PS3 Informer

Review: Is LBP a LittleBitBoring?

Allow me to preface this review by explaining what kind of a gamer I am. My tastes are usually geared toward the run-and-gun, blow everything up variety, and fighting genres. I'm a sucker for rip-ilicious fatalities and fluent action-adventure games. That said, I wanted to find out if the much-hyped LittleBigPlanet delivers on its promise to attract gamers of all stripes.

After years in the making, did the hype of LittleBigPlanet deliver? Did the gaming community become Sackboy crazed despite its sloppy launch? Well, most did; however, not us. Quite frankly, we're a little disappointed with LittleBigPlanet and we find it a LittleBitBoring.

Playing LPB, it instantly reminds us of a mixture of classic games: Super Mario Bros, Excitebike, Mario Party, and The Sims. How does these games relate to LBP? At the end of each level, Sackboy jumps on a platform which tallies his score on a computer screen in the background. Somehow, the fireworks exploding around the screen don't quite compare to Mario lunging as high as he can to reach the top of the flag pole in Super Mario Bros, obtaining last minute high-score points followed by fireworks. Secondly, Excitebike was one of the first games to allow a gamer to easily create a level and share it for another dirt-bike racer to explore. The addition of user-generated content isn't a new idea in video games, although many have hailed LBP as the first game to incorporate it well. A somewhat clunky and finicky interface in the level creator limits the enjoyability of creating new things in LBP. And lastly, the mini-games feel tacked-on and remind us of the negative side of games like Mario Party. For a game that purports to remake the landscape in the current generation, we struggled to find truly original ideas in LBP. Media Molecule combined elements of what worked in previous games, mixed these together in a fantastic dreamworld of Sackboys and Sackgirls, and served it to the masses. It's like The Sims meets Mario Bros.

Another reason LBP failed to completely entertain us was its reluctance to really allow the gamer to rely on their own intuition. In a previous editorial, we explored this trend in gaming that has developers holding gamers' hands much more than they really should. Seriously, the first hour we played LBP was a guided tour with intrusive tutorials and narration/video scenes. There should be an option in the beginning to either accept or skip a tutorial. Furthermore, every step of the way in LBP, inhabitants provide instructions exactly how to complete levels. This is a classic example of not allowing gamers to rely on their own intuition. Sackboys are nearly invincible, and this detracts from the overall challenge. If you're "stuck," simply hit the appropriate button commands to revert to the last checkpoint. Don't get us wrong, we love checkpoints in other games like adventures and first person shooters. Never dying and becoming "unstuck" in LBP isn't a challenge, but commits to the gaming style of cute and lightness.

The controls couldn't be any simpler: move and jump. We appreciate less complicated controls as it creates an enjoyable gaming experience compared to controller complexities in titles such as Ghost Recon 2 and Alone in the Dark. What's interesting with LBP's control scheme is the utilization of each controller's button, despite its two button operation. Each button, joystick, and even Sixxaxis is responsible for displaying Sackboy's emotions (happy, sad, fearful, and irate) and controlling bodily movements. LBP's commercials portray auto-emotions during gameplay, which enhanced its cuteness. While manipulating Sackboy's emotional state during gameplay is a cool feature, it's a bit cosmetic, and could have been better-integrated into the gaming experience, as in, say, Fable 2.

In terms of presentation, the game really shines. The graphics are crisp and over-the-top, but in a good way. The scenery mimics Paper Mario, which we do enjoy. The music is fitting for the whimsical LBP environment, and contains lots of variety. The 3-D world is gorgeous, but as many other reviewers have pointed out, it creates problems for gameplay. Since the primary action in this side-scroller is move and jump, the addition of different planes of movement becomes confusing. Sackboy can jump between different depths of the 2-D environment: the fore, middle, and background. However, this action is a bit sticky and sensitive at times which could become a nuisance during more complicated puzzle or jumping levels.

Initially, we were excited about LBP. Upon playing it, our excitement diminished. After spending an hour trudging through videos scenes and tutorials, our hype was popped. LBP is original in some ways, but feels like an amalgamation of other games that pulled off more or less successfully. The game definitely succeeds when it comes to the cute factor, likeability, and brand recognition from its characters. Our hats are off to Media Molecule in this respect, as LBP's Sackboy may become part of PlayStation's iconic lineup by associating him to the platform like Kratos from God of War and Metal Gear Solid's Snake.

Is LBP for you? Considering LBP is primarily a create, share, and play user-generated game, this could add to its gameplay or hinder it. Think of the king of user-generated content: YouTube. There are a variety of great videos to enjoy, but the server is also flooded with ridiculous content. If you consider yourself a "casual gamer" who enjoys customizing avatars, side-scrolling puzzler-adventures similar to Super Mario Bros., and have time to devote hours to designing levels, then LBP is for you. If you are a gamer who is easily distracted, needs near instant gratification, and would rather be involved in the action, then LBP probably isn't for you.