In an age where a lot of new video games end up being sequels or similar in style, it is great to see innovation coming from smaller developers. Such is the case with Tales From Space: About a Blob. A downloadable PlayStation Network title from Toronto-based DrinkBox Studios, the game takes a comic approach to the puzzle platformer genre, never taking itself too seriously, but providing a charming experience for all ages.

The game’s story (told through short and stylized animated cut scenes that feature no dialogue whatsoever,) begins when a scientist spots a strange sight in the nighttime sky. What originally looks like a comet, ends up proving to be a cluster of various colourful blob creatures flying through the Earth’s atmosphere. It just so happens that the blobs start to break from the pack and begin to fall down towards earth, with one small little orange creature landing just outside of the scientist’s laboratory. When he captures it and brings it into his lab, he has no idea of just how dangerous this little blob-shaped creature really is.

At its core, Tales From Space: About a Blob is a puzzle-platformer. However, it also features a lot of elements of the Katamari franchise, of which I’ve been a fan of for years. As you progress through the game’s campaign, you will need to meet specific weight limits to progress. In order to do so, you must solve many different types of environmental puzzles to ensure that you can engulf enough materials to make yourself larger, in the attempt to make it to the required weight.  Each level attempt is timed, so players are tasked with trying to make it through each one in the least amount of time possible. Blue orbs are spread out throughout each environment, and can be collected to deduct small amounts of time off of your overall time. However, every time your blob dies, you will gain several seconds.

One major way that the gameplay differs from Katamari is the fact that you are able to shoot out materials that you have collected, in order to defeat enemies, solve puzzles or break certain items, which you can later absorb the pieces of. These enemies will attempt to defeat you by decreasing your health, which can be replenished by absorbing more materials. Another way is to save one of three blob friends, which are hidden in each level, as they will replenish your health completely. Additionally, these little friends will deduct 20 seconds from your time when you save them. If you ever lose all of your health though, you will be forced to restart from the last checkpoint you passed. This adds more strategy to the game because, not only do you lose some time with each defeat, but you also gain time due to having to replay certain sections. Luckily the checkpoints are quite frequent.

The game’s campaign spans over seventeen levels, taking place in various different environments that are spread out within the area that the blob landed in. The first two missions take place in the scientist’s laboratory as you attempt to escape, but it is not long before you will be making your way through the local town, farmland, schoolyard, a major city and eventually outer space, engulfing everything, and everyone, that gets in your way. Each new environment looks different and features its own unique enemies, puzzles and items to collect, allowing the game to feel fresh. Puzzles get tougher as you progress and you will earn new abilities such as the ability to suck electricity out of one object and put it into another, as well as the ability to become magnetized to certain metallic items in the environment. Both powers end up becoming vital in your attempt to accomplish certain tasks or complete certain puzzles. One similar thread within each world is the fact that you are always ranked based on your completion time, the amount of blob friends you’ve saved and the amount of items your collected from the environment. Your best time is uploaded to each level’s leaderboard. Co-operative play is available for two players, which allows you to share items and assist each other in the completion of puzzles and tasks.

Its basic control scheme is quite simple in design, making it easy for people to just jump in and play, without many issues. Players control the blob with the left joystick, utilizing L2 to absorb items, X to jump, square to run and R2 to shoot out items that they’ve collected. When the powers are introduced, the triangle button is used to swap between them on the fly, with L1 and R1 each mapped as different types of that ability (for example, L1 sucks energy out of machines, whereas R1 will shoot the energy out into another device or conductor.) Generally, it’s quite simple to control the blob effectively, but there are times where the controls are imprecise during platforming and some puzzles where powers are required. Although the developers did a great job creating unique, interesting and challenging puzzles for the game, control issues sometimes tend to taint the creativity by turning a select few puzzles into frustrating endeavors.  These control issues are not game breaking by any means, but they do pop up occasionally, resulting in trial and error during some sections.

Graphics:

Tales From Space: About a Blob looks beautiful, especially in 1080p resolution. The game’s graphics are very colourful, featuring some nice detail work, and they pop. Its art style looks a lot like a cartoon, with a heavy 50s influence, especially in the way that certain objects are drawn and the type of caricature character designs that are used to represent humans (which can be seen and picked up in a lot of the later levels, but are also shown walking around in the background of several of the levels.) Each different environment looks unique and they are all well drawn, designed and fleshed out in terms of visual design. However, there are some times where different locations tend to look similar based on the look of the blob’s environment and the puzzles around him, but it’s a minor issue. The game’s frame rate is very strong and I never had any issues with it.

Audio:

The game features a catchy, original, upbeat soundtrack that works well with the game. Additionally, there are a myriad of different sound effects that are well-done, sound great and work well within the game, allowing players to become more immersed in the experience and the created world.  Each sound and musical sequence sounds great in terms of audio quality. However, it must be noted that there is no dialogue whatsoever, although the game doesn’t need it. Any important details are told through the cutscenes anyways, with some showing the front page of a local newspaper, with the blob heavily featured every time.

Conclusion:

Tales From Space: About a Blob is a very unique and charming game that provides a nice change of pace.  Clocking in at approximately four hours my first time through, and providing a decent challenge, I found it to be good value for its fifteen dollar price tag. If you’re a fan of the genre and/or collection games such as the Katamari franchise, you will most-likely enjoy it quite a bit. I’d never heard of it before I was asked to write a review, but I’m glad that my attention was turned towards this fun, creative and beautiful experience. Although it is somewhat simple in design and has some small issues, this is one I recommend checking out. It’s not often we see such a well-made creative game.