Mike Bantick
Sunday, 28 September 2008 08:22
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
Graphically, de Blob presents a level of crisp design that could happily sit on the more powerful platforms of Xbox 360 or PS3. As Blob combines painbots, using primary colours to unlock a greater palette, add collected style icons, the splattered paint acquires funkier and further psychedelic patterns.
The soundtrack to the game is just as important as the visuals, flutes or guitar riffs play as buildings are painted, and many different styles of background audio add another layer to the enjoyment not only to those actually playing the game, but those – as is inevitable in a Wii household – observing.
As colour energy is accumulated, further walled off sections of Chroma City open up during the Story mode of the game. Colour energy can be accelerated by completing challenges such as painting particular buildings, racing to points in the city or taking on the INKT Corporation minions.
Challenges can also be ignored, or retried if failed – with the retry being most kid friendly by not completely restarting the challenge.
In Story mode there is an overall timer that puts some pressure on the game-play (this can be ignored in Free Paint mode), but even with this hanging over the game-play there are many ways to gain extra time. Complete challenges, free Greydians from their prison – simply by painting complete blocks of city apartments or bouncing on enemies will garner extra time.
Dropping into water, will drain the colour from Blob, whilst hotplates, spikes and black ink will drive down Blob's paint reserves even further.
The cut scenes between Story mode levels have the charm and humor of those presented during the Lucas Arts Lego games but with a technology level of a Pixar movie – great stuff indeed, all ages will get a laugh from the non-violent invasion and subsequent colour revolution story line.
