The Playstation 3 has had a pretty rough time since it's launch in 2006. The library of games for the console has been pretty thin when it comes to great triple A titles. That doesn't mean that the PS3 doesn't have any good games. The problem is that the crappy games outweigh the good games. Sony has been making promises and breaking them since the release of the PS3, but one promise they have kept involves a little game called LittleBIGPlanet, which could be on of the most inovative games to ever be released. Does LittleBIGPlanet fall short of expectations or does it soar above them with fantastic results?
"Get ready because LittleBIGPlanet is one hell of a ride"
I'm just going to come out any say it right here. LittleBIGPlanet has absolutely no story whatsoever. Players are thrown into LBP with only their sackperson and their POD. After the initial tutorial, players can play through the first world in the "story mode".
The Story mode is basically a string of levels through out various themed worlds that have players overcoming various challenges to get from one end of the level to the other. Some of the themes include a fantasy kingdom world, an africa world, El Dia De Los Muertos World, etc. Along the way, players can collect score puffs, outfit pieces and various collectables to use for their created levels (more on them later). Players are forced to play through the first world of the story mode before they are allowed to create their own levels or play the user created levels, which is kind of a drag but not too much of one.
The MAIN draw of LittleBIGPlanet is the ability for the players to create their own unique levels. Media Molecule has included the same tools they used to make the story levels and put them into the game, allowing players to utilize an amazing array of tools to create some pretty unique levels. The level editor is VERY complex, but thankfully there is a very nice tutorial that has players experimenting with various aspects of the editor one at a time. The editor tutorial is narrated by the game's narrator so things are easy to understand. It will take you a while to get the hang of the editor, but everything is worth it once you are familiar with everything.
Actually, here are a few tips I learned to get the most out of the editor...
1) Play through the story mode first because it will unlock a load of things to use in the editor. Also, play through some community levels because users sometimes include stickers and stuff that you might have not gotten yet.
2) If you really want to make a great level, it can be helpful to draw out what you want to put into your level on paper. Having a blueprint or a guide will make things easier when you are actually assembling the actual level.
3) Think outside the box. Anyone can put a ship, some fish and lots of blue onto a canvas anc call it a water level. Try to think of something original and unique that you might not see much of in the community made levels. Playing through community levels can also help get the creative juices flowing, but don't steal other people's original ideas. No one likes a thief.
4) Don't just remake a level from a classic side scroller game. No one wants to replay the first level from Super Mario Bros 500 times because 500 people made the same level. Sure, some people have made incredibly impressive remakes of the first level of Gradius and Duck Hunt. Just don't over due it.
5) The most important thing you need to know is to PLAY TEST YOUR LEVELS TO DEATH! It's one thing to make a very boring level, but it's another thing to make a level that doesn't work at all. There is nothing worse in LBP than a level that is broken. Even if it takes forever, play your level over and over again until everything works.
"Don't just plop a few things into a space and call it a level. Take the time to learn the level editor so you can make something truly unique"
The graphics aren't exactly HD worthy in LittleBIGPlanet. The initial story worlds look great and there are some pretty fantastic looking user created levels, but the overall look of the game isn't up to the bar that sony has set for awesome graphics in games. That doesn't mean that LBP looks bad. Actually, I would rather have the current graphics than super HD graphics like Metal Gear Solid 4. LittleBIGPlanet has a lot of charm in the characters and levels, which would probably be lost if they upgraded the graphics drastically.
On the sound front, LittleBIGPlanet sounds great. The various sound effects are nice to hear in the levels and the music is as catchy as the black plague. My favorite tracks came in the form of the Dia De Los Muertos levels in the story mode. The music really sets the tone for the levels whether it be a spooky theme for a spooky level or something whimsical for a fantasy style level.
LittleBIGPlanet is very simple when it comes to core gameplay. Players can run, jump and grab. That is all you do in the levels. The controls felt slippery when it came to jumping and landing on a platform. I found that I was constantly slipping off the edge of some platforms because I pushed the stick a little too far.
Playing LittleBIGPlanet by yourself is one thing, but playing with 3 friends is even better, sometimes. If you choose to play levels online, players can join up into a game with others or have people join their games. Honestly, i've only just figured out how the online works. I didn't really tell people to join my games, they sort of just popped in to play with me. There is one thing about the online that I really hated and that was it was really tough to keep track of where you are in the level. Players have to stay in a certain radius of one another or else they will die from going off screen.
"LittleBIGPlanet is hands down one of the most charming games of 2008"
LittleBIGPlanet is an amazing game with a lot of charm. Players will get about 10 hours out of the main story mode and there will be an almost infinite amount of hours for the community levels that are always being created. Not only that, but creating a unique level will take some time. You'll spend a lot of time with LittleBIGPlanet, even if you aren't creating levels.
