Color me smurfed.

There are two types of people in this world – those that love and embrace the Smurfs; and those with a Gargamel frame of mind, hoping to boil them into soup just in time for the holidays. If you fall into the latter group, well, this review isn’t for you.

Now, for those of you that are still here, a new game from OSome Studio – the team behind the Asterix & Obelix games – is sure to put you in a smurfy frame of mind. Titled The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf, this adventure is a colorful, vibrant 3D adventure that’s sure to be a hit with fans of all ages, as well as kids looking to get through the holidays with some innocent fare.

Will it change the face of platforming games forever? Nope, but The Smurfs find a decent home here, in a game that fares much better than expected.

Enter the Vileaf

So, what the heck is the Vileaf anyway? Well, it turns out that it’s a rather nasty breed of plant put together by none other than the sinister Gargamel, who hopes to use it to wipe out the Smurfs. Its effectiveness does more damage than expected, forcing the Smurfs to act quickly if they hope to contain its growth – and maybe save the world in the process. (That’s right, the Smurfs are going to save your butt for a change.)

With the help of a weapon known as the Smurfizer (what else would you call it?), the Smurfs set out to contain the Vileaf. Along the way, they’ll also use secondary abilities, such as a jetpack and other goods, to get around and contend with enemies corrupted by the Vileaf. Can they save the day? Well, that’s really up to you, you Smurfers you.

Smurfy’s Law

While The Smurfs isn’t going to innovate on the same level as, say, Crash Bandicoot, there’s a rather engaging adventure here. That’s mainly due to the gameplay, which feels just about right on every level when it comes to getting around and using your Smurfy abilities.

Shooting the Smurfizer is surprisingly fun, accurate, and kind of makes us wonder what multiplayer would’ve been like between these guys. Well, hey, you can’t win them all. The single-player adventure is the thing here, and it’s pretty fun.

Other platforming skills come of handily as well; and the game has a pretty decent challenge to it, though nothing that will make your kids boil over in frustration. It’s just about right for its Smurfy little level.

Furthermore, the game has over five worlds to explore, offering hours of content throughout the Smurf world. That’s a bit of a surprise, considering licensed fare like this is usually a one-and-done affair in a matter of hours. You’ll be busy here for hours, upgrading your Smurfizer and having fun with these blue guys.

Smurf, This Looks Great

For a Smurf-idea game, Project Vileaf is well put together. It’s got colorful level designs throughout, along with a mostly smooth frame rate (well, on PlayStation anyway) and good animation. It won’t change the world, no, but it’s leagues better than what Ubisoft did with its Smurfs games a few years ago.

Not to mention the sound is all right as well, with pleasant music and sound effects to keep you going throughout the game. It also doesn’t pound that much Smurf language down your throat, thankfully.

Blue With Envy

Again, if you go into Project Vileaf expecting a life-changing game experience, um, you won’t get it. It’s lacking in long-term features to keep you hanging for too long. However, it’s got a pretty fun presentation, backed by gameplay that will keep you coming back for more. It could’ve used some better balancing with enemies in some places, along with possible multiplayer, but overall, we’re just Smurfed that the game ended up being more positive than expected.

Is that enough Smurf puns? Yep, we’re Smurfed out. (OK, really, we’re done.)

RATING: 7.5/10