ibb & obb Review • Codec Moments

Curiously named but reflecting the simple premise of the game, this is a side scrolling puzzler where you control the titular ibb & obb through a psychedelic landscape of walls, barriers, jumping platforms and spiky dangerous creatures. On first glance you might think it’s a Mario clone where you work your way along a level, bouncing on heads and collecting the spoils, but it’s not as straightforward as that. To make progress both characters have to work together to defeat the instant death enemies and bypass the obstacles, but in opposing gravities. Making sense? What do you mean, no? Through the centre of the screen runs a dividing line where on top you have normal gravity but underneath it’s inversed, and there are various points along the way that allow you to swap between the two.

To start with you can use any route to go from left to right, with the real reason for taking separate paths being so either ibb or obb can collect the crystals from destroyed enemies. You can only destroy enemies from one side of the line, trying it from the wrong side causes disintegration, and the crystals only stay around for a short time. The easy stuff doesn’t last long though, and you soon need one character on the top and one on the bottom to make any headway. Things then start to get more challenging when the transfer points between the two sides of the line become character specific. Then trampolines get involved that need momentum to make them work, and you start to scratch your head…

ibb & obb is very challenging, it makes you think but you never spend too long trying to figure out what to do to continue the journey. And refreshingly it is absolutely aimed at co-op gameplay with “Two Player” being the first option on the menu screen. The controls are simple, left stick to move, x to jump, and brilliantly the right stick lets you draw on the screen so you can communicate with your online co-op partner if you’ve not got a headset. It’s smooth, slick and very well put together. It puts me in mind of the PS2 classic Kuri Kuri Mix where each player controlled a character on either side of the screen, and also the Portal 2 co-op missions because of the use of gravity, momentum and shouting advice at your partner each time they cock something up. Jumping from a decent height through the median line into another gravity zone to slingshot yourself to another platform is great fun though!

You can play in singleplayer though, if you’re a double jointed masochist. It is possible to play the game like this but when I tried it I found I was concentrating so hard on the screen and what my hands were doing it was making my brain hurt. I can see it being excellent for improving hand eye co-ordination though, and there is a satisfaction when you complete a section on your own. It’s good to see that there is no loading once you’re in the main game, the levels have a seamless transition and don’t interfere with your left to right journey, with only a score summary indicating the end of the section.

ibb & obb is a surprising game, very simple but very challenging. The co-op is great fun but when we tried out the online we got some lag which meant the game was almost impossible to play. I don’t think this is the game itself, more the effect of one of us with a slower connection playing up. There is a striking visual style to the game that is simple, clean, crisp and colourful, and gives it a very unique look. Complimenting this is the audio which suits the gameplay down to a tee, and is by Dutch music maker Kettel. I have to be honest, I haven’t finished the game yet because Andy and I have agreed we’ll work it through in co-op because we’ve been enjoying so much. However, I’m not sure what the replay value will be (or even if it needs it). What is good though is that it may have appeal beyond the hardcore, my girlfriend actually grabbed the controller and played this before I could because she was intrigued with the visuals and the characters. Pretty high praise from someone who doesn’t usually venture outside Where’s My Water?!

ibb and obb is from Sparpweed, an indie studio made up of only two people (Richard Boeser and Roland IJzermans), and is released on PS3 on 14th August (in Europe, it’s been out for a week in the US already!).

Sparpweed generously provided us with two review codes for ibb & obb so we could try out the co-operative online element, thanks guys!