e Blob is clearly a game that struggles with its identity. It’s not really a good platformer; shaking the Wii remote to jump makes negotiating the environment too imprecise. It’s not really a good action game; the combat mechanics are far too simple. It’s not really a good puzzle game; the most difficult thing you’ll solve is how to mix the colors together to make brown. I can best describe de Blob as a very chill, open world painting game. Surprisingly, this is more enjoyable that it sounds.

The powerful I.N.K.T. Corporation has created an oppressive 1984-like society where the world is devoid of all color. As the oddball paint creature de Blob, players must liberate the citizens of Chroma City by repainting every building, tree, and vehicle that stands before them. The story isn’t particularly moving, but between each level you’re treated to a hilarious short involving de Blob and his exploits with the hapless I.N.K.T. police. These movies have a Pixar-style charm to them, but sadly your actions in the game never connect to these story sequences.

Each level is a mini-open world that you are free to explore. Navigating the world is made simple by the game’s circle navigation tool. Holding down A points you to the nearby items of interests. The most rewarding aspect of the game is dipping Blob into the different paint pots and spreading color across the environment. Watching the world brighten up as you paint the city a rainbow hue fills you with an unusual sense of pride. The musical vibe makes this game great. Each color has its own sound effects, and as you restore the world to color you are also creating a musical rhythm. Being in the throes of de Blob’s pulsing color and sound is the closest thing to a sensory high I’ve ever experienced from a game.

The problem with de Blob is that I’m not sure I was ever having fun. While I enjoyed certain aspects of the game, nothing got me excited to pick up the controller again. The game simply lacks variety. You paint some building yellow, then you’ll paint some other buildings red…or blue…or purple. That summarizes 80 percent of the missions. The other 20 percent is racing through checkpoints and ­beating down groups of enemies.

I wish there was more to de Blob. The title has some great ideas and produces a great, relaxed atmosphere. The game is missing the most important element to a game: the gameplay. Perhaps experiencing de Blob in short half-hour chunks is the best way to enjoy this quirky little title.