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LittleBigPlanet
October 21, 2008 | 12:54 PM PST
Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
Do you ever wonder what happens to the people, places and things that you dream about? They do not disappear but the products of your imagination get sent to a world built on the creativity of the entire population. They all live happily in the world of LittleBigPlanet where Sackpersons inhabit and carry about their merry business. In this world, you are free to play, create and share your creations with all the others and make a few friends in the process.
What's Hot
You'll first be charmed by the whimsical nature of the entire game. The heavy use of cardboard and the customizable Muppet/Sock Money/Doll Sackpeople offer a tabula rasa as a spring board for creativity. It makes sense; give a child an expensive toy and they will think of more uses for the box than the actual toy. There is a fairy tale quality to the single player levels that take on drastically new level concepts. One that sticks out is a wedding themed level where each stage is decked out in Los Dias de los Muertos style decorations. It's very original stuff. It might not be as believable without the fantastic graphics and accurate texturing of materials for the lush illustrations. If you didn't know better, you'd want to touch the screen to feel the game. The narrator that explains how LBP works is soothing and comforting, just like you imagine story time at a library with a good book full of fantastic scenery.
There is an intimate and personal feeling that comes with the levels as you feel like you are responsible for the well-being of your Sackperson. Finding new level parts and character pieces keeps you searching high and low for new secrets as you attempt to collect all the treasures hidden in the main story of LBP. The level design is unlike the world of video games has seen since Super Mario Bros. 3 which is considered to be a textbook example of how to design levels. There are so many creative uses of available objects and mechanics and innovative twists on old concepts that you'll scratch your head on more than one occasion and wonder what genius thought of these ideas. The boss fights are a great example of what I'm talking about. For instance, you need to reflect projectiles back at the boss to destroy them. You are not invincible and as the levels progress, you'll run across stages that are down right tricky to navigate. It requires perfect timing and a pinch of luck to make it to the next checkpoints on a few occasions. Perhaps what is most remarkable about the single player experience is that all the levels were designed with the creation mode available to all players.
Instead of taking their ball and going home with it, MediaMolecule (LBP's developer) was kind enough to share. The tools they used to develop the game's levels are all on display in the creation portion of the game. Using the deceptively powerful level editor and all the tools and functions is easy, with one catch: a lot of information is dumped on you all at once. It makes the mode seem daunting but take your time and you'll be creating marvelous things in no time. The flexibility of the editing tools is really only limited by your imagination. Other games have done level editors before, but what LBP showcases makes those attempts look like Kindergarten finger paintings.
LBP does something that no other video game has done before – it incorporates the social aspect of video games over the internet. Much like YouTube and Flickr have done for media sharing, LBP connects people and gamers in new ways drawing on the wisdom of the crowds to keep up the support of the title long after the developers move onto their next conquest. Up to four other people can explore levels with you online and all kinds of antics will ensue. I have never had so much fun with an online game. You wouldn't think a nearly 2D environment would be such a sandbox to play in but LBP proves again that it doesn't fit into any existing mold.
The gaming industry has been craving a uniquely original game for some time. I can only think of a few games that can be truly called agents of change for the industry. Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Doom and Grand Theft Auto 3 are examples of what I mean. Those games profoundly impacted the gaming culture and are still the basis of what many games are built on today. LBP can now claim its spot on gaming's Mt. Olympus because it redefines what it means to play video games.
What's Not
LBP does have one minor issue: controlling the character. Even though the game appears in two dimensions, you can move three dimensionally to an extent. There will be times where an object looks like you can grab it but you'll need to move to the back to the front of the screen to interact with it. There were a few spots that it made life, but there wasn't any point where it led to controller throwing aggravation.
There is one other issue that some would call an embarrassment of riches. Because there will be so much content available to choose from, sifting through what is worth your time and what is junk (or inappropriate) might be a challenging task. There is a tagging system and you can heart levels but when you want to venture into the wild and chart unexplored levels, it might be like digging through the mud to find a diamond. That problem hasn't stopped YouTube or other social websites but it is something gamers looking for a Garden of Eden of content might want to consider so they don't have unrealistic expectations.
Final Word
LBP is one of the most important games to be released this decade. A tall order with the hype machine running overtime for the game but the way it reinvents how video games are played is sure to have lasting effects indefinitely. It is impossible not to fall in love with all the charm LBP oozes. Playing with friends and swapping levels is sure to intoxicate even the most jaded gamer and make them feel like they were just picking up the controller and experiencing the same sense of curiosity and amazement the first time they set eyes on a video game. Any problems with LBP are negligible and fade into the background as you are pulled into a beautiful world that captures the essence of what it means to be a gamer. LittleBigPlanet is a masterpiece.
