Little Big Planet examines the very nature of games -- the dialogue between creators and players and the relationships possible between them. It lifts the curtain of design as we know it, allowing the beautiful brains of everyone involved to spill out in a two-way conduit of creativity. Yes, it's the most charming game that I've ever played, and it's one of the most enjoyable. But the real beauty of LBP is even less tangible: creative empowerment at its finest and an unparalleled motivator to
want to create. First impressions are everything, and within a few short minutes of picking up LBP, you know that you're dealing with something special. The simple, one-level tutorial/opening credits immediately set the tone, with actor Stephen Fry helming the narration, British wit fully intact -- dry, cheeky and all. And while you can't miss Sackboy's darling visage printed right on the box art, the simple act of making him run around for the first time will warm your heart and make you smile. He's one of the most adorably iconic characters in recent memory, with the perfect shade of brown stitching, two shiny black eyes, some stubby limbs, and a zipper up the front. Like many other aspects of LBP's austere design, the Sackpeople are immediately likable and recognizable -- and they never lose their charm, no matter how you dress and decorate them.
Click the image above to check out all the Little Big Planet screens.
At face value, LBP is a left-to-right side-scroller -- Mario with even fewer options. You can jump, you can grab, and that's it. It's purposefully focused design at its finest, and it puts the spotlight on the interesting environments. Spread over eight worlds, LBP's story mode features some of the most endearing 2D levels in modern gaming, packed with secrets and even sporting a few devious bosses. Sackboy trots the globe to African, Japanese, Indian, and Southwest-American locales (to name a few), each thematically distinct and sporting tons of individual objects and artwork. The main exploration quirk is in the triad of 2D movement planes that each world's divided into. While the game is
supposed to handle the act of hopping from a background object to a foreground object automatically, it's not 100 percent reliable; I found it easier (and more effective) to just do it manually each time. Other than that, the simplicity endears and perseveres, and the perilously clever levels kept me smiling straight through to the end (and then again with a friend...and once more in the hilariously hectic four-player co-op mode).
The story levels serve another purpose, too; any objects and stickers that you collect unlock in LBP's level creator -- where the
real adventure begins. This ridiculously powerful suite of tools and decorations allows you to create almost anything of your own and share it with the world. Platformers are a good starting point -- but why stop there? Within a scant few hours of consumption, I played through logic games, murder mysteries, music videos, and more. Making good levels takes time and patience, but the creative satisfaction is immense. It's easy to get lost in the potential and spend time away from LBP simply dreaming up new things to try.
Click the image above to check out all the Little Big Planet screens.
The editor itself takes some getting used to; more than anything else, it's simply
overwhelming. You might just start by dumping random objects, shapes, and mechanisms into an empty level, simply to watch their physics play out and get a handle on how to use them. And maybe some aspect of what you've thrown together will jell, serving as inspiration for an entire adventure. Or maybe you'll come in more determined -- you want to make a working, rideable dinosaur, and you won't quit until you've done so. Or maybe you don't have a creative bone in your body; well, my friend, at least you have an endless number of other people's minds to explore.
Sure, such freedom inevitably yields plenty of "bad" results, but thanks to an elegant "favorites" system, many of the best creations are only a few clicks away. You can browse friends' favorite levels, other levels made by your favorite creators,
their favorite levels, or simply throw a few words into the search and see what pops up. It's easy to get lost in the chain of results, playing "just one more level" regardless of how well they're executed. Like any game driven by player-created content, it's impossible to predict the future, but I'd bet my beard that LBP won't die off
anytime soon.
Click the image above to check out all the Little Big Planet screens.
Of course, all the content in the world won't matter if it's not inherently enjoyable to sift through. And while the controls aren't flawless (jumps could be a hair tighter), LBP is an audiovisual knockout; the hip patchwork aesthetic, phenomenally funky soundtrack, and instantly lovable Sackpeople all cohere into one of the most universally likable presentations of...well, anything I've ever seen. And with full USB camera support for bringing in new stickers and textures, even the appearance isn't set in stone.
The most important lesson I learned in high school came from my philosophy teacher, citing Leo Tolstoy: Art is infectiousness. Never before in gaming have I seen a better example of such infectious joy, infectious creativity, and (even at this early stage) an infectiously excited community. Yes, the level editor has its quirks, and the movement planes can be finicky -- but I don't care about perfection when I'm having
this much fun. And the longer it's out, the better it'll become. I, for one, can hardly wait.
besser nur neue bauen^^
