Blue Tongue Entertainment and THQ's de Blob surprised a lot of people when it was released in 2008. The seemingly standard platform was filled to the brim with ingenuity, creativity and some of the coolest visuals the Wii has ever seen. Flash forward three years, and things have changed for amorphous protagonist, he's now gone multi-console, he's got a sleek new logo, a sponsorship from SyFy Kids and even a new cartoon coming soon and some cool action figures. In short, de Blob's gone Hollywood. Don't fret though, underneath the cool bravado, you'll find everything you loved about the original game, and more - just not the challenge.

Of course, the in game world of de Blob hasn't changed as much as the franchise itself. Picking up a few years after the events of the first game, the sequel starts off with Prisma City's general election to crown a new leader. Comrade Black, the villain from the first game has disguised himself as a mysterious priest in an effort to rig the elections and return to power. Guess what, he's successful, and his inkie baddies drain all of the color from the city and turned its inhabitants into mindless, colorless drones. As de Blob, it's up to you to defeat the Inkies and return color to Prisma City.

"...the 2D sections are a welcome addition to the formula..."

Much of de Blob 2's core gameplay remains intact from the original, you play as the titular character, roll around in different paint and bring paint, an in the process life back to the world. There are a few changes thrown in, like some cool new moves like an awesome Sonic the Hedgehog inspired spin dash, that offer a few changes, but by far the biggest change is the addition of a 2D play space that completely changes how you'll play the game. Now, don't get confused, much of the game still plays out in the 3D world, but the 2D sections are a welcome addition to the formula, and I found myself wanting more of them thrown in.

As in the original, a time limit keeps things running smoothly for much of de Blob 2. The only problem is that there's way too many ways to extend the clock to keep things challenging. It's clear that with de Blob becoming a media franchise rather than just a game, the sequel had to become for more accessible than its predecessor, but at what cost? It's not just the time limit that makes things way too easy, the game holds your hand and walks you through each step, even during the later portions to an annoying extent. It's only after you complete each section's main objectives that you're allowed to freely explore the game.

"...easily one of the best looking games of the year."

Though you'll come to de Blob 2 for the platforming, it's the stunningly original and fun ascetics that will keep you playing through long after you've popped the disc in. The game animates incredibly fluidly, and each section (once brought back to life) beats with a heart of style and genuineness that's hard to dismiss, especially when you take into account that the soundtrack is the perfect accompaniment to the game's action. It may not have stunningly realistic HD visuals, but de Blob 2 is easily one of the best looking games of the year.

Once you've finished the game's main story (in either single player or co-op) there's a few extra modes, including a party mode separate from the main action, but none of them are entertaining enough to keep you as interested as the campaign, unless you're the game's minor demographic of course.

de Blob 2 isn't an exceptional platformer, but it is an exceptionally well done gaming world complete with eye popping and colorful visuals that are sure to excite everyone from fans of the original to the world of the new demographic the franchise targets. It may lose some of its difficulty, but it's so full of life, ingenuity and charm that it begs to be played.