Before I start this review I should make clear that I'm not really a fan of computer games and have never really been the kind of person to waste hours of my life trying to complete a game. My boyfriend on the other hand is a big computer games nerd and can spend hours playing first person shooters. So when he decided to buy a Playstation 3 a few weeks ago, there had to be some kind of payoff for me, and that came in the shape of Little Big Planet which he promised I would love.
Background
Little Big Planet is seen as one of the most important releases for the PS3 and was eventually released in Europe in November 2008 after a slight delay due to issues with the soundtrack. It has been exceptionally well received by the critics and the public alike, receiving praise for it's visually stunning graphics, fun gameplay, but most of all for its unique approach to developing an online community based around the game. It is estimated that as humans we use only 10% of our brain, leaving a massive 90% of our creative ability unused. Little Big Planet is introduced to us as the place where all human imagination collects - a planet above the cosmos where our untapped creativity escapes to when we're asleep or daydreaming.
Gameplay
The premise of Little Big Planet very simple - it's a return to the format of the 2D platform puzzle game, so you simply need to get from one end of a level to another, completing various challenges along the way. You are introduced to the game in a wonderful tutorial by the dulcit tones of Stephen Fry, who talks you through how the controls work and instructs you how to work your way through the game and explains its features. His narration is the perfect touch - charming and whimsical and it suits the tone of the game wonderfully.
You can play the game in story mode, in which you explore 8 levels which have different themes - a rather sinister wedding where your task is to locate the groom who has not returned from his stag night, a Mexican theme filled with cacti and dynamite whcih sees you participating in a jailbreak, the African Savannah filled with snapping crocodiles and stampeding buffalo, a Japanese Ninja themed level and an English themed level. The levels are wonderfully weird and imaginative and often have a good injection of humour included - all of which combines to make something unique and utterly charming. The levels tend to follow the format of being introduced to a weird and wacky character
at the start of the level who asks you to help him or her, usually by finding something in the level and bringing it to a certain point. There will be puzzles to complete which can be rather challenging to get your head round at first - for example, one level involves using explosives to clear your route through the level - be careful not to stand too close!
The controls are simple - there are only 3 buttons you need to use - the left joystick to move your character, a button to jump and another button to grab. The only tricky control to get the hang of is the grab motion, which allows you to grab objects - usually either blocks which you need to drag, or ropes which you can grab to swing across ravines or other obstacles. However, once you get the hang of the swinging, it's definitely the most fun part of the game and there are plenty of levels that allow you to make great use of it, swinging from Chinese lanterns, sponge rollers or from ropes. There is no need to dig out a manual to work out how to play the game, the compulsory tutorial levels introduce you gradually to all aspects of the game.
There are frequent save points as you move through the level where you will respawn if you die, although you only get a certain number of attempts from each point before you will be forced to start the level again - very frustrating when this happens and part of what makes it so addictive as you struggle to complete the level. The game is on the whole fairly simple but has some difficult problem solving exercises where you will need to pull leavers to open new routes, or collect an item before you can move forward, so I have to admit that I found some parts of the game quite challenging, particularly the puzzles that require 2 or more people to complete them, so it's definitely not just for kids! This is definitely a game that is suitable for all age groups - the suggested age is 7+, although I would suspect 7 year olds might need some help from a logical adult in order to work out how some of the puzzles are completed, although in my experience, children often tend to be far better at these type of puzzles than adults!
But Little Big Planet moves beyond being a traditional simply platform game by the extent to which the player can customise both your character and the game's environment. As you move through the levels, you collect bubbles - small bubbles which give you points, and bigger bubbles which contain objects, outfits, materials and stickers which give you the tools to individualise your character.
Character and Customisation
You play as a 'sackboy' (or 'Sackgirl' if you prefer), who you are introduced to at the start of the game where he appears as quite simply a knitted brown sack looking like a rag doll. As you move through the game and complete the various levels you collect various materials, clothing items and accessories which allow you to personalise your sackboy and make him really unique. You could choose a different colour for his sack material - maybe denim, or perhaps pink with polkadots? You can select a range of hats, sunglasses and other items of clothing. My little sackboy is currently pink with a set of bunny ears and a bunny tail, wellington boots and fairy wings, or you could opt for a Mexican outfit with Sombrero and poncho, or even a Zebra outfit complete with Zebra head and suit, it's all up to you! You can do this at literally any point in the game, so once you've seen the theme of a particular level can you dress him up during the level to match. During the game you can also manipulate Sackboy's mood with the controller to make him appear happy, sad, worried, or angry - the degree to which you can control his mood is fantastic and makes him really feel thoroughly cute - just try the most excited mode which sees him with his mouth in a massive grin and tongue hanging out insanely and try not to fall in love! You can also control his body by moving the whole controller around - he can dance by swinging his hips and his head so you can have a real celebration when you reach the end of a level.
