Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Ibb and Obb
Want to really test your cooperative skills and learn the true value of team work? Platformer Ibb and Obb might be right up your alley, especially if you love spending time figuring out fun and intense co-op puzzles. One player controls a green character, while the other gets the pink one (resembling a Pac-Man ghost with feet). The pink character has more height, while the green is shorter.
Throughout levels, you platform your way together, expect tough jump sequences where the only way to get through segments is by lending your height to the other player. Characters can jump on top of one another to get to their desired destination. But don't think it's just about jumping, players can also alternate between two halves of the world. The bottom half has an extra obstacle: gravity is reversed. Players will alternate between the top and bottom half, using warps to navigate between the two. You surf through the reversed gravity by landing jumps in circular objects, starting a chain to get you to your final destination. These jumps aren't always the easiest to hit and during my hands-on time, I realized immediately that if I wasn't precise in my execution, I couldn't hit my mark.
Enemies also roam on both horizons and your teammate is once again the answer. You clear the enemies for your co-op partner by stomping on them for diamonds. If you don't, the other player dies from their deadly spikes. I found the diamonds became as addictive to collect as Mario's coins. The imaginative, colorful art style is also noteworthy, going through these levels you almost feel transported into a work of art. The different uses of shapes and color add something simplistic and yet inviting to the atmosphere.
As I played through a level of Ibb and Obb, I was reminded of the fun of communicating with another person. It brings a thrill when you triumph over a tough puzzle sequence together. Sometimes the difficulty required to pass certain platforming jumps or figuring out how to pass an obstacle unnerved me, but then the moment the light bulb went off for a trying puzzle or I finally got the right flow with the reversed gravity, I felt the accomplishment. The satisfaction hits even harder when you have a partner to help cheer you on. Ibb and Obb will have online multiplayer and is looking at a spring release for PSN and Steam.
In the meantime, check out the trailer and screens below to get your fix.
Products In This Article
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
