Ilomilo

I'm part of a generation that, at least in Europe, was brought up on somewhat odd kids television shows that featured odd animals made out of fabrics, flowers and a mixture of educational and quirky stories. I think soft drugs had something to do with, just as hallucinogenics have something to do with what kids watch on Cartoon Network these days, but it's hard not to feel nostalgic about something like Ilomilo that reminds me so much of the television I used to watch as a kid. It truly looks as if everything in Ilomilo is made out of fabric, and there are no deaths or game over screens to be seen. It's casual yet challenging, but let's first give you an explanation of what the game is all about.

Ilo and Milo are two cute little characters who really enjoy each others company, but at the start of each level they are a world apart and your objective is for the two friends to meet up. Walking along the paths of the three dimensional block puzzle you can alternate between Ilo and Milo in single player mode (there is also co-operative multiplayer) and pick and place extra blocks or special blocks (trapdoors, extension, etc.) in order for the two to join up. It's all very simple on paper, but the 3D nature of the puzzles will make your head hurt at times. The beauty of the puzzles is that you can never reach a situation where you cannot solve it, so when you're stuck it's just a matter of try, try and try again.

Normally this sort of trial and error based gameplay would soon have me fuming and cursing, but there is something about Ilomilo that just mellows me out. It may be the soft drug vibe of the visuals or the wonderfully quirky tunes and sound bites that complements the visuals perfectly, but somehow I feel relaxed even when my brain freezes. That's saying something and speaks volumes on the brilliant art direction of Ilomilo. Even when you're scratching your head as you try and solve the more difficult problems of the fourth world you will wear a smile on your face.

There are two major challenges in each level. First of all you will want to pick up all the safkas (little mini Ilos and Milos that follow you around), memory scraps and gallery unlocks, and secondly there is the challenge of trying to solve the level in as few steps as possible. The seemingly impossibly low numbers of the best players on Xbox Live will keep you motivated.

It's not an overwhelming large game in terms of content, but there is enough here with bonus levels and mini games on top of the campaign to keep you occupied for a few hours. Co-operative play is also an incentive to keep on playing while the title of the four included world "first adventure" gives plenty of hope for many more levels with upcoming DLC. It's a good thing Ilomilo costs 800 points, at that price level it feels like good value for your space bucks, but had it been 1200 points it would have felt a bit steep.

If you long for an innovative and beautiful puzzle game for Xbox 360, Ilomilo is definitely a game worth a closer look. It's simple yet challenging and oozes of charm and soft drugs.