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Rating : 8 / 10 Developer : Media Molecule Availability : PlayStation 3 |
Have you ever helped someone you’re trying to beat? Well, if you’re wondering what that feels like, Little Big Planet answers that.
You are Sack Boy, or Sack Girl, and your goal is to make it through the platform levels and collect all that you can, whilst trying to beat any opponents or friends you may have with you.
The catch? Some sections of the stage require you to work together with your rival to get through it. The question is who will be the sly one and dash ahead to grab the lead?
You play across a 2.5D platform stage requiring you to run, jump, and hold onto your dear life from start to finish. By 2.5D, the playing field has 3 levels of depth where you can be in the back, middle, or front. Obstacles are designed in such a way it requires you to constantly switch your depth to run behind or in front of a pillar, before being able to run along in the middle section again, for example.
Whilst running through, stickers and objects are collected to add to your inventory which you can use to decorate your sack person, home box, or use within the level designer. These are also rewarded at the end of the level for completing the level, finding all treasures within the level, and going through the level without dying once. On some stages you are unable to collect all of the treasures, which you can only do later in the game after meeting certain criteria’s; also giving you the opportunity to ace the level if you haven’t done so already.
The level designer uses the rewards you have collected in-game with the use of various tools collected also to create your own levels and share online with other players. Your level gets rated by other players, with various remarks of how they felt about the level and the community goes on with more and more levels made. As you collect more rewards from in-game and from online, you can use more of these tools in your levels to design unique gaming experiences, ranging from simple fun, competition, cooperation, to puzzles.
During design and gameplay, a lot of physical elements are present in the game. Wooden boxes for example, are heavier than woven boxes. Using these properties, you can create solid environments, puzzles, or mechanics to suit your needs, from marble, to metal, sponges, and more. Run, grab, slide; different materials provide different usable characteristics.
There are also natural elements consisting of fire, gas, and electricity. Fire will burn you to a crisp, gas will intoxicate you to death, and electricity will fry you to dust. Combining these elements with the behaviour tools, not only can you create a puzzling level, but a challenging one; having the environment and monsters up against you or others as the players.
There is also momentum as jumping from a good run gives you further jumps, whilst from a walk or stationary positions yields shorter jumps. Hold down the jump to jump higher or to pounce a little. This adds both technicalities in your jumps, but also at times, frustrations.
Graphics are simple, and beautiful; clearly representing the objects properties, whilst also vibrant and colourful. Then there are sections where it is dark, gloomy, and shy of vibrancy, creating darker atmospheres. Sound is comical and fun, whilst music ranges from cheerful to gloomy, rock and tech.
Not only do visuals and sound present simple emotions for players, especially for children, but the sack person also has some expressions of their own from happy to sad, angry to scared; fit and fun to situate yourself within the atmosphere and challenge.
So where does the competition come from? Each stage has a score board and time board. Have the higher score and quicker time. During gameplay, there are orbs you collect for general points. When you play, you compete for these orbs. You also race the clock to be the first to finish the level, gaining two different recognitions of most points and faster runner. The competition isn’t a huge factor unless you design something that makes it one, but it adds a side motive to the overall game.
Play at home or play online; you can always play solo or with people. If someone decides not to cooperate, give them a slap in the face; not literally but via game. Add laughs, puzzle solving, and fun. Little Big Planet is simple, easy to play, and a great way for people to casually commune with each other.
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