LittleBigPlanet

Genre: Puzzle
Platform(s): PlayStation 3
Allegiance: Media Molecule
Vintage: 2008
Rating: E
Intelligence Agency Report by: Dante
Earth. Known in the multiverse as the land of dreamers, because humans spend so much time dreaming. Where do all of these dreams go? A world known as LittleBigPlanet, where Sack Boys run free and solve puzzles created by the dreams of every human. Some dreams are fun and wacky, while others are scary and dangerous. But on LittleBigPlanet, the fun never ends.

Weapons Expert Report by: Dante 
Story/Premise
Gameplay
Impact
Visual
Audio
9.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
Overall 9.75
(not an average)
Version Reviewed: PlayStation 3LittleBigPlanet is a unique kind of game. It presents a lot of the aspects of a traditional platformer, while at the same time having a more layered feel . Some objects are in the background, and the player has the ability to move between layers to get to these. It also puts an emphasis on multiplayer gameplay (so much so that, while you can complete story levels alone, you cannot attain 100% completion on some levels without the help of a friend). And if you just like oddball platformers, then LittleBigPlanet has that aspect, too. 

LittleBigPlanet’s story is kind of odd. There are several different stages in which you collect items and try to gain points. Each stage has its own levels that, for the most part, are self-contained and have little to do with the previous stories. The real premise of LittleBigPlanet is that the game revolves around user-generated content. Completing the story does help you out as far as generating your own content (some levels offer tools and other assorted items that you can use to create your own levels, although you have to at least beat level 3 to do so), but if you don’t want to create your own levels, you can jump right into the online world of LittleBigPlanet and see the creative things that others have come up with. 

The gameplay of LittleBigPlanet is simple, yet very complex at the same time. Some levels require you to solve puzzles to make it to the end, while others require you to face off against enemies and avoid being killed by them. You control a little sack boy, who is capable of grabbing certain objects (such as sponges and switches), and you are also able to control his arms, head and torso using various buttons and features of the Sixaxis controller. Online gameplay can vary dramatically from level to level. It depends heavily on the creator. Some levels are modeled after levels from other popular platformers such as Mario and Sonic, while others are completely unique and work very differently from than any other platformers. Sometimes it even seems like you’re playing a different game from level to level. 

Another key gameplay element is the creation mode. Using it, you can create your own levels, then share them online for the world to love or loathe. Players can tag maps, “heart” them (add them to the game’s version of their favorites; the same can be done with players), and rate them with a star system from of 1 to 5 stars. They can also leave comments about the map and how they feel about it. This game puts a heavy emphasis on user-generated content. 

The graphics in LittleBigPlanet are very well done. They give a sort of childish toy box feel to the game, while maintaining the general platformer feel to it. And using the different tools, it is possible to make almost anything (and have it actually look good, too). Character details show up very well and the overall feel of the graphics shows exactly how good the graphical power in the PlayStation 3 iswhat the PlayStation 3 is capable of from a graphics standpoint. Overall, the graphics are a really strong selling point in LittleBigPlanet, and if you like heavy detail in your games, LittleBigPlanet certainly won’t disappoint. 

Overall, LittleBigPlanet presents itself as a revolutionary game, bringing a level of customization to a platformer that the genre hasn’t seen before. The game mechanics let you do just about anything, and the user community has contributed over one1 million unique levels to the game. I’d say this game has high replay value, but I doubt you’ll ever get the chance to actually replay any of it; there’s just too much to do. It would be impossible to play every level, so you can never really run out of new levels to play. So if you like platformers, puzzle games, games that feature a heavy amount of user generated content, or any combination of the above, then LittleBigPlanet is a game I recommend 100%.