LittleBigPlanet Review

Prepare to lose all of your free time.  The miniature Sackboys of LittleBigPlanet will overtake your world with their irresistible cuteness and their grand adventure.  Exclusive to the Playstation 3, LittleBigPlanet is everything players had hoped for and more.

LittleBigPlanet feels like an old school, platforming adventure title.  Inspired by the classic games of this familiar genre, players will be able to pick up the controller and play with ease. Players will take control of the aforementioned Sackboy, a miniature figure comprised of cloth and charm.  Complete with emotions and manipulative limbs, these loveable guys are the heart of LittleBigPlanet. Navigating through a colorful world full of intriguing characters and bizarre circumstances, the Sackboys of LittleBigPlanet will have to jump across perilous pitfalls and use the environment to their advantage to make their way to the level's end.  Players will not have a health meter, just a limited number of lives and a hefty amount of checkpoints littered throughout each level.  The objectives vary with each stage but the overall goal at hand is to collect the scattered items throughout the level.



As the controls are limited to that of jump and grab, the real mechanics come with the physics engine.  Everything in LittleBigPlanet's world runs off of realistic physics.  Objects can be pushed and pulled to create platforms.  Dangling lights fixtures can be taken hold of to swing across spikes and other environmental hazards.   Even weight is taken into consideration as players can tilt and sway platforms as they stand on their edges. This gameplay aspect is key as LittleBigPlanet's universe thrives on the fundamental laws of science.  Blocks can be stacked as weights to pull switches downwards and players will find that they can manipulate their own momentum by timing their jumps against spring operated platforms and launching devices.  It is an incredibly innovative idea as players will have to really consider the possibilities of the environment and the tactics they can use to outwit the obstacles before them.

The physics would not be as impressive if the level design was not as creative as it is.  Not a single level of LittleBigPlanet is ever a dull moment as they all greatly differ from each other.  Whatever the wacky objective may be, the Sackboys and gals of LittleBigPlanet will make full use of the physics engine as each level is cleverly constructed to maximize fun and motivate cooperative play.  Within each stage, players will notice a ‘2x Players' sign which signifies a challenge that requires two players to complete.  These mini-sections will never be an obstacle for players who would rather play alone as they are often tucked aside and can by bypassed with ease.



The soundtrack is as charming as the Sackboys themselves.  Players will instantly fall in love with LittleBigPlanet's rhythmic tunes as each track sets the tone for each level.  Gamers will often find themselves humming the catchy songs and bopping to the music as their Sackboys make their way throughout their adventure.

Each stage will have its own percentage of completion. This percentage is based on the amount of items found throughout each individual level. As players make their way through this imaginative adventure, they will come across item bubbles containing stickers, decorations, outfits and accessories.  While certain stickers can be used to solve puzzles to unlock hidden item bubbles and decorate the environment, the main attraction is the outfits and accessories as these vibrant and diverse options can be used to dress the Sackboys with some truly zany combinations. Ever wonder what a pirate-zombie bride would look like?

LittleBigPlanet offers a multiplayer option for up to four players to play together. Online play is as simple as a push of button.  As players select a level from LittleBigPlanet's world, they will be asked if they would like to play online or play on their own.  Online players can communicate to each other with ease and watching four Sackboys jump and swing in their hilarious costumes at the same time is an amusement onto itself.



But the real point of the multiplayer aspect is not with the online play, but with the sharing of player created levels.  Utilizing the tools of LittleBigPlanet, players will be able to construct their own levels for other gamers to enjoy.  By being able to import pictures from the Playstation 3's hard drive, players will be able to craft a unique look for their custom content as their images can be applied as stickers to decorate the environment.  It adds a lot of replay to this impressively simplistic title as there is a lot of creativity to be found within the gaming community.

If the creation aspect weren't promising enough, players can also feed their addiction by purchasing downloadable content. The recently released Metal Gear Solid 4 Theme Pack, complete with Solid Snake and Raiden Sackboys and Metal Gear themed levels and enemies is such a blast to play.  Gamers can look forward to other companies following this remarkable example and offer similar content in the future.

While LittleBigPlanet does a great job of making players feel comfortable in the early stages of the prepackaged levels, some of the later stages can be unforgiving as platforming skills will be tested. Players looking to unlock all content should be aware that an extra item can be achieved by completing a level without losing a single life.  That being said, though LittleBigPlanet is full of smiles and good times, there is a bit of aggravation to be found with this deceptively simple platformer.



LittleBigPlanet is a guaranteed good time.  It is undeniably adorable and gamers of all ages will find nothing but fun throughout each and every stage. It is colorful and remarkably innovative.  Players will spend many hours at the hands of LittleBigPlanet and there is nothing but laughter and fascination ahead of them. 

Fun Factor: No game will make players laugh so hard.  The Sackboys are adorable and the levels are a blast to play.
 
Game Length: Players will take a lot of time to finish the prepackaged levels, especially if they want to gather every possible item in each level.

Difficulty: Not difficult at all but the end world levels can be a tad frustrating.

On the Negative Side: Later levels require carefully calculated jumps which take away from the fun.

Bang for your Buck: Player created content and DLC will keep players hooked for hours on end.