While Xbox 360 awaits sequels to Halo and Gears of War, and Wii prepares for some brain training, PS3 is lining up LittleBigPlanet – a bonkers-looking, open-ended doodle of a game geared to make imaginative use of the PlayStation Network. In LittleBigPlanet there are few rules as such, it’s designed to be an open playground in which cute ’n’ customisable characters experiment with their environments using items selected from a menu.
Your initial reaction will be that LittleBigPlanet is Just for Kids; its felt cut-out world reminiscent of children’s television favourites. Yet the temptation for adults to get involved is clearly part of Sony’s plan, if only while aiding kids to construct their unique little online paradise.
With no rigid plot to follow or specific goals as such, the intrigue in LittleBigPlanet would appear to be exploration. Starting off on your own patch of land with only a few objects to hand, players begin their quest to discover more about this peculiar make-shift world while getting to know other people via their avatars. Trees can be plopped here and there for decoration or you can plaster the walls with stickers and so on, but the real fun is had creating contraptions to ride and fashioning routes to access other areas. Some tasks in LittleBigPlanet can only be completed with assistance, for example lifting heavier objects, while others are best enjoyed in competition such as races or ‘toy fighting’. In the demonstration Sony gave at the game’s premier, characters were shown riding a giant skateboard and flying around using jetpacks. No doubt such items will be made available via PlayStation Network, and some might be deliberately engineered as rare or hard to obtain.
Sony will upload pre-designed locations for LittleBigPlanet to keep us all occupied, but the aim is to have everyone share their own fun-packed efforts on PlayStation Network. Incentive to keep involved will be the ability to upgrade each character’s skills based on activities you most enjoy, and the promise of rewards based on teamwork or success in contests.
A downloadable demo of LittleBigPlanet is scheduled for later this year. The full Blu-ray retail version isn’t due until early 2008.
Second Opinion
And then there was the excellent LittleBigPlanet. It looked even more impressive than the videos suggested, with the animation style likely to endear the game to anyone who grew up with Morph (all of us, right?) The demo was the same one shown at GDC, with players teaming together to jump on oranges, swing off bike chains and grab hold of floaty stars. Twee? A little, though the universal appeal is obvious.
But the user generated elements remain a mystery. Ultimately it depends on ease of use – games designers creating tools for the rest of us is fraught with assumptive difficulties. Also, there is “the can I be bothered factor”. After a hard day’s graft can you see yourself slaving away on a level design? If so then LBP could really take off. Personally – and call me a bluff old traditionalist here - I prefer the idea of a professional doing the creative work and offering up something truly engaging. But if the tools are that easy to use then the temptation to remix could get stronger. Whatever, the game itself looked incredible and, combined with Home, gives the PS3 some much needed soul.
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