Sackboy's home is a little pod which again you can personalise to make your own with the items that you collect in the game. The pod can be decorated with stickers, flowers and objects, making it lovely and homely for your little sackboy. But you can stick the stickers anywhere you like - all throughout the levels you play to leave your mark.
Graphics
The game itself looks stunning - the levels are colourful and fun and the phsyics of the game are particularly impressive - you can move items and things on top of them will fall off, just as they would in real life. Materials look realistic - wood looks like wood and sponge look soft and spongey. The detail on sackboy's outfits is superb - you can even see cleraly the stitching on his knitted body! I'm reliably told by the boyfriend that Little Big Planet is only available for the PS3 because no other console is powerful enough to run it. From the fantastic graphics, I find this easy to believe. Bearing in mind the graphics, it also loads very quickly, there's no need to go make yourself a cup of tea while the game loads - there's just enough time to make your Sackboy jump wildly around his pod and then you're off!
Pictures of LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
A customised sackboy
Multiplayer mode
The feature of the game I was most impressed with was the multiplayer function. You can play with other people in your home as long as you have enough controllers, or you can play online if you are short on real life friends. When playing with other people there are parts of the game that you are able to complete that are impossible if you are playing on your own. These are marked clearly with a x2, or x3 sign, indicating that you will need at least 2 or 3 people to complete it. Completing these will win you extra stickers and items and these are often a bit of a logic puzzle in order to work out the solution. The multiplayer element can also help if you become stuck on a particular level, as you only need one person in you 'team' to complete it for you all to get to the end. The multiplayer mode also allows you to access levels that you may not have reached at the stage you've got to in the story mode - as long as the game leader has visited the level, they can choose to play it and therefore you also have access to it, allowing you to explore outside of the story mode and collect new objects and stickers. You can also bring other players back to your pod and show off your tasteful decoration style (or not so tasteful in my case - my ceiling is covered in purple flowers, I guess it's an acquired taste!
Soundtrack
The game is backed up by a cute and charming soundtrack, so catchy the songs will get stuck in your head, and each track seems to match the level perfectly - the Mexican level having a particularly catchy song. The soundtrack is so good it's even available to buy and at least one of the tracks is due for release as a single in the near future.
Create your own world
But once you have played your way through the levels designed by the games designers, the game doesn't end there! You can create your own levels using the items you have collected throughout the game to design your own level and then upload this to the online community for others to play. So there are constantly new levels being created and uploaded so you could theoretically play new levels forever! My only complaint with this is that sadly (and perhaps predictably) the levels created by the players do not tend to be as challenging or enjoyable as the levels included in the original game, but once you have played a user designed level, you are asked to rate it, so I would recommend choosing only 4 or 5 star levels. The fact that there are only 8 levels actually designed by the games designers is also slightly disappointing as these can be completed fairly quickly and although there is scope to replay the levels and try to complete the multiplayer puzzles or more challenging parts you may have missed before, it's not going to be quite the same once you've completed the game. But that's where it's over to the players to create more exciting and challenging levels!
Summary
Little Big Planet's tagline is "Play. Create. Share" and this sums up everything that is great about the game. Although it's fun and challenging to play in single player mode, it's in the multiplayer mode and the extent to which you can customise the game that really makes it come alive and makes it something truly different to any other game I've played. If you own a PS3 but haven't bought this game yet, you are really missing out. Despite not being a typical gamer, I have already spent many hours playing this and have found it fun, addictive, challenging, charming and utterly compelling. A game for all age groups and for gamers and non-gamers alike!
Little Big Planet is available currently from Amazon for only £17, or you can buy it together with the PS3 like we did in a bundle, making it very good value for money.
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the way of new ideas, thenLittleBigPlanetshould be the game to restore you faith. Its difficult to describe properly, which is a good thing, because it means its v...
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Community-based game in which players meet on a planet scattered with individual plots ... more
Design, shape, and build both objects and entire locations for others to view and play Full of places to discover, creative resources to collect, and puzzles to solv...
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Little Big Planet is a unique game combining an amazing platform adventure with a huge ... more
social community enabling you to play, create and share your gaming. The world of Little Big Planet is unlike anything you have visited before: a handcrafted landsca...
Postage & Packaging: Free standard delivery on all orders over £30 Availability: In Stock
If youve been concerned that the new generation of consoles has had relatively little in ... more
the way of new ideas, thenLittleBigPlanetshould be the game to restore you faith. Its difficult to describe properly, which is a good thing, because it means its v...
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Advantages: The most unique and creative game in a long time Disadvantages: May apear childish but don't let that get in the way of you trying this brilliant game
Advantages: Great for kids, Can go on forever, as people are constantly making new levels for you to play. Disadvantages: You do have to sift through all of the simple user made content to get to the good stuff
johnhobbs123 28.05.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
Advantages: The most unique and creative game in a long time Disadvantages: May apear childish but don't let that get in the way of you trying this brilliant game
Feb 8th, 2009
(Feb 12th, 2009)
exceptional by (15%):
very helpful by (85%):
