LittleBigPlanet was one of the most anticipated games of 2008. First debuting at GDC 2007 it has caught the attention of the industry and has been heralded as the "killer app" for the PS3, but is it worth that claim?
LittleBigPlanet is a do-it-yourself platformer. Typical actions such as jumping and moving left the right is seen, but is broken up by the ability to grab certain objects. There are three different planes of movement that you avatar can move in; background, middleground, foreground. This new element dubbed "2.5D" changes some aspects of typical platforming game play. Changing planes is as easy as tilting the directional stick up or down, but most of the time the game automatically does it for you. This can be convenient, but it is also an annoyance. Sometimes your avatar doesn't change planes and you fall to your death. Jumping is affected by the physics engine, so precise jumps can be iffy. Controls are okay for a platformer, but it can be refined to be a lot more precise.
Story isn't important in LittleBigPlanet. The basic premise is to encourage the creation of your own levels. There are items to be collected in pre-made levels from stickers, costume parts, to material to create with, so there is incentive to go through all the levels before hitting up the level creator. Many rare items require multiple players or completing a level without dieing.
The graphics are tight and realistic. Different materials of cloth material, wood, metal, glass, and cardboard have incredible textures, especially the cloth materials. Music perfectly suits every pre-made level. The soundtrack oozes with variety and style.
The most important aspect of the game is the level creator. Materials can be easily created. Tools have incredible depth to create almost anything you want. When you first enter the level creator it is recommended to complete all the tutorials (which can take almost an hour) before starting you own levels. Stickers can be applied to materials to change the color and add some style. When your level is complete you can then publish it online.
Online is fun, but sometimes laggy. When finished with an online level, you are able to rate the level then slap a suitable tag on it to give other users an idea on what the level is like. Comments are also enabled on levels to give the creator feedback. Obscene levels can be flagged by using the "Good Grief" menu to alert moderators.
Overall LittleBigPlanet is a fun game, but the fun of the game lasts depending on the player. Creative people will find the game very hard to put down when creating your own levels. Average gamers will enjoy the pre-made levels and some online levels.
