LittleBigPlanet: One Little Big Investment
LittleBigPlanet hits all the high notes developer Media Molecule wants it to hit: a charming, almost sickeningly saccharine environ and character set housing a deceptively powerful user-generated level editor—both free and paid downloadable content, and a fun, multiplayer hub where people can just jump in and play through all the levels cooperatively.
While the core platform action is, in my opinion, quite lacking—I am willing to look past that and marvel at LittleBigPlanet’s entire package and what it presents to the player. The core game is a well-designed, albeit bog-standard sidescrolling platformer rife with excellent design and witty cues spread throughout. On a personal note, I’m not really a fan of the Eurotrash design elements littered throughout the game. Sackboy’s Mr. Bean–like demeanor, the floaty physics, and the overtly sugary tone remind me of overrated Amiga fodder such as James Pond and Zool.
Aside from the woefully broken, Fatal Fury–style hopping from foreground to background, controlling Sackboy’s exploits is a relatively simple affair; anybody who’s ever touched a joystick the past thirty years should be able to grasp the controls, so finding companions for the hilariously hectic multiplayer modes should be easy.
The main platforming levels, fun as they are, serve as mere foreplay to the real meat of the game: the level-creation mode. Creating and sharing levels is a snap, and even the laziest videogame enthusiasts out there are bound to at least try and make their own juvenile creations come to life. Really don’t feel like making levels? No problem, as both user- and officially generated content are proliferate. Of particular note is the official Metal Gear downloadable content, really great and inspired stuff. Nevertheless, therein lies LittleBigPlanet’s greatest weakness—the game is entirely derivative and doesn’t seem to stand on its own as a unique and individual title.
Graphics: 4.0
Sounds: 2.0
Fun Factor: 4.5
Replayability: 5.0
Overall Score: 4.0
Reviewer: Ryan A. Rubis
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Media Molecule
ESRB: E (Everyone)
Official Website: http://www.littlebigplanet.com/
Platform Used: PlayStation 3
Price in peso: PhP 2,495.00
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