I absolutely love LittleBIGPlanet, everything from the initial charm to the amazing level editor. If you have ever been a dreamer who has dreamed of creating their own little world, you will LOVE LittleBIGPlanet.
LittleBIGPlanet gets 9 Sackboys out of 10
"LittleBIGPlanet is one of my favorite games of 2008"
"Get ready because LittleBIGPlanet is one hell of a ride"
I'm just going to come out any say it right here. LittleBIGPlanet has absolutely no story whatsoever. Players are thrown into LBP with only their sackperson and their POD. After the initial tutorial, players can play through the first world in the "story mode".
The Story mode is basically a string of levels through out various themed worlds that have players overcoming various challenges to get from one end of the level to the other. Some of the themes include a fantasy kingdom world, an africa world, El Dia De Los Muertos World, etc. Along the way, players can collect score puffs, outfit pieces and various collectables to use for their created levels (more on them later). Players are forced to play through the first world of the story mode before they are allowed to create their own levels or play the user created levels, which is kind of a drag but not too much of one.
The MAIN draw of LittleBIGPlanet is the ability for the players to create their own unique levels. Media Molecule has included the same tools they used to make the story levels and put them into the game, allowing players to utilize an amazing array of tools to create some pretty unique levels. The level editor is VERY complex, but thankfully there is a very nice tutorial that has players experimenting with various aspects of the editor one at a time. The editor tutorial is narrated by the game's narrator so things are easy to understand. It will take you a while to get the hang of the editor, but everything is worth it once you are familiar with everything.
Actually, here are a few tips I learned to get the most out of the editor...
1) Play through the story mode first because it will unlock a load of things to use in the editor. Also, play through some community levels because users sometimes include stickers and stuff that you might have not gotten yet.
2) If you really want to make a great level, it can be helpful to draw out what you want to put into your level on paper. Having a blueprint or a guide will make things easier when you are actually assembling the actual level.
3) Think outside the box. Anyone can put a ship, some fish and lots of blue onto a canvas anc call it a water level. Try to think of something original and unique that you might not see much of in the community made levels. Playing through community levels can also help get the creative juices flowing, but don't steal other people's original ideas. No one likes a thief.
4) Don't just remake a level from a classic side scroller game. No one wants to replay the first level from Super Mario Bros 500 times because 500 people made the same level. Sure, some people have made incredibly impressive remakes of the first level of Gradius and Duck Hunt. Just don't over due it.
5) The most important thing you need to know is to PLAY TEST YOUR LEVELS TO DEATH! It's one thing to make a very boring level, but it's another thing to make a level that doesn't work at all. There is nothing worse in LBP than a level that is broken. Even if it takes forever, play your level over and over again until everything works.
"Don't just plop a few things into a space and call it a level. Take the time to learn the level editor so you can make something truly unique"
The graphics aren't exactly HD worthy in LittleBIGPlanet. The initial story worlds look great and there are some pretty fantastic looking user created levels, but the overall look of the game isn't up to the bar that sony has set for awesome graphics in games. That doesn't mean that LBP looks bad. Actually, I would rather have the current graphics than super HD graphics like Metal Gear Solid 4. LittleBIGPlanet has a lot of charm in the characters and levels, which would probably be lost if they upgraded the graphics drastically.
On the sound front, LittleBIGPlanet sounds great. The various sound effects are nice to hear in the levels and the music is as catchy as the black plague. My favorite tracks came in the form of the Dia De Los Muertos levels in the story mode. The music really sets the tone for the levels whether it be a spooky theme for a spooky level or something whimsical for a fantasy style level.
LittleBIGPlanet is very simple when it comes to core gameplay. Players can run, jump and grab. That is all you do in the levels. The controls felt slippery when it came to jumping and landing on a platform. I found that I was constantly slipping off the edge of some platforms because I pushed the stick a little too far.
Playing LittleBIGPlanet by yourself is one thing, but playing with 3 friends is even better, sometimes. If you choose to play levels online, players can join up into a game with others or have people join their games. Honestly, i've only just figured out how the online works. I didn't really tell people to join my games, they sort of just popped in to play with me. There is one thing about the online that I really hated and that was it was really tough to keep track of where you are in the level. Players have to stay in a certain radius of one another or else they will die from going off screen.
"LittleBIGPlanet is hands down one of the most charming games of 2008"
LittleBIGPlanet is an amazing game with a lot of charm. Players will get about 10 hours out of the main story mode and there will be an almost infinite amount of hours for the community levels that are always being created. Not only that, but creating a unique level will take some time. You'll spend a lot of time with LittleBIGPlanet, even if you aren't creating levels.
I absolutely love LittleBIGPlanet, everything from the initial charm to the amazing level editor. If you have ever been a dreamer who has dreamed of creating their own little world, you will LOVE LittleBIGPlanet.
LittleBIGPlanet gets 9 Sackboys out of 10
"LittleBIGPlanet is one of my favorite games of 2008"
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