Video Games, Editor's Picks, Reviews, Holiday Gift Guide 2008
Does 'LittleBigPlanet' Live Up to the Hype?
'Little Big Planet'
What it is: 'LittleBigPlanet' is rather unlike anything else you've experienced on a video game console. It's Sony's hope to bring alternative gamers to the PlayStation 3 (PS3) this holiday season, and is a wonderfully charming game to boot. From a purely gameplay perspective, it's an evolution of the fairly standard side-view run-and-jump style games (like the old 'Super Mario Bros.') way back in the day. No two levels are alike, largely because the entire game is all about expressing creativity, whether it be customizing your character to look exactly as you like, or building your own level from scratch to be exactly how you want it.
Or, if you're not feeling so creative, you can just download the levels made by others online, or play through those that ship on the disc with the game. There's no real plot here, and no real point either except to do whatever you want -- and have fun, of course. It's all wrapped in a lovely hand-made aesthetic that includes characters who appear to have been stitched from burlap and the levels composed of cardboard and styrofoam. It looks fantastic, but that hand-made feel goes well beyond looks.
Why it's different: 'LittleBigPlanet' is at the forefront of a new movement in video games that focuses on user-generated content. In this case, that means that anyone who buys the game can create their own levels and post them online to play. In fact, all the levels that are included with the game for playing offline could also be re-created through the game's unique level editor tool.
What we like: While most level editors are imposing and technical things full of menus that take hours and hours to begin to figure out, LBP's level editor is an intuitive cinch. Creating levels is actually a fun thing, driven by your character who floats around on a blank template, dropping blocks here and creating obstacles there -- all at your direction, of course.
You can even get a bunch of friends (either sitting next to you or online) in there to create levels with you, helping you out to build that giant roller-coaster level. In fact, the entire game is very multiplayer-friendly, supporting up to four players online or offline to run through any level. The controls are simple (run, jump, and grab are really all you need to worry about) and the little sack characters so undeniably cute (little beggars with big grins and burlap textures donning top hats and goofy clothes), that it's hard to imagine anyone not wanting to have a go at it.
Gallery: LittleBigPlanet
But there's fun for experienced gamers, as well. Sure, it's easy to throw together something simple and amusing in 30 minutes, but it can take days to build a long and challenging, yet compelling level. That's quite a commitment, but it's one that plenty of gamers with some free time are willing to make. The good news is that everyone else gets to benefit: Once created, levels are posted online for anyone to download and play. Some gamers have taken inspiration from movies, like the dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park,' while others have gone with completely fresh ideas, like a brightly-colored level in which you can run around and jump on paint rollers or a working calculator. It's an amazing display of creativity rarely seen in video games, and it makes every session rather different than the last.
What we don't like: We have few quibbles here. The controls are a bit "floaty," which keeps the characters drifting about the screen a bit too much and sometimes hard to control (they won't always jump when you want them to, for example). And as much as we love it, the level creator can be a little clumsy at times, making precise placement of objects and decorations a challenge, but it's light-years beyond your typical game's level editor, which generally requires hours of tutorials and loads of time just to learn.
What it costs: $59.99
Does it live up to the hype? Absolutely. Creating your own levels from within the game itself, then immediately jumping in and playing and exploring, is very empowering and entertaining. Add in three friends to help construct and explore and it all gets even better. The game is a lot harder to sum up than most of today's hottest party games, the 'Guitar Hero' and 'Rock Band' franchises, so it doesn't necessarily have the same overt appeal at a social gathering. But we suggest you get your guests to play, since it's even easier to pick up than those other big hits, and doesn't require any silly plastic instruments either. So, if you have a PS3, we recommend you pick this one up, invite a couple of creative-minded folks over, and prepare to act like a kid again.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brendan said 6:11PM on 11-16-2008
"side-view run-and-jump style games"
They are called "platform games". This game (LBP) is a 3D platform game.
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