Gamespot score:7.5(Good)
My score:7.5
(+)Pros:-Gameplay is simple and easy to get into,-clever platforming mechanics,-colour mechanic is unique and fun to play around with,-great music and sound effects.
(-)Cons:-Too damn easy,-repititive and simplistic objectives during stages,-too short.
Gameplay time:5- 10 hours
The story of de blob 2 is a simple one. I never played the 1st game, so I assume this is a continuation. It stars the main character as a blob named....blob. Blob is sent to an underground secret lab and is trapped there, forcing him to make his way out. There, a mad scientist named Blot tries to capture blob and transfuse his black paint energy to blob, but ultimately fails. As a result of a failed experiment at the lab, Blot is transformed into a Black menace, and goes around causing trouble to Chroma city. Now Blob must stop him with the help of his accomplice robot Pinky, and together go on an adventure to help the citizens of Chroma city.
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| Bounce around as blob and change colours frequently. |
De blob 2 is probably one of the simplest games ever made, but thats not neccassarily a bad thing. Its a platforming game that involves you clearing one stage by going from point A to point B, clearing a few side missions along the way, and thats it. There are 25 main levels, 1 final boss level, and 5 side levels. Each level has special collectables that lead you to your 100% completion. There are raydians that you can rescue, and big notes you can collect. Performing enough of these will net you entrance to your 5 side levels.
That aside, the platforming in this game is rather solid. As blob, you can jump over hazardous materials and defeat INKT forces by knocking to them or stomping on them after jumping above them. Also, you can interact with various transporters to have you fly across large gaps or to get to higher ground. You can cling to walls, grab onto poles to fling yourself to various directions...so on and so forth. There are alot of clever mechanics inserted here and there to make platforming quite enjoyable.
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| Fly through tunnels and smack the INKT out of your way! |
Of course, if theres anything that seperates De blob 2 from regular platformers, its the colour mechanic. Since Blot is going around and erasing colour from the world, its your job to recolour it and make it a better place. Whatever color blob is, as he moves, the area he moves to changes to that respective colour. To change colours, you find little paint bottle like creatures and ram them, this changes your colour to that of the creature, OR, it mixes with your current colour into something else. This is really cool, and to top it off, most of the game's little puzzles are solved by this colour changing mechanic.
Many a time during a stage you will be faced with puzzles of different kinds, all forcing you to play around with the colours to find a way through. There are invisible blocks that only serve as platforms when you are of the right colour, or doors that open up when you are of a corressponding colour. These are definetely well made, and the fact that whenever you change colours, the music playing changes depending on the mood of the colour. It never grows old to change to a colour and hear that slight tint of jazz that plays depending on what colour you changed to. Changing colours rapidly plays a continous string of tunes, and that is amazing to listen to!
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| Repititive objectives spoil the fun and sometimes chop up the pace. |
Every game has its problems, and the biggest issue with De blob 2 is its difficulty. Throughout all 30 levels, I have never died, ONCE. Its probably the easiest game I have played this decade, and while the game IS fun, its never good when its no challenge at all. I only came close to dieing TWICE in my entire 30 levels. The little side missions during stages are also a pain, since the objectives are always the same. By the 10th stage or so, you would have seen most of the objective types in the game already. Finally, the game's lenght. Well its kind of expected, but this game is a little on the short side. I cleared it under 5 hours, and took about an additional hour or 2 to get 100% completion by playing all the side stages, rescueing all raydians and getting all big notes.
De blob 2 is a pleasant adventure across the uncoloured lands, and colouring plain areas always feels great. While it offers little challenge and ends too quickly, the charm of De blob 2 is undeniable. Providing some very solid platforming and solid colour mechanics, De blob 2 is something that casuals gamers can pick up and enjoy.
Happy gaming.
