by Xavier Matos

Created on: February 17, 2009   Last Updated: March 29, 2009

I Don't Wanna Grow Up

In Little Big Planet videogames have taken a significant leap towards becoming creative tools the likes of which cannot be rivaled, and yeah there's a solid single player adventure in there for good measure. LBP tries to be everyone's game, and though it falls short of being a universal joy, it is undeniably a design gem and an experience worth a PS3.

First off there is the story levels, which are both entertaining and inspiring. The inspiration comes into effect when you realize that everything crafted here was a product of the same tools you and the rest of the online community have at their disposal.
The joy comes from the great level design, simple physics based gameplay, and incredible art design. The whole feel of the game is so joyful, entertaining and evocative of a Pixar film. Perhaps this is best captured in the customizable avatar, Sackboy, which you will control throughout your adventures and collect costumes to play dress up with. Ninja, zombie school girl, Mexican wrestler, you decide what character to roam as, or just swap every once in a while.
You start the game off doing simplistic and admittedly simple tasks, and the challenges and complexity of the levels ramps up nicely, involving intricate boss battles and ridiculous machines. You'll learn to jump and grab on to things, and see some of the basic physics mechanics and puzzles you'll be doing throughout the game.
The fact that the game relies so prominently on real world physics based puzzles and levels allows the player to get an immediate feel for the level. Some of the later levels are so creative, inventive, and downright cool, that you'll just need to pause for a moment and acknowledge the work that was put into them. On top of everything, the entire game can be played with up to four players, and there are even specifically marked bonus areas where many players are required.
Playing through the single player story reminds me of the prime days of Mario when there was so much innovation in levels and every play session was filled with the wonder of what the designers thought of for the next level. The last third of the game also serves as an incredible inspiration as you realize that everything they did, you could, given enough time effort and imagination, do better.
After enjoying the story mode, one may be inclined to delve into the creation mode, and one may quickly jump back out as though he was thrown into a fire, but patience will reward the daring. In short, LBP

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