LittleBigPlanet
PS3: LittleBigPlanet
By Leslie Tan
Less is more but bigger is better, as this Little Big Playstation 3 exclusive proves, by delivering the stuff that dreams are made of.
The most obvious way to describe the phenomenon that is LittleBigPlanet is possibly through the title.
It's a small, simple game as the word "Little" describes, but one in which the possibilities are endless, summed up by the words "Big Planet".
Game developers have been trying to hit this mark since a simple game called Pong infuriated gamers almost three decades ago. Nintendo came close on the console front with the Wii and judging by the sales figures of that machine, that's what people (not just gamers, mind you) want. It's the KISS philosophy - Keep It Short & Simple.
And LittleBigPlanet delivers just that.
Upon starting the game, you are told - in pitch perfect narration by British comedian Stephen Fry - that when we sleep, dream or daydream, all our untapped creativity flows towards a planet above our cosmos and is collected there in a world of unrivalled possibility. That's the premise in a nutshell.
LittleBigPlanet gameplay
Going straight into the thick of the action, we're introduced to the Sackboy, your basic ragdoll of a character whose appearance is limited only by your creativity. Pressing a button calls up the Poppit with which you are able to change almost every aspect of your Sackboy. Character customization plays a large part in this game and players will find themselves in the Poppit quite a lot just choosing new eyes, attaching (or detaching) bunny ears or giving their Sackboy orange dreadlocks - simply because they can.
After you've personalized your Sackboy, you enter your Pod, which is a home of sorts, where you can select the different areas to play in. Again, your Pod is fully customizable and it took this reviewer exactly two seconds to decide to tack a donkey tail to the ceiling (totally badass, I know.)
After the few obligatory (albeit cleverly presented) tutorial levels where you learn how to control your Sackboy's expressions (D-Pad), head and waist movements (SIXAXIS motion control) and jumping and grabbing, the game begins proper and you'll find yourself in what looks like a regular platformer.
As with most platformers, running, jumping and grabbing figure greatly into the game equation but the physics of this game are really what makes it stand out from all the others. Land too close to the edge of a loose box and it'll tip over because of the momentum. Jump too hard on a breakable surface and you'll end up falling through, with debris on top of you. Anything that can happen in the real world can happen here.
Of course, the things that don't happen in the real world propel it way above regular platformer status.
Not wanting to give too much away, I'll just say that there are unparalled thrills in orchestrating animal prison breaks, flying around in jetpacks and racing down steep hills on giant skateboards.
LittleBigPlanet gameplay
In the multiplayer scheme of things, LittleBigPlanet allows up to 4 players to play (either online or physically together) and this is where some of the best moments happen. Trying to figure out a puzzle or simply just experiencing a world together for the first time are, for me, some of the best moments I've had in videogames, period.
Having said that, the game's main pitfall comes from its camera. Frequently trying to position itself in on the action, it's great if you're playing alone; if you're playing with friends however, with the way the camera repositions itself constantly, a precision jump sequence can prove to be controller-flinging maddening at times. Of course, the presence of multiple respawn points helps but once you run out of lives on a respawn point, you have to start again from the beginning, which can be frustrating.
That aside, the Story Mode is only one aspect of LittleBigPlanet; the creation aspect is the other side of the game that's been getting people excited. Players can create their own worlds that are then put online for all and sundry to play in. The level creator gives you unprecedented control over exactly what goes into your world and what it looks like; the more of the Story mode you unlock, the more stickers, objects and contraptions you'll have to put into your own worlds. To quote a cliché, the only limit is your imagination.
All in all, LittleBigPlanet is a must-have for all PS3 owners; for those who don't have a PS3, it's a great reason to go out and buy one. Absorbing, inventive and simply pure fun, this is one game that will make you feel like a kid again in the littlest, biggest playground you'll ever dream of playing in.
|
|||||
