LittleBig Planet 2, released in January of 2011, is created by Media Molecule and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It’s a puzzle platformer that takes place in the magical Craftworld, which is under attack by an evil space vacuum known as the Negativitron. Hoover’s got nothing on this meanie, as he’s out to suck up every sackboy and sackgirl on Craftworld. Luckily your Sackboy is rescued by the Alliance, a semi-secret organization (that’s not all that secret or organized) that's out to stop the Negativitron and save Craftworld from certain doom.
LBP2 can be played alone or with friends. The story mode can be completed with one player, but it becomes easier (and more fun) with 2 or 3 players. Some areas can only be reached with 2-4 people, but don’t worry if you haven’t found friends to play with yet as these are just bonus areas and therefore non-essential to the Story mode. While playing through Story mode, you can collect keys that unlock versus levels. Like Story mode, the versus levels can be played locally (on one Playstation 3) or online with friends. Below is a picture of the first versus level Block Drop, a test of hand eye coordination.
The game is challenging enough to keep older players interested, but not so challenging that the younger crowd will get frustrated. It’s rated E for everyone, so it’s a great game to play with the whole family. The different sections of the game are separated into Worlds that have been designed by major characters in the Game, such as Larry DaVinci and Avalon Centrifuge. Each world is broken up into levels that are saved as soon as you complete them. However, you must complete the level before you try to leave otherwise your progress will not be saved. This becomes an irritation on levels with 2 parts as you must complete both parts to save both parts. Meaning, if you have to quit for some reason during part 2 of a level, when you return you’ll have to do all of part 1 again. This can be frustrating, but all levels don’t have a part 2 so it’s not an issue that comes up very often.
Sack Force 4 is ready for action!
The game is easy to navigate and controlling your Sackboy is easy. Gravity and physics are very lifelike, as in things that are moving at a high rate of speed do not stop on a dime. The game always provides you with the tools to reach your goal so you don’t have to worry about switching in the middle of a level as simply running over an object will equip it. These changes generally occur at checkpoints, which is where you will go if you die. However, after the first few levels the checkpoints cease to allow you to die and come back an infinite number of times. Don’t stress about keeping track in your head though, as the checkpoint will sound an alarm and glow red when you’re on your last attempt.
The game is bright and colorful. The characters look soft and huggable. The world has a childlike quality that makes it a fun break from reality without looking cheesy or obnoxious. The story sequences are crisp and are really seamless. They’re not overly long and they encourage you to keep going because you really wanna know what happens next.
The manual is semi-helpful but if you’re a gamer you won’t need it. The game has tutorials and you can access them anytime you’d like.
Because half of the fun of LBP2 is creating your own levels and playing the levels that other players have created, there’s always something fun to do. This game is designed to keep you coming back for more and it does a world-class job. I give this game a 9 out of 10, as I had (and continue to have) an amazing time playing it. It could definitely use some tweaking, but overall it’s a fantastic game, and I recommend it to anyone who loves to play a game that makes you smile. This is a must have for fans of LittleBig Planet, but if you’re not into the whole creating levels ideal then you should still rent it and give it a try. I’d be surprised if a day or two with the adorable Sackboy didn't completely change your mind.
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