This new adventure of the Smurfs puts the famous team of the blues against a plant threat called Malfeuille. This poisonous plant corrupts the surrounding nature, transforms simple expanses of grass into dangerous areas, causes the appearance of aggressive creatures called Malbètes, and propels seeds of Maltrappes, flowers capable of imprisoning the unfortunate Smurfs who pass nearby. Luckily, Handyman Smurf has developed a Vaporissmurf that just might be a game-changer. This healing weapon (the game is essentially non-violent) is capable of reversing all these situations, all the better as it gains abilities over the chapters of the adventure: Grosplash to propel itself towards the ground after a jump , Smurfo-glider to let yourself be carried through the air, Smurfo-sprint to dash into obstacles and enemies, and finally inhale and exhale certain objects and creatures.
To increase the effectiveness of all this, the player should not hesitate to collect the resources scattered throughout the levels, the latter being sometimes really difficult to access. The game thus balances its accessibility and depth. The youngest players will settle for a little improved weapon while the most experienced will find the best hidden resources, in order to benefit in the end from a larger tank, a greater number of life points, better maneuverability while gliding, a tenfold power of the Grosplash or even a sprint jump. Accessible but by no means simplistic, the gameplay works very well. Some passages will even be relatively difficult for the youngest players. We are thinking in particular of the phases where you have to jump, then hover and collect spores placed in the air in order to prolong the flight, while bouncing on flying mushrooms which disappear once touched.
THEY HAVE COME THEY ARE SMURFS THERE
But the greatest success of the game remains its ability to transport us completely into the world of the Smurfs. The colorful graphics don't betray the comics or cartoons of our childhood, and all the local celebrities answer the call. It is thus possible to cross paths with the previously mentioned Handyman Smurf, Papa Smurf and his red cap, Farmer Smurf and his country accent, Lazy Smurf who can be woken up several times, Gourmet Smurf endangered by his great appetite, Smurf Beta and his replicas next to the plate, Wild Smurf and his primitive phrasing, or even Smurf Grogron and his famous ""I don't like". different French voices are also very convincing, which adds to the success of the whole.As for the playable Smurfs, they are the Strong Smurf, the Smurf with glasses, the Cook Smurf and the local superstar: the essential Smurfette. If getting to grips with these different characters is rather pleasant in terms of atmosphere, it does not change anything in terms of gameplay. From this point of view, only the evolution of the Vaporisaschtroum pf account. The game has a co-op mode, similar to that of some Nintendo titles. Understand by this that the second player is more the role of assistant (in this case a kind of robot smurf) than equal partner. The SAM (for Soin Aérien Motorisé) is capable of healing contamination and Malbètes, throwing explosive seeds and flying. Nothing more. He therefore masters neither the camera nor the specifics of the Vaporisasmurf, and cannot stray too far from the main player. Some grumpy people will always be able to exclaim "I don't like real-fake co-op", but this principle is actually perfect for a couple of players made up of a big brother and a little brother, or a parent and child.
I DON'T LIKE THE LAST LEVEL
As you will have understood, the game is on the whole quite charming. But it is not without flaws! Most of the time the camera is very (or even too) close to the main character, which causes some problems in the tightest places. On the other hand, if Gargamel does indeed appear in the last third of the game, the Azraël cat is on the other hand totally under-exploited. We see it in a corner of the decor at a time, and that's it! The developers, however, had the opportunity to concoct an interesting boss phase for us, facilitated by the size of the feline, which is not disproportionate to that of the Smurfs. Alas, the studio preferred to confront us with Gargamel in a rather awkward, even painful last level. This is a phase that mixes platforms in side view and infiltration, since the player must avoid the lantern of the evil sorcerer whose hands are only visible. But this last minute gameplay change is not well mastered. Bugs and rhythm problems taint an experience that has avoided any major missteps until now. Finally, the lifespan is a bit weak since five hours are enough to complete the story. It is still possible to extend the pleasure after the end credits, leaving for a few extra hours in search of resources left aside during the adventure. Some of these elements indeed require a lot of dexterity to be achieved, while others were simply inaccessible during the first visit to the levels, for lack of a sufficiently improved Vaporisaschtroumpf.
