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LittleBigPlanet 2
PlayStation 3
LittleBigExpansionPack
4.5/5 stars
The original “LittleBigPlanet” (“LBP1”) was the game that finally made me break down and buy Sony’s big, black, overpriced monolith. The promise of old-school 2D platforming and cooperative multi-player, as well as the ability to create my own levels, was too much to resist… And I was not disappointed. However, I was hesitant when I heard the announcement of “LittleBigPlanet 2.” Why was a sequel to the most modular, expandable game in the history of consoles even needed? I couldn’t understand why Media Molecule, the brilliant British developers behind these games, didn’t just keep releasing add-ons. Despite my trepidation, I jumped in and bought the Collector’s Edition of the game on launch day because, well, I’m a sucker for bonus ‘Stuff.’
Presentation
“LBP2” uses the exact same graphics engine as “LBP1.” And, like “LBP1,” “LBP2” looks like garbage… but that’s not a bad thing. Everything in the game is made from bits of cardboard, styrofoam, fabric remnants, and other junk. The detail in the textures on these materials is amazing and gives each material its own character. The entirely polygonal world of “LBP2” is just as jaggy-free and smooth as “LBP1” as well. Unfortunately, the one graphical issue in “LBP1” returns as well: screen tearing. Whenever the action on-screen gets a little too busy, the graphics engine chokes and allows the top and bottom portions of the screen to get out of sync, with a nice ‘tear’ running down the middle. Of course, there are plenty of other PS3 games that suffer from this problem, so I don’t think the blame lies with “LBP2” or Media Molecule.
Character designs are immensely improved over “LBP1” thanks to the addition of ‘Sackbots,’ which are programmable AI characters that can be placed in levels. Whereas “LBP1” featured disturbingly hideous characters made from level-crafting materials, Sackbots can look just as diverse as the playable Sackboys/Sackgirls and feel much more organic and alive than their predecessors.
The music and sound are, likewise, nearly identical to the original game. In fact, all of the sound effect and soundtrack creation pieces from the original game can be found in this sequel. There are a large number of new soundtracks, which include a mix of original compositions and licensed tracks. Like “LBP1,” most of the music in the game is pretty good, with only a couple of licensed track standing out as particularly irritating.
The one significant improvement to the sound is the addition of voiceacting to the story segments, as well as the addition of a tool that allows players to add voiceacting to their created levels. The acting in story mode is well done, but doesn’t entirely displace the gibberish voices that were used in “LBP1.”
Story
“LBP2” introduces the player to ‘Craftworld,’ a planet in the ethereal dreamscape that is ruled by 5 creators. Unlike the globetrotting journey in “LBP1,” Craftworld has no analogous real-world locations for its levels. Instead, each world in “LBP2” is built around the personality of its ruling creator. These creators include an absent-minded inventor, an obsessed baker, a depressed factory manager, an egotistical scientist, a luscious nurse, and a drug-addled professor. But Craftworld isn’t the idyllic place one would imagine, as a malevolent dragon-like creature/robot, called the Negativatron, has been devouring the world and corrupting its resources and residents into ‘Meanies,’ negative versions of their former selves. Thus Sackboy is immediately drafted into The Resistance, a movement by Craftworld’s creators to fight the Negativatron and take back what’s rightfully theirs.
I didn’t find this story to be nearly as engaging as the more fractured and surreal narrative of “LBP1.” In the first game, each world contained its own mini-narrative, which all came together in the end. “LBP2,” on the other hand, doesn’t really have much in the way of self-contained stories for each world, as the entire game is driven by the need to gather resources to use against the Negativatron. The non-player characters also get in the way a bit. Thanks to the ease of creating Sackbots and dynamic cutscenes with the new creation tools, it seems like the level designers felt compelled to include them whenever possible.
Gameplay
As previously mentioned, the original “LittleBigPlanet” was a very modular game. The retail disc came with a very solid core of 2D platforming with 3 planes of foreground for characters to move between. Before long, however, Media Molecule began releasing add-on packs that improved the core game play by adding a paintball gun, shootable switches/targets, liquid water, and a huge amount of new materials to work with.
“LittleBigPlanet 2” continues to enhance the original core game by adding a grappling hook, grabbing gloves, and a hat that can be programmed to shoot whatever the creator desires (including cake). Yet I can’t help but think that these upgrades could have easily been done in add-on packs instead of requiring a whole new game. Aside from these new power-ups and the 5 new worlds of levels, a non-creative player will find little to be excited about in this sequel. The core gameplay is identical, with the left analog stick moving Sackboy, X making him jump, and R1 making him grab-onto things (or use whatever power-up he might be holding). The floaty jump physics that many players complained about from “LBP1” remain unchanged despite some minor tweaks to the overall physics engine as a whole (and the ability to adjust the gravity in created levels). There is also a bit more level diversity, with a couple of SHMUP stages thrown into the mix.
For a non-creative player who never plans to use the game’s robust level editor, the game’s $60 price tag is a rip-off relative to the amount of new stuff in the game. Since Media Molecule set the precedent of selling level packs for $5, each of which included a new power-up and a boat-load of new materials, it would make more sense for “LBP2” to be priced at $30, since it essentially contains 5 level packs along with a few power-ups and other tweaks. Fortunately, “LBP2’s” close integration with “LBP1” allows players to import all of the goodies they collected in the first game for use in the sequel... of course, this just makes it feel more like an add-on.
But what about creators? The dedicated players who have poured hours into crafting engaging experiences using “LPB1’s” overly-complex level editor will find that things have been greatly improved (and in some cases simplified). Unfortunately, the level editor is still needlessly complex, requiring hours and hours of work and endless tweaking in order to make a level that remotely resembles anything good. The main improvements are the previously-mentioned Sackbots (which make it infinitely easier to add non-player characters and agile enemies to levels), enhanced logic gates (which allow for much more diverse switch configurations and remove the need for bulky, player-made logic gates), and the Controllinator. The Controllinator deserves special praise, as it is quite possibly the most useful and interesting thing added to Create Mode. It is essentially a small cockpit that Sackboy can sit in which remaps the standard game controls however the creator desires. It’s possible to create an infinitely-diverse array of vehicles powered by this tool, which takes the place of the cumbersome grab/sponge-based vehicle controls that creators were forced to contend with in “LBP1.” Controllinators and Sackbots each feature microchips that can have bits of logic and other creation tools stuck to them, allowing for incredibly complex behaviors with moderately complex controls.
Overall
“LittleBigPlanet 2” is a great experience. However, for the price of an all-new game, the amount of rehash is unacceptable. I would have been happier if Media Molecule had released “LittleBigPlanet 2.0” and included the entire original game along with all of the previously-released add-ons AND the new content on one disc for $60. It would have been a more complete experience and would have allowed all players to simply upgrade from the incomplete original game to this enhanced and near-perfect update. This era of downloadable content is thoroughly muddying the waters when it comes to determining value. I think “LBP2” is overpriced, but how can one really put an accurate price on joy?
Presentation: 4.5/5
Story: 2.5/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Overall (not an average): 4.5/5
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