LittleBigHeaven
Has anybody fell in love before………………..with a game?!? Well I have a couple of times and it’s an indescribable feeling but it’s been a long time before. The sheer joy, ecstasy and tranquility one feels when in love is something everybody lingers and cherishes the most. Well lads, I’m happy to announce that I’m in love again (a note to my other half: with a game) and it feels as good as ever. I fell in love with LittleBigPlanet.
It was love at first play. This game puts the biggest smile on my face. There’s no perfect game like there’s no perfect woman, but this game is the best and closest synonym to the word perfect. The more time I spend with it, the more I fall in love with it.
Why? Well I do not really know or comprehend but I think it has a lot to do with every little aspect and detail of the game itself that was so beautifully crafted. The sackboys are one of the cutest and adorable game characters I’ve ever seen. The fact that you can dress them in any way you like and the fact that they have 4 face expressions add to the love factor. The story stages ooze with brilliantly conceived locations, funny characters, colourful structures, eye watering details on every climbable, decorative and backdrop object and cleverly hidden away items that make you live and explore all of it. Few other games look this beautiful. The fact that you play and enjoy all that while you listen to one of the most enjoyable music scores available makes it even more brilliant.
Media Molecule has done a splendid job creating this game. This could easily have been one of the greatest of Mr. Miyamoto’s creations. A score of 10 from Edge, GamersTM and an average of 95 in Metacritic says it all. You can feel the love poured in this game in every little thing you do, whether you jump from one platform to another or construct your very own rocket propelled dinosaur with a toilet seat for a head sporting an Arsenal shirt and eating KFC. The game visual style reminds me of classics like Ico, Okami, Super Mario Sunshine and Zelda games. It plays like any platform game but it closely resembles the Super Mario World platforming formula, Paper Mario level design (multi-lane hidden items) and Yoshi’s Island formula: Get to the finish while trying to find as many secret items and hidden keys possible. This adds high replay value to the game since you go back again to find all items (objects, pieces of clothing and stickers you can use anywhere in the game – even in the game hub), go back again to find the rest, play with a friend co-op to tackle the 2-player challenges, play again trying to finish the stage without dying to receive 2 more items as a price and then play again competitively against friends or strangers for the highest score accolade. Another strong point of this game is that it encourages creative thinking: playing though a level with a friend, one can discuss about a structure’s game physics and mechanical attributes that he can later implement in his own stage.
The story mode is short (around 20-25 stages) but everyday dozens of new stages are added by users that you can play, rate, tag, comment on and suggest to others. The volume of crazy and surreal ideas a human mind can produce are well projected in some interesting and wacky user-created stages. You never know what is the next theme or challenge you will stumble upon in a stage online. Creating your stage is a unique experience. The sheer amount of items, tools and mechanisms available at your disposal may seem daunting but the tutorials are well conceived and informative enough to ease you through your initial creativity sessions. The voice of the tutor himself reminds me a bit the highly intellectual Sir David Attenborough but in the all-knowing LittleBigPlanet game way and a bit the narrative man in Little Britain series with his all-mighty sense of humor. Creative people will love all that is available to them and I really appreciate the fact that the developer took into consideration the various segments of gamers and succeeded in offering them the complete stage creating/editing tool. Every second within a story or community stage I get bombarded by ideas and concepts of other people that I can borrow, use or enhance in my own unique way and create a better, more functional and more unique construction/obstacle.
DLC keeps on pouring in. The Metal Gear Pack (complete with all things included in the MG galaxy) is a great addition and all the costume packs add variety, character and individuality to each player’s Sackboys and Sackgirls. Currently my faves are: Solid Snake, Sephiroth and Kratos. The customisation of Sackboys is way more enjoyable and better than Miis and Xbox Avatars.
This game is not for everyone. Many will ignore it and even more will just rush through the story and trade it in for the next NeedforSpeed but the game already amassed a loyal group of followers that continue to enhance it’s values through their level creating talents and skills. I, simply put, am in love with it and considering the fact that I experienced this game for the 1st time in 2009, makes it a strong 2009 GotY contestant. Will it be my GotY? I do not know. Time will tell. Will it be my most beloved and played GotY? Most probably yes. All I know is I’m having the time of my life with this game and it’s tiny imperfections won’t spoil the fun I’m having and the devouring love I feel for it. Call me a Sackboy but that’s how I feel.
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Re: LittleBigHeaven
It's a babe of a game for sure. I fell in love with Conflict Desert Storm on original Xbox. Championship Manager was my first marriage, but after a painful divorce I don't miss her constant nagging for my attention.
Re: LittleBigHeaven
Even though we play so many games it is a rare thing. We can really like them and enjoy them but love means that you have established a connection with the game beyond that, and it's very personal.
For example Braid and COD4 are fantastic games. Two of my all time favourites, but still it was not love as you describe it.
I only had that with a few games. The original Civilization, ISS during my university years, Ico and the last one was with Okami (although it did break my heart a few times).
It's a great feeling indeed. Enjoy it dude.
Re: LittleBigHeaven
Nice to see someone else giving LBP the praise it deserves for being ballsy enough to do something completely different.
Yeah the platforming, which is the core mechanic of the gameplay but not the core mechanic of the game, is not that great but that is not the point.
What LBP has to offer is something beyond a platformer. Like you say it is a beautiful game and every minute I spent playing I was amazed at what people have come up with design wise. That alone makes the, at times, torturous gameplay exceptable just to witness the vision that someone else (not a game designer in most cases) had and was able build using the tools that were made available to them.
As far as loving, trully loving, a game ... that hasn't happened in a long time. I am more of a lust kind of guy as of late when it comes to my gaming.
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