A Boy and His Blob

I had never heard of this game prior to seeing it here on GoG, but I'm glad that I decided to pick it up. If you enjoy 2D side-scrolling puzzle platformers, this game is definitely worth the full asking price. The art style is a fantastic illustrative style that is not taxing on the hardware, but nevertheless looks great. Speaking of hardware specs, the game runs at a solid buttery-smooth 60fps (it appears to be locked to 60fps) at 1680x1050 using max settings on Windows 7 and a 4 year old ATI Radeon HD7700 + AMD FX-6100 CPU. The game does not have an option to enable v-sync via in the in-game settings, so I did notice a bit of tearing during the fast moving sections until I manually enabled v-sync in the Radeon control panel. As other reviewers have mentioned, this is a port from the Wii, so I'm sure some of you might be wondering whether it can be played with a keyboard. The answer to that question is yes. The keybindings can be changed although I have had no problems playing it with the default keybindings. It does also have controller support for those that prefer a controller. The gameplay reminds me of other platformers like Mario Brothers and Sonic, albeit with more of a puzzle element to it and better graphics. It should be noted that the puzzles are not at all difficult, so if you're looking for a game with difficult puzzle solving, this game won't provide that, but it is still provides a great time. That brings me to the one negative thing I have to say about this game. There are large signs with pictures of the shape that represent the ability you are intended to use in order to pass certain obstacles. These signs are quite helpful the first time you have a new blob ability available to you since they act as sort of an in-game tutorial. However, there are various cases where a sign instructing you which ability to use is placed before an obstacle well after you have already used the ability and should already understand the mechanic well. I would have preferred to only see a single sign for each mechanic. That said, it doesn't take much away from the game as most of the time it would not have been very difficult to figure it out without the sign anyways. Pros: - Extremely fun and adorable. - Fantastic art style. - Plays great with a keyboard or controller - Somewhat reminiscent of platformers like Mario Brothers and Sonic Cons: - The game sometimes makes various puzzles a bit too easy by placing large signs with pictures of the shape of the ability you are intended to use in order to pass the obstacle.

The graphics are cute and the atmosphere is nostalgic, which is all good. Animation is great too and the music despite repeatable is catchy. I'm sure this is a very good game. The only major flaw of this game is the lack of instructions. I grew up in the 80s so I don't expect a game to hold me by the hand. But this one... just lets you wonder about the mechanics, the buttons... everything. And every time the mechanics change and you can't find your way, you're left scratching your head whether it's an intentional puzzle, something you missed, a mere button your haven't pressed already or you simply are not supposed to be on this level yet. I found myself watching youtube walk-throughs more than once trying to see if I am missing something. I'm sure with a small two page manual or in-game tutorial I'd have a much better time playing it, but today I decided that it's not fun enough to justify myself switching tabs between youtube and the game just to finish it. I'm sad that I'll miss the cutscenes and perhaps the ending, but then again, I think I'm not sorry enough!

What I like most about this game (which is an HD version of the 2009 title for the Nintendo Wii) is that it is a puzzle game that is NOT BORING. I like puzzle games, but it's relatively hard to find one that doesn't have a ridiculous difficulty curve, which trades fun for frustration. Here this problem does not exist. I mean, you can get stuck in one part or another, but solving the puzzles is not absurd, at the limit you may need some guide on the internet, but I don't think it will be necessary (maybe in boss battles ). The game has four worlds that have 40 stages in total, plus 40 special levels that are unlocked by getting the stage collectibles (three chests). The gameplay is simple, with the alien "Blob" being the boy's companion to solve the various puzzles, since you need to use his transforming power to proceed in the game. What may bother some is that the game doesn't have any tutorials, and you'll need to figure it all out on your own. This didn't bother me too much, but I confess to having discovered some things that would have made my gameplay easier only when I was at the end of the game. It's a fun game without being frustrating, and delivers around 15-20 hours if you want to make 100%. It's a good work by Wayforward and an excellent addition to the GOG library.

Simple play mechanics but very engaging. I played the entire game with my two young boys (ages 4 and 6). Mostly they just watched but they were able to complete some of the early levels. I wish more games were like this. Works nicely with a gamepad.