LittleBigPlanet Review
By brukaoru 15 Comments
I re-recorded this a few times, but for some reason my voice still sounds unenthusiastic. Maybe it's a sign that I shouldn't be doing video reviews. I just don't have a good narrating voice. I apologize if the audio is too low or too loud at certain points.
Any feedback is appreciated, even if you think it sucks, do tell! Thank you!
Text version of review:
LittleBigPlanet
Platform: Sony PlayStation 3
Developer: Media Molecule
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
1-4 Players.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone.
LittleBigPlanet, one of the most anticipated PlayStation 3 games ever since it's announcement, has finally released. Does it live up to the hype or is it a flop?
LBP is a puzzle platformer that has players take control of a customizable character known as a "sackperson." There's not really a plot in the story mode, aside from sackpersons going missing and it's the player's job to find out why. Starting off the game takes players through a few tutorials to get the basics down, with a disembodied voice offering some guidance along the way. In addition to playing through story mode levels, there's also quick play and cool levels. Quick play will randomly select a new level to play with another online player and cool levels are the user created levels that have been published for anyone to play. Players have the choice to play online or by themselves. Playing online will allow players to join anyone who is currently playing a particular level. They also have the ability to join or invite a friend.
Depending on which level players are going through while playing with others, they can either help each other out to complete the level or compete with each other to see who can win the most points. There are some areas in story mode that can only be ventured through with a friend, so teamwork is required to get some items. Each level contains bubbles which can be collected. After the end of each level, players are ranked based on how many bubbles, items and objects they've collected.
The character menu, known as the "Popit" allows players to favorite a level, use stickers and accessories, change their sackperson's features, and type out text messages. The Popit can be used at any time. The area that is used to select levels and serves as a home for players is known as the "pod." Players can decorate their pod however they like with the items they've gathered.
The difficulty of LittleBigPlanet ranges from being easy to challenging, along with harder levels created by users. The variety of items and accessories found throughout levels can be used to customize a sackperson and in creation of player's own levels. Creating levels is a pretty simple process, but obviously it will take time to make something really complex.
LittleBigPlanet has unique and simplistic graphics, however it really looks amazing. In terms of sound, there's quite an assortment of songs. From original pieces to licensed tracks, most of them are pretty catchy and set a nice tone for the game.
Obviously a huge portion of LittleBigPlanet is it's online features. Players who don't have online access are missing out on the game's full potential. Without online, the game actually feels mediocre. The levels in story mode have little replay value, but that increases immensely when going through a level with a friend.
The greatest online feature is being able to access user created levels. Not all the user created levels are great, but there are quite a few already out that are actually interesting. After playing through another person's level, players must rate the level and can also label it with a short tag to let others know what to expect. As players become more comfortable with their creations, there will surely be more fun levels to play through in the future.
LittleBigPlanet was definitely made for playing with others online and playing user created levels. Anyone interested in purchasing this game and doesn't have online access should really rethink their decision before paying full retail price. Otherwise, LBP is a very fun game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With user created content constantly being published, this game promises to always have something new to offer. Players will be able to find a lot of content that will certainly engage them for hours at a time.
Edit: I say a lot of redundant info... Too late to fix now.