Games review : de Blob

Back in 2008, de Blob became a small hit on the Nintendo Wii.

Although there was a sequel for 360/ps3 back in 2011, little more was heard until earlier this year when both de Blob and de Blob 2 received an updated PC release.

Six months later it was announced that de Blob is heading to next-gen consoles. While there are no One X enhancements, we've finally got our hands on the Xbox One build.

In the game, the evil INKT corporation have invaded the cheerful Chroma city and all of the inhabitant Raydians have been sapped of their colour and left as dull Graydians, forced to uphold the colourless dictatorship. Professor, the leader of Colour underground, meets up with Blob at the start of the game and explains how using the colour energy trapped by INKT's paintbots.

Using LT and A you can lock on and jump at these energy-storing bots to absorb their colour. Each bot gives you ten paint points which can then be used to paint as many objects as possible, including trees, rocks and buildings.

There's a time limit before INKT can track down Blob but, with each challenge or milestone, while it's worth keeping an eye on the clock, timers are only really strict on certain challenges. The main level timer was often more than generous enough once you'd completed a few challenges and liberated some Graydians.

As you progress, you'll unlock landmarks which usually carry a small cut-scene to mark their importance in the city. Once you've painted enough of the town you'll be rewarded with a button to unlock the next area or a transform engine which will restore colour to a wider surrounding area.

Controls are fairly simple. With Blob rolling around quite well, occasionally it can feel a little awkward when trying to navigate tight routes or precise jumps. But by using RT to stop, and LT to occasionally target a painbot on a platform, you can soon be where you need to be.

Difficulty picks up slightly as you're tasked with avoiding water which washes away Blob's colour, or ink which then needs to be washed away with water before Blob can continue.

Completing a few challenges to unlock the exit key and the transform engine does start to feel a little repetitive, but thankfully de Blob carries a charming humour about it that's familiar from the Rabbids era of its initial 2008 release. The cut-scenes are pleasant to watch and while the various characters don't quite tug on the heart strings and demand your affection, they're welcome distractions from the core gameplay.

Completing an area will unlock paint match, blob on the run and blob race in the local multiplayer only 'Blob Party' mode. This is a great addition especially when playing with family.

You will also find free paint, which allows you the freedom to traverse the city and paint at your leisure.

Graphically, de Blob is all about the colour. Seeing each area spring to life from dull black and white to colourful and vibrant surroundings is a treat within itself. Sadly its 2008 roots are evident as there's some blurring on cut-scenes. Everything is missing HD sharpness, and it's not up to next-gen standards.

The audio is another big part of the game. Featuring a bright and cheerful soundtrack that unlocks as you progress you'll no doubt find your preference, but thankfully you can select your desired music (mood) as you start each new area.

It's quite tough to be too critical on de Blob, because it's a unique stance on platform/puzzle titles, and the colour based progression is something that almost ten years after its initial release is not common. There is not much to do once you've completed the story, but getting there is half the fun and many will be happy to jump back in to free paint just to spread some colour into the world

Bottom Line

De Blob is a fun and colourful game. It’s not the most challenging or aesthetically-pleasing title, but it's unique, great fun and value for money.

Gameplay: 8.5/10

Graphics: 7/10

Sound: 8/10

Story: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Overall: 7.9/10