Review: Little Big Planet (PlayStation Vita)
By Wayne Webb
The criteria I use for handing put a perfect score is simple: if I struggle to find even a slight criticism, then the game has done its job perfectly. It does not compare to other games as better or worse, it is simply top of its own game so to speak. There are few games that deserve 5/5 more than Little Big Planet for the PS Vita.
By Wayne Webb
The criteria I use for handing put a perfect score is simple: if I struggle to find even a slight criticism, then the game has done its job perfectly. It does not compare to other games as better or worse, it is simply top of its own game so to speak. There are few games that deserve 5/5 more than Little Big Planet for the PS Vita.
Little Big Planet has been around the block a couple of times and was a well-formed and amazing game when its first incarnation came out. Traps to be avoided by game’s publishers are repetitiveness and poor graphics, both of which LBP has neatly avoided up to and including this release. In fact the Vita release seems to have raised the bar somewhat with its use of the touch screen controls. A complaint I have had often with the Vita titles is the tacked-on touch controls. Now the device finally lives up to its potential and it makes the game.
Various interactive abilities meld seamlessly with the game and feel intuitive, unlike similar fare where you break rhythm to use touch; LBP integrates it so it feels like a natural extension. Something is in your way? Move it. If it’s poking out, push it in and vice versa. Tilt controls for grapples on wheels, or for guiding a missile around. I enjoyed every use of touch put into the campaign part of LBP for the Vita and didn’t feel like I needed to juggle the device in my hands to get the action done.
The rest of the review pretty much writes itself, whether you know what to expect from an LBP game or not. Once again the elegant vocal style of British comedian/writer Stephen Fry narrates the game and instructional videos with humour and grace adding a level of auditory whimsy to the eclectic design. Sackboy still runs about the Alice in Wonderland-esque levels in gravity-defying style, with laughter and design at the forefront. There are still loads to do and find in the extensive list of achievables and unlockables. There is a level design element for the User Generated Content players amongst us that will fuel the game long beyond the shelf life of the campaign. There are mini games and hidden levels galore.
Overall if you like LBP already then moving to the Vita is leap forward in playability and engagement. If you’ve never played one, then the worst thing I can think to say is that you may not want to try out the previous incarnations without the new touch elements in them.
Pros: Improved on a already outstanding title, excellent use of touch controls, Stephen Fry’s voice acting.
Cons: Nothing
5 Shacks Out Of 5
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