de Blob: An Analysis of the Visual/Audio Interface, Level Design and Overall Effectiveness

Many developers try hard to make their game open to a wide audience, challenging and entertaining while still giving the player a good amount of control and freedom. The developers of de Blob found a fine balance by using every aspect of the game to meet these goals. Although de Blob has some minor faults, including a unique control scheme that may take some getting used to, no save feature within a level, some strange camera angles and small bugs that include a buzzing screen when trying to start a z-jump and barrels that sometimes sink into the floor, it never lets the player get stuck in a small space and prevails in visual/audio interface, level design and overall effectiveness.

The overall theme and gameplay of de Blob creates appeal for a wide audience. It is oppression of self-expression and the fight to take it back set in a comical cartoon reality. The bright colors and cartoon aspect appeals to young children. While the revolutionary and graffiti/urban aspect attracts a more mature audience. The exploration style of gameplay can be compared to Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. The humor can also be appreciated by both young and old audiences, at the start of level 3: Downtown, a cutscene shows an Inky news report about the coloring of the statue of Inky and a witness identifies Blob with a poor hand drawing, while words scroll on the bottom of the screen in the Inkies’ language which looks like barcodes. Even though the characters are not speaking any earthly language the player can still understand what is happening due their actions and tones. The way Blob interacts with his environment is simply by touching it, similar to Katamari Damacy. These things help make the player feel submerged in the game world regardless of age.

The challenge and reward system in de Blob is designed in balance. If the player completes a challenge on their first attempt they will be rewarded with extra color energy allowing them to progress through the level quicker. If they fail a challenge they can prepare and do better the next time. In the slums of Downtown in level 3, small streams of ink are set up just far away enough from water so when the player gets inked they will run out of health right before they reach the salvation of water, however they can acquire many lives throughout the level. The levels also have a time limit but by collecting time bonuses from completing tasks the player can increase their playtime.

Unique obstacles, increasing difficulty, powerups and mini-levels can increase the fun factor and keep the game from becoming repetitious. Ramps and pumps send the player flying through the air and into things to paint while floors made out of fire, electricity and spikes hinder the player’s progress. As the player goes through the game, levels will get longer and more difficult with stronger and more numerous enemies as well as tougher challenges. Placing water next to paint or many targetable objects next to each other also increases difficulty. Even colors can increase difficulty; it can be difficult to see Paintbots among Raydians or many Paintbots can be in close proximity to each other, this can result in a player obtaining a color the player does not wish to have adding a frustrating and intentional element of carefulness midway through the game. Secret missions (mini-levels) will also get harder and will require the player to not only use a variety of colors but also all the jumping techniques they have become familiar with, such is the case in the secret missions Miles O’ Silos and Billboard-o-rama.

From the start the player feels a sense of freedom and control. The player can scribble on the load, menu, pause and tutorial screens with the 7 colors present in the game. They can also choose the type of music, like funky or smooth, and color nearly everything in an area. Large environments and the ability to jump, wall jump, z-jump and climb all around allow the player to really explore the areas. Giving the player the option of when to finish a level, as well as the “Free Paint” and “Blob Party” (multiplayer) modes adds to this feeling.

The visual interface of de Blob is a big part of submersing the player. Mixing colors helps the player remember color combinations. The trail that Blob leaves behind him can serve as a reminder of where the player has already been as well as adding to the overall colorfulness. By jumping to high vantage points, like the top of the Financial District in level 2, allows the player to see if they have missed a spot. Colors can even have meanings, like when the player is asked to give the Raydians hope by painting the slums blue in level 3. Paint tankers let Blob become super colorful for a short period of time in which he will change color every 2 seconds and stay at one hundred paint point no matter what he does. He will also have some faded urban symbols (such as skulls) and bright lights of color coming out of him. The arrow that follows him will also change in color with Blob and grow bigger. The player is also rewarded with more color to feast their eyes upon giving them a sense of accomplishment, similar to Okami. When the player cleans all the ink out Chroma Dam in level 4, giant colorful fish start to leap all around. Even the levels in the level selection screen change from dull to colorful when a level is completed. Many color, map and pattern combinations make every screen shot and dramatic camera angle look artistic and unique.

The audio interface of de Blob helps the color paint a picture for the player. Whenever Blob paints something a musical element is heard depending on the color used, a “whamp” sound is heard if he is colorless. These sounds blend with and change depending on the music, red plays saxophone, blue plays guitar, brown plays scratch and breaks etc. Cymbals are heard at the end of z-jump sequences. When the player takes over landmarks, like the Church of Inktology or the Raydian Reeducation Center, they transform from boring black and white structures to funky colorful ones while bongos are heard and paint splashes the screen. When Blob gets inked, the music changes to a sluggish sound so the player will be inclined to seek water quickly.

The level design in de Blob also helps to submerse the player while giving them freedom and control. At the beginning of a level Blob pops out through a closed drain, looks at the screen and shows that he is ready for action. At the end of a level jazzy music is played and Blob does a victory dance before diving straight down into a drain and vanishing into the underground. Levels are big and are split up into different sections creating large and unique environments for the player to explore. Completing a challenge will usually lead the player to a new one. Levels are set up so the player who just wants to get to the end as fast as possible is able to do so, but the player who wants to collect all the Styles, color everything, complete all the challenges and liberate all the Graydians to achieve all the awards will find some of his ventures quite challenging. Finding a high point in each level to paint the blimp, finding and painting all the billboards and trees and figuring out how to paint buildings that are surrounded by others on all sides, like in level 1: Last Resort, all add a degree of extra challenge. This can lead to long gameplay and a frustrated perfectionist player, however unlocking all the extra features, like concept art and movies, does not require 100% completion of a level, just a gold medal. The player will always find a life when they might need it, before or after a tough situation, and they will find water near an area with enemies in order not to lose a life.

The developers of de Blob understood the challenge of making a well balanced game that can appeal to a wide audience while still giving the player freedom and control. Many developers have tried to pull this off, but the people at Blue Tongue and Helixe were successful with de Blob. Using colors, sounds, actions and level design to bring the player into the game they were able to keep the game challenging, entertaining and original from beginning to end.