LittleBigPlanet 2 Review

Little Big Review

I'm a bit amazed today, I have put so many hours into LittleBigPlanet 2 that it's pretty scary already. I spent the last couple of days on it and I can tell you, it's so much better than the first game by miles and miles. It has some elements from the old game but everything has been totally revamped and totally pushed to the limit for user generated content.

Gameplay

LittleBigPlanet originally didn't strike me as feature packed to begin with, but after a month of play with it, I revised my original opinion on the game. I'd unlocked a bunch of crazy stuff and something clicked with it, the level editor rocked and suddenly I was playing game developer in my own little big sandbox.

Now it's even more impressive, more tools and more creation options than before assaulted me when I played 2 and I love it. It's not just the whole user creation that's been pimped out this time; the game is charming and oozes quality from every second that you play it. What really impresses this time around is that the stilted campaign setups, badly done dialogue and crappy characters from the first game have been replaced with new models, new voice work and a proper campaign mode.

It doesn't feel like someone just basically cobbled together a few levels to tell a terrible story.

The game also features shifts in perspectives since it is packed with a ton of new content, items, designs and even more - now you can play different mini-games and so on with a new view, shooters and more await in the worlds that have been created and there's millions of levels already out there that work with LBP2 already.

The main game levels are a delightful mix of platforming and puzzling that'll be familiar to fans of the previous game, as well as being accessible to new fans as well. They all have something that actually makes a gaming jackass like me smile. I'm usually into my shooters, my CoD and so on - this though, this is something new and refreshing for me.

There's almost too much here to touch on in a review, there's a mix of styles and worlds that will leave you scratching your head wondering how the developers used the tools that you get with the game to make them, but every level has been made with those very same tools and it's impressive. Even the new Sackbot AI is fantastic and those little buggers are brilliant at times, platforming, fighting and dying for the glory of Sack thing.

Yeah, you're now a Sack thing, I suppose this stops gender issues right now.

Until someone complains they're a thing and that Sack thing is offensive to things.

The controls have been tweaked from LBP and I'm not going to go into the new additional tools, save for the Creatinator, which literally lets you spawn just about anything.

Getting into the community side of LBP2 is easier than 1, there are so many more filters, better designed tools and search functions this time around. It's really simple to find what you're looking for.

You can also LINK levels together so that you're able to make whole games if you have the time, inclination, knowledge and patience. I don't have that much time or patience, so I'll just stick to making little worlds that I can explore - or use to mutilate Sack things with.

Graphics

The developers have added a whole new spit and polish to this game, it's so much nicer than LBP and it has a charm all of its own. Basically everything looks much better and it really shows in the campaign since there are characters that look like characters and not like they've been chopped out of old bits of foam and cobbled together. The special effects, the lighting and all of it come together nicely.

Animations

Yes, the animations are better and Sack thing has even more emotion to the character. The worlds feel more alive and there are so many more moving parts, just get the game and see!

Physics

I think the physics engine is better this time around, there don't seem to be so many annoying control moments and the new tools take advantage of it.

AI

Two words: SACK BOTS, these little critters are awesome. Their AI is great and you need to see them in action to really appreciate their behaviour patterns. I wonder if someone can remake Lemmings with these little guys.

Sound

Nothing out of place here, move along...move along Luke. Seriously, the sound is great and full of character.

Music

It's packed with various kinds of music, some is good, some a little bad and some downright quirky. Overall - a lot to like.

Voice/Dialogue

It works, the voice work is a lot better this time around and well...there's voice work for a start.

Multiplayer

Hell yes! With your friends, against your friends, all kinds of stuff that you can think of packed into one awesome package of great gaming. Come on, buy the damn thing and think of the Sackbots!

Seriously, it's fun. What more do you want, a near-infinite spread of levels and some truly kick ass user ones. Check out the Dead Space levels for it, those are seriously good.

Little Big Overview

It is basically LittleBigPlanet ++++ and if it were a star, it would definitely be on the way to forming a complete world unlike the first game. In other words, it's a good game and you should rush out and buy it now unless you have no soul, in which case go and play My Barbie Horse Adventure Hairdresser Challenge 2.