Game Review: de Blob 2 (Xbox One)

The follow up to the Wii exclusive, de Blob 2 was released on all the major consoles early 2011. It, like its predecessor, has since been given a bit of a remastering and re-released on the Xbox One. The first game was a fun play with an original idea but with a few noticeable flaws. You can read our review here.

This follow up goes some way to improving on those flaws while also bringing some new ones to the party. As sequels go it does exactly what it should and is a much more satisfying game because of it.

Once again the INKT Corporation led by Comrade Black are at it. This time by rigging an election, capturing members of the Colour Underground and indoctrinating Raydians into the cult of Inkies.

Prisma City has been drained of colour and it’s up to Blob to restore it and defeat the INKT Corporation once and for all. However, this time he is not alone and a second player can take control of Pinky, a new member of the Colour Underground.

Beyond the inclusion of Pinky, there aren’t massive changes to gameplay. Paint objects, buildings and rescue the citizens to unlock new areas completing missions as you go. Unlike the first game, there is a bit more variety in the missions and each level is quite different both visually and how it plays out. The final level that takes place in space is a particular highlight of the series so far.

To help you stop the INKT Corporation, Blob has a couple of new moves such as the dash attack. As well as power-ups that turn him into a wrecking ball. Give him a hazmat suit protecting him from damage and the gravitation bomb. Which turns Blob into a black hole able to wreck everything in his path.

All of these skills and abilities will be used as the game gets increasingly difficult as it goes on. With new enemy types, obstacles and even bosses, De Blob 2 is a bit more of a challenge. Especially if you’re looking to do everything you possibly can.

Each level flows a bit better with an improved radar helping you find the next mission as well as showing where trees, captured citizens and destructible objects are. Again, a little touch that wasn’t in the first game although it would have been nice for the many collectables to also appear on it.

This time round, as well as gaining awards for completing certain tasks before finishing a level there are a large number of collectables hidden throughout. Inspiration which appear as lightbulbs and allow you to upgrade Blob and Pinky. As well as gallery pickups that unlock artwork in the main menu. These can be quite difficult to find and frustratingly, it is possible to miss one and find yourself unable to go back resulting in the entire level having to be restarted.

This mostly comes in sections that involve platforming, something the game has a heavier emphasis on.

In de Blob 2 you’ll find yourself tasked with transforming landmarks/releasing colour buried underground. To do that you’ll need to enter small tunnels and complete a challenge from the 2D perspective. These add some real variety and are often the most fun parts of the game offering some puzzle aspects to gameplay.

No drastic changes overall but enough little ones to make de Blob 2 stand out from its predecessor. It’s not just with gameplay though as visually and sonically, de Blob 2 is sharper and more vibrant. The colouring of levels actually looks like life returning to the city with plants, animals and characters popping out. Sometimes there is so much going on that it suffers from slight lag. It doesn’t come up loads but when it does happen it is noticeable.

It is a superior game and even the repetitive nature of it is far more enjoyable as it never gets boring. It’s a game that is easy to sink hours into. A shame that we’ve not seen a third game yet.