What the Game's About
Do you ever wonder what happens to the people, places and things that you dream about? They do not disappear but the products of your imagination get sent to a world built on the creativity of the entire population. They all live happily in the world of LittleBigPlanet where Sackpersons inhabit and carry about their merry business. In this world, you are free to play, create and share your creations with all the others and make a few friends in the process.
What's Hot
You'll first be charmed by the whimsical nature of the entire game. The heavy use of cardboard and the customizable Muppet/Sock Money/Doll Sackpeople offer a tabula rasa as a spring board for creativity. It makes sense; give a child an expensive toy and they will think of more uses for the box than the actual toy. There is a fairy tale quality to the single player levels that take on drastically new level concepts. One that sticks out is a wedding themed level where each stage is decked out in Los Dias de los Muertos style decorations. It's very original stuff. It might not be as believable without the fantastic graphics and accurate texturing of materials for the lush illustrations. If you didn't know better, you'd want to touch the screen to feel the game. The narrator that explains how LBP works is soothing and comforting, just like you imagine story time at a library with a good book full of fantastic scenery.
There is an intimate and personal feeling that comes with the levels as you feel like you are responsible for the well-being of your Sackperson. Finding new level parts and character pieces keeps you searching high and low for new secrets as you attempt to collect all the treasures hidden in the main story of LBP. The level design is unlike the world of video games has seen since Super Mario Bros. 3 which is considered to be a textbook example of how to design levels. There are so many creative uses of available objects and mechanics and innovative twists on old concepts that you'll scratch your head on more than one occasion and wonder what genius thought of these ideas. The boss fights are a great example of what I'm talking about. For instance, you need to reflect projectiles back at the boss to destroy them. You are not invincible and as the levels progress, you'll run across stages that are down right tricky to navigate. It requires perfect timing and a pinch of luck to make it to the next checkpoints on a few occasions. Perhaps what is most remarkable about the single player experience is that all the levels were designed with the creation mode available to all players.
Instead of taking their ball and going home with it, MediaMolecule (LBP's developer) was kind enough to share. The tools they used to develop the game's levels are all on display in the creation portion of the game. Using the deceptively powerful level editor and all the tools and functions is easy, with one catch: a lot of information is dumped on you all at once. It makes the mode seem daunting but take your time and you'll be creating marvelous things in no time. The flexibility of the editing tools is really only limited by your imagination. Other games have done level editors before, but what LBP showcases makes those attempts look like Kindergarten finger paintings.
LBP does something that no other video game has done before – it incorporates the social aspect of video games over the internet. Much like YouTube and Flickr have done for media sharing, LBP connects people and gamers in new ways drawing on the wisdom of the crowds to keep up the support of the title long after the developers move onto their next conquest. Up to four other people can explore levels with you online and all kinds of antics will ensue. I have never had so much fun with an online game. You wouldn't think a nearly 2D environment would be such a sandbox to play in but LBP proves again that it doesn't fit into any existing mold.
The gaming industry has been craving a uniquely original game for some time. I can only think of a few games that can be truly called agents of change for the industry. Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Doom and Grand Theft Auto 3 are examples of what I mean. Those games profoundly impacted the gaming culture and are still the basis of what many games are built on today. LBP can now claim its spot on gaming's Mt. Olympus because it redefines what it means to play video games.
What's Not
LBP does have one minor issue: controlling the character. Even though the game appears in two dimensions, you can move three dimensionally to an extent. There will be times where an object looks like you can grab it but you'll need to move to the back to the front of the screen to interact with it. There were a few spots that it made life, but there wasn't any point where it led to controller throwing aggravation.
There is one other issue that some would call an embarrassment of riches. Because there will be so much content available to choose from, sifting through what is worth your time and what is junk (or inappropriate) might be a challenging task. There is a tagging system and you can heart levels but when you want to venture into the wild and chart unexplored levels, it might be like digging through the mud to find a diamond. That problem hasn't stopped YouTube or other social websites but it is something gamers looking for a Garden of Eden of content might want to consider so they don't have unrealistic expectations.
Final Word
LBP is one of the most important games to be released this decade. A tall order with the hype machine running overtime for the game but the way it reinvents how video games are played is sure to have lasting effects indefinitely. It is impossible not to fall in love with all the charm LBP oozes. Playing with friends and swapping levels is sure to intoxicate even the most jaded gamer and make them feel like they were just picking up the controller and experiencing the same sense of curiosity and amazement the first time they set eyes on a video game. Any problems with LBP are negligible and fade into the background as you are pulled into a beautiful world that captures the essence of what it means to be a gamer. LittleBigPlanet is a masterpiece.
November 20, 2009
