LittleBigPlanet (yes all one word) - or LBP as it has become known by the gaming community - is a game that is impossible to hate, and extraordinarily easy to love. It really is the gaming equivalent of a puppy: if you hate it it then something is the matter with you, and people should avoid you at all costs.
In a gaming world that so often surrounds gamers in blood, violence, car crashes, sex and obscene language, it is difficult to express the surprise that comes with starting up LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule) and being brought into a cutesy world of innocent sackdolls scampering around a world that could have been created on a children's TV show.
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| Sackboy - prepare to dress him up and make him look as silly as you can! |
This is a game that draws you in with its simplicity and cuteness from the very beginning. The game begins with an introduction and tutorial by British TV personality Stephen Fry, who welcomes you to the world of LittleBigPlanet and introduces you to "Sackboy" (or Sackgirl if the player eventually chooses) who waves at you, and then proceeds to skip and jump throughout the gaming environment. Sackperson is a fully customizable character who the player can dress up however they wish. One of the fun side quests throughout the game is picking up extra items and costumes with which to dress one's character in different ways. There are also collectible stickers with which to decorate one's spaceship or "pod". It is nothing particularly groundbreaking, but they are all ways with which to enjoy the game.
The bulk of the game is a platformer about as old school as they come. However, its unique feature is an accompanying physics engine that is used for a wide variety of purposes, from building blocks which Sackboy can then climb to reach higher platforms, to using carts and vehicles such as bobsleighs and cars with which to zoom around the various levels. What is so much fun about the many gimmicks (the jet pack a personal favorite of mine) is that they aren't then re-used to death, as can happen in so many modern releases. Once the player has enjoyed the novelty of a physics based puzzle, the game removes it and introduces another one, meaning that the game avoids repetitive slog, and stays very fresh all the way through to the end.
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| Mini races like this break up the platforming action nicely. |
The environments are also extremely varied that take the player literally all over the planet, from Japan to the Wild West. LBP can best be described as a 2.5D platformer, with 3 levels of depth which the player will switch through either manually or automatically. This can be difficult and frustrating at times, as I found myself hurling myself through the air to land on a platform, only to find that I was on a different depth "plane" and was therefore hurling my snazzily dressed Sackboy to his death yet again.
Make no mistake, while this game is certainly child friendly, it is by no means a childish game. It does not employ a traditional "lives" system, and instead for every checkpoint you pass through, you receive a handful of new attempts at the next segment. Fail to reach the next checkpoint without dying five times and the game throws you back to the beginning of the level. Considering that levels are extremely long, and can take somewhere in the region of twenty minutes to complete, this can be a devastating blow, especially if it is your third attempt at a level with one part that you just can't get through!
While the game is not incredibly hard, it is much more difficult that its cuteness communicates. With the slightly sludgy controls, complicated set pieces, and LBP's innovative design that throws lots of different and new challenges at the player, this can be a tricky game, and is therefore not "Baby's First Game" as it might appear from the graphics. Children easily frustrated or who find computer game's tricky may need an adult nearby to help them through the tougher parts of this game. Some adults may even need a fellow adult nearby to stop them throwing their pad through the television in some of the later levels.
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| The level design is constantly innovative from start to finish |
Apart from that however, this game is about as non-offensive as they come. Even describing it as "non-offensive" does not do LittleBigPlanet justice, as it suggests a bland neutrality to the game. Instead, LittleBigPlanet is a bright, positive, uplifiting game that is a positive environment for both children and adults to enjoy themselves in, and is a delight to play. Even the levels with slightly more adult themes - such as when you have to break a friend out of a local jail using explosives - are handled in a childish, cartooney way that will not offend parents or upset children. Additionally, the ending to the game is simply one of the most beautiful endings to ever grace a video game, with themes of forgiveness, friendship, sharing and an upbeat view of humanity all present in an ending that will bring a tear to the eye of all but the most heartless of gamers.
Also worth noting is the level design tool that comes with LBP. The game allows you to collect various tools and parts as you move through the single-player story mode, in order to arm yourself with a wide range of items and objects with which to make your own levels. You can then throw share these levels with the well-moderated online community. Although this is only something that will appeal to a very limited number of gamers, it is an applaudable way of adding longevity to what is already a substantial game.
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| A buddy can turn on their controller and jump in at any point. |
Although it is tempting for people to see LittleBigPlanet as a run of the mill platformer, it is far from it. With beautiful music, stunning innovative graphics and original gameplay all packed into an extremely playable (and loveable) game, LittleBigPlanet is a revolutionary landmark title, and stands out as one of the best titles for the PS3. Anyone who owns a PS3 and is remotely interested in the platform genre should have this game in their collection. From a Catholic perspective, this is one of the few game that is not only inoffensive, but also has an actively positive message of community, friendship and kindness - all without being preachy or cheesy.
This game contains mild cartoon violence, rare instances of mild rude humor and some haunted house scenes that some very sensitive children may find distressing.
The Technical rating for this title is 10/10
The Catholic rating is A-I --general patronage.
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