De Blob 2 Preview

Cute, colorful, playable.

Oh, no! Prisma City has been taken over by the evil INKT corporation. All the color has been drained and the Raydians have turned into thoughtless drones. Who can save them in the most fun and colorful way possible? Why, De Blob and the Color Underground can, if anybody.

De Blob has returned, this time to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 as well as Wii. Once again, De Blob rolls from mission to mission, dipping in ink pools to bring vibrant life to a once bright and happy city. Color combinations are made in an attempt to complete levels in a puzzle solving atmosphere. Working off of the cult-like success of its predecessor, Australia’s Blue Tongue Entertainment looks to expand their creation to further heights.

New moves have been added in order to put De Blob on the offensive, including a dash attack to disrupt enemies and break through barriers. Upon the successful completion of missions, De Blob now earns “inspiration points”, which adds a sort of economy to the game. These points can be used to purchase upgrades such as shields and bigger paint capacity. Upgrades are also available in levels as well, designed to help De Blob on his mission of color liberation.

As in the first version, De Blob looks to capture the tallest buildings in the city by rolling and jumping his way up, brightening up the place as he goes. This time around, however, after successfully reaching the top, De Blob takes a tube ride inside the building, where it turns into a 2-D platformer. Yes, whereas before it was a 3-D world with platforming tendencies, De Blob now gives you the full blown, Sonic-esque, 2-D experience.

Another new addition is the inclusion of multiplayer modes. One version of this is a co-op, Sonic and Tails-style gaming through the story. There were hints at competitive multiplayer, yet there are no details at this time.

With its cutesy character design, light-hearted Katamari-style soundtrack, and easy yet super addicting gameplay, De Blob 2 seems likely to be a hit once again with casual and hardcore gamers alike. Look for De Blob 2 when it rolls out on February 22.