Shopping Product Reviews

LittleBigPlanet 3: First Impressions

LittleBigPlanet 3 launched last Tuesday for PS3 and PS4. It’s easily one of my favorite games of the current generation, and I’d like to tell you a bit about how I feel about this iteration so far.

General updates:

LittleBigPlanet was really cool when it first came out in 2008 because it had three “layers” so to speak. Your coat could switch between these layers to move through the side scrolling level. It was a nice way to update the old way of playing a 2D video game. Another of the strengths of LBP is the artistic value, integrating textures and combining artistic styles in stickers and level accessories. What they’ve done in this version of the game is add a secondary layer that your character can jump to or use other items to slide into, so you essentially have two main paths with 2-3 layers on each. (or maybe just two, I’m only in the second act or so in the game). I like the way this adds depth to an already interesting series of levels.

They’ve also added some interesting new gameplay angles – whether you’re choosing a totally different character to race through a level in an aerial view, or building a race car and racing another character, there are a host of new ones. ways to play. the game. Inside the game. It is simply miraculous.

The game interface also differs slightly in this version. You still have your “Popit” where your stickers and customization tools are kept, as well as where your blast tool resides. What they have added in the unused circle and triangle buttons are two new menus, a quest tracker, and a tool controller. In previous tool sets, he would typically run across a platform to pick up the tool and disappear into the level once he no longer needed it. In LBP3, you can access all of your tools at any time, adding to the puzzle-solving aspect of the game and the convenience of building levels later. One less rig to consider, and if I remember correctly, you would have a limited radius that you could use the tool in as well. The mission tracker reminds me of World of Warcraft in the way you can highlight a mission and it will give you a pointer on the side of the screen to direct you to where the next mission step is. Either way, these two little menus were a nice update to the game and they made sense to be where they are.

The characters:

So one thing I liked about the last game was the fun they had with the names: Larry Da Vinci or Dr. Higginbotham. The new game certainly doesn’t disappoint with phrase names like Papal Mache, Newton, or Marlon Random. While most kids who play don’t make some of the connections, older people can appreciate the nuances.

But let’s not forget about the game’s 3 new playable characters: Oddsock, Toggle, and Swoop. Currently I have only unlocked the first two, but they are wonderful to play with. Oddsock is adorable and fast, his strengths are running and wall jumping. Toggle can literally “switch” between a bigger or smaller self, capable of going through walls or running into small spaces, throwing himself through different layers, and being an overall badass. Swoop is a bird so I guess he can fly through other levels which could be quite OP depending on how they handle him.

Adventure / story mode:

One thing I was quite unhappy with in LBP2 was the story mode, or the lack of it. I went through story mode about a week after purchasing it, and I was wanting a lot more. I understand that the game is aimed at a more “create it yourself” audience, where the community levels are often better than the actual levels in story mode, but I do enjoy the unlockables and refinements of the game, so the Fact that it wasn’t too much to go back to which I was quite disappointed.

LBP3 does not disappoint. I have already invested approximately 6 to 8 hours of play and I already feel like getting back to the levels for the things that I have missed, but there is still a lot of history ahead as well. The levels are also set up a bit differently, where they have “storybooks” of levels. A main world that will take you to levels within it as you unlock or find them through discovery. Even in this main world you can collect prize bubbles.

Another thing I’m looking forward to are the other “modes” they have in this game. From what I have gathered (So ​​far I have only dabbled in story mode), They have created a mode that encourages people to play through levels using the building tools to progress further. If that’s the case, I think it’s a great integration of what the second great part of this game is, which I tend not to touch because I don’t have any idea of ​​awesome level. I’ll let you know if I’m totally wrong.

Group play:

Trying to find a game that makes you want to play with others, I personally think is difficult. With any of the new Mario franchises (Kart, Super Smash or World) you will find characters that you are familiar with and worlds or enemies that have been recreated over and over again to save the princess. (I think she wants to be saved, right?) LittleBigPlanet has a great way of involving others, so much so that I want my husband or someone to come play with me as I play each and every level. Teamwork is interesting – I’ve found this game overall to be a bit more challenging than the previous one with boss fights and level complexity, which lends itself to longer gameplay and more interesting replay value. The same goes for the x2, x3 or x4 player puzzles, putting together something more like Portal 2 within reason. The new tools given to you in this game make puzzles something to think about rather than one person jumping on a switch and another standing on a platform.

New tools:

So at this point I have 4/5 of the new sack toys in my arsenal. Accessories for the game interface that make it easy to access as well. I think the tools in this game so far are pretty fun. (the pump – blow and suck!), but also very smart (the illuminator: illuminate something seemingly flat to bring it to life). I really like that there are levels I’m playing in and I see icons for other tools that I didn’t have at the time, so I’m even more encouraged to go back and see how I can get those prize bubbles. It’s like when you finally double jump in some game and you can get to all the places you couldn’t before. So satisfying.

So can you say that I like the game so far? Media Molecule has outdone itself again, and I’m delighted with the longevity this game is featuring so far.

If you haven’t picked it up yet, I recommend that you pick it up when you can. Don’t wait for the holidays, who does that? I guess the parents. That’s fine, but maybe you will pick it up yourself and re-wrap it for the day and pretend you haven’t seen it before.

Do you have any idea? Share what you think of the game so far in the comments!

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