They set out to make a pretty generic ALGOL/C-ish/Java "OO"ish language with sharp corners filed off and some decent concurrency primitives put in. They executed successfully (they got the language out there, built an ecosystem, didn't undermine their own goal in the language design or make it unusable.)
If I had to choose between Go and C++, I'd probably pick Go because of C++'s complexity, so they really nailed it.
In the grand scheme of things, it's a really forgettable language. Frankly, I haven't programmed in it. I don't need to. I know ALGOL+(N+1) when I see it.
> In the grand scheme of things, it's a really forgettable language.
Strangely enough, for me that is one of the major plus points. A forgettable language (which is not the same as a language which you forget how to use) is one which gives you the tools for the job and then gets out of the way.
Some other languages feel like prima donnas with their shiny brilliance and complex possibilities. I'll take a small, dirty, simple, and performant back-seat one like Go every time.
If I had to choose between Go and C++, I'd probably pick Go because of C++'s complexity, so they really nailed it.
In the grand scheme of things, it's a really forgettable language. Frankly, I haven't programmed in it. I don't need to. I know ALGOL+(N+1) when I see it.