Reviews// Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space

It's a real shame, because some of the puzzles are cleverly designed and they do work well, balanced alongside the light-hearted combat; but you feel constantly cheated throughout. You're never given enough freedom to feel like you're doing anything more than obediently following a set of very strict instructions. There would have been plenty of scope to use the time/space shenanigans in a much wider context, with different methods of getting past the same obstacles; but ultimately, those imaginative elements seem to have been implemented in order to tick a box on the design plan, rather than to form the backbone of it.

As one for the kids, Blinx 2 would be one of the best Xbox based options, but it does beg the question: is there any real market for this amongst Xbox owners? We can’t help but think not. Maybe for the young kids of Xbox owning parents this game is what they’ve been waiting for, but they should probably be pulling on Mummy/Daddy’s sleeve and pestering for a PS2, Gamecube or GBA instead. And although there are plenty of older gamers who would enjoy platforming titles, the condescending nature of Blinx 2 just won’t appeal. And whilst many kids may have Xboxes, they may well have chosen them on the merits of more mature titles. Anyone tuned into the challenges posed by the the Halos, Riddicks or Ninja Gaidens will stomp through Blinx 2 unabated. So who’s this actually for?

As we approach the latter stage of the current generation of console life-cycles, the platform genre seems to have split into three distinct categories. There’s the traditional 2D style, reminisced upon with the Metal Slug games and exuberantly pimped by Viewtiful Joe and Alien Hominid. There’s the classic, perfectly formed traditional 3D platformer, fondly re-presented with Super Mario 64 DS, and previously imitated in countless flaccid forms. Then there’s the new-breed of 3D platform action adventures: pioneered by Sony’s trinity of the Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank and Sly series. All these new PS2 platformers, although quite playable and accessible to children, can also be appreciated by older gamers; they’re challenging, long-lasting and tied to an existing fan base.