Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space Xbox Review

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Blinx is back, andthis time around, he and his time mastering feline companions aren't alone in their quests, as new to Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Spaceis the ability to also control the Hogs of the Tom Tom Gang, which are, as you may have guessed, masters of space. With this new twist to the gameplay, amongst other enhancements, MSGames hope to deliver this series into the realms of "best platformer" for the Xbox, but has it got what it takes?

Blinx 2 is all about control, first of which is time control, basically equating to abilities such as modifying time with all your standard remote control functions (rewind, pause, slow etc), and secondly perhaps the more unique space controls, such as the ability to utilize black holes and clones of yourself, amongst others. Basically, the time elements are given to the Time Sweepers (the Cats), and the space elements are given to the Tom Tom Gang (the Hogs), and you control both sides in their quest for Time Crystals, which happen to be scattered throughout various crazy worlds. The reason for this is integral to the storyline, so it is perhaps best left at that - even if you're playing it, all you really need to know is what needs to be done mission to mission and the storyline will unravel itself. These two factions are not friendly towards each other however, and they both want the same crystals, so being able to control both sides certainly adds a unique spin to the title, and gives a complete, rather than lop sided, story.

As the Time Sweepers, the game is probably at its best. Rather than a simple gun system, you can use your character's "time sweeper" (i.e. souped up vacuum cleaner) and pick up items ranging from time bombs to spare tyres, which can then be launched at enemies and structuresthroughout the levels. The "sweeper" is hardly the toughest weapon out, in fact it makes them look like a bunch of pussies (haw haw), but as the game quickly shows, they can be mean machines as well. As the Tom Tom Gang, stealth is your main attack with (usually) silent guns and other sneak tactics at your disposal. This is certainly where the game is at its most ordinary, as even though the "space" controls are on hand, not much else can be said for the game's originality under Tom Tom Gang control. The good thing is, you can at least use the space controls at will, the time controls only seem useful where scripted - for example, as a Time Sweeper, rather than dieing, it will rewind time before your character's fatality and let you continue on a different path.

Throughout most of the game, you will be using your time and space abilities to solve puzzles, ranging from environmental puzzles such as levers and buttons, to more real time puzzles, such as moving guards and security systems. While there are beatable enemies throughout the game, usually referred to as "Time Monsters", these are secondary elements that basically serve one purpose - to provide powerups for your time/space controls once killed. This is obviously the case as often they will respawn in key areas which just so happen to require these powerups, such as a collapsed bridge needing the "rewind" time control to rewind time before it fell. These enemiesare often very easy to kill and don't offer much of a challenge, however, you will encounter boss enemies which are much more difficult and meaningful, although still not overly challenging.