Ragdoll Blaster 2, the much-anticipated follow-up to the wildly popular, cannon-powered, ragdoll flingfest Ragdoll Blaster, has finally been released by Backflip Studios into the app store. With a completely redesigned steampunk-inspired presentation and significantly more levels than the original, Ragdoll Blaster 2 reinvigorates the series in a big way.
Ragdoll Blaster 2 Pros:
- Everything about the game feels updated and improved over the original
- Over 150 new levels
- Many more sound effects than the original
- Plus+ integration sparks tremendous replay value
Ragdoll Blaster 2 Cons:
- None as of this review
The most noticeable difference between this iteration and its predecessor is the abandonment of the charming hand-drawn doodle-style look of the original for a more robust and colorful interface, including more interactive elements, such as ice blocks, teleporters, multiple cannons, exploding mines, and more. The menu system feels like Cogs, with its gear-heavy transitions and rusty-brown theme. Everything about the game feels updated and improved. There are over 150 new levels to complete, nearly 50% more than were available in Ragdoll Blaster. Levels are broken out across 9 rooms, each with its own background theme. This helps to break the monotony a bit, while adding even more visually pleasing elements.
The gameplay remains the same. The goal of each level is to hit the target to move on to the next level. Of course, you have an unlimited number of dolls to use, but most gamers try to use as few as possible. This typically requires a great deal of creativity and/or patience. In fact, if you wait long enough on some levels, stacked boxes might shift or an ice block might slide out of position, giving you an opportunity to save a few dolls and better your score. It is evident that plenty of thought and care went into the design of the puzzles, which progress from fairly simple to hair-pullingly difficult. Some will require you to fire immediately upon beginning the level to take advantage of falling objects and the like; others will require you to think out our plan of attack, figuring out the order and location of your shots to bring about the desired outcome.
The control scheme remains the same. Simply tap the screen to fire a doll. Tapping close to the cannon reduces the power of the shot. There is a reset button for quick and easy retries as you strive for single-doll excellence. There is also a laser-sight for improved accuracy that can be toggled on/off from the Options menu. The soundtrack is on par with that of the original, making great use of familiar tracks to provide a pleasing experience. Ragdoll Blaster 2 also includes many more sound effects than the original, including dolls that make comments and scream when fired from the cannon.
Replay value is terrific, due to the plethora of levels, the goal of continually paring down your overall score in creative ways, and the integration of Plus+, which includes global leaderboards for overall room scores and an achievement system. Each room notes a par score, the best recorded score, and your score for comparison. For $2.99, Ragdoll Blaster 2 is a 5-Dimple sequel that manages to surpass the original, which is no small feat.
