swing yourself from platform to platform.

As if the regular game play wasn't enough, the game includes a VS. mode.  There are two games, Football and Sumo wrestling.  Though both are set up rather simply, the inherent abilities of Gish make both of the VS games have seemingly endless strategies that can be employed while trying to score on the other player.  I played the VS mode for more than 2 hours, laughing my head off half of the time.  Honestly, the VS mode is well worth the price of the game, no matter what it ends up being, and it is only a portion of the game.

In my mind it certainly isn't too early to tell if Gish is going to be a winner.  Gish is one of the most captivating games that I've played in recent memory.  The only negative thing I can say about the game is that the screenshots give you absolutely no idea how good this game really is. This is a game that I recommend that you pre-order the moment you have opportunity to do so.