Little Big Planet 2

Little Big Planet 2 Review

Kid Safe: Very High                     Game Quality: Very High

Genre: Creative Platformer

-          Players then have the ability to manipulate everything in that world in order to create anything that their heart desires. The character operates on a mostly two-dimensional environment, i.e. restrained to up, down, left, and right; in which they most often will run to the right-side of the screen and avoid obstacles and solve puzzles in order to get to the completion of the level/game.

Internet Requirements:Moderate

-          Little Big Planet 2 can be played and completely enjoyed without the usage of the internet, however we fully recommend its use as this title features over 2 million other player-created levels that can be downloaded for play.

Story Summary: In Little Big Planet 2, you take the role of a SackPerson, a plushie doll of non-descript

origin (as that is up to you to decide) who is living in CraftWorld. One day, without warning, CraftWorld is attacked by the evil Negativitron, a massive, robotic monster that is out to destroy everything in CraftWorld. Joining forces with "The Alliance", a group of other members of CraftWorld, you adventure through CraftWorld to gain allies, defeat the Negativitron, and save the day!

Kid Safe: Very High

-          Foul Language: None

o   Little Big Planet 2 does not contain any foul language, instead favoring a soft-handed and comedic tone to the dialogue.

-          Violence and Gore: Very Low

o   Little Big Planet 2 features a very low level of violence with absolutely no gore. To begin, the characters that you are using in this title are akin to child's playthings; often made of sponge, cardboard, wood, paper, cloth, etc. The worst in the way of "gore" would be when a SackPerson steps on a bed of hot coals and bursts into a cloud of ash, only to be pop back into being a second later at an earlier part of the game-level.

o   On that same note, the worst violence that is perpetrated is when, facing an enemy, players must throw different objects at "weak points" on that enemy. This results in your opponent bursting into a pile of jelly that quickly disappears. Aside from that, players will also act as "fight pilot" of a "Bee 2.0", a robotic bee that fires honey "lasers".

             

-          Sexually-Related Content: None

o   Little Big Planet 2 does not contain any sexually-related content; only the unrequited love of Mr. Harry DaVinci.

-          Use of Drugs and Alcohol: None

o   Little Big Planet 2 does not contain any portrayal or usage of alcohol or drugs.

             

Game Quality: Very High

-          Graphics / Visuals: High

o   Little Big Planet 2 features a high level of graphics and visuals that is perpetrated primarily through how they present the world and the levels to the player. In short, every one of the 50+ levels is like an Dioramic piece of art. Each of the levels is pieced together using multiple objects and often placed in a regular, everyday setting; much like a child would create an imaginary world. Perhaps you will find yourself running through the front steps of a garden patio, jumping over slabs of concrete. Or maybe you will find yourself in the kitchen as you ride a runaway gingerbread train as it rushes away from a castle made entirely of cake. Maybe a dose of science fiction is more your taste, as you rush through the halls of a space station to get to "Giant Spaceship 1".

o    Real or surreal, Little Big Planet delivers this experience with pinpoint sharp visuals. The developers Media Molecule have taken precarious measures to insure that each material that appears, whether it be knitted-cloth, stretched leather, stone, etc., appears exactly how it should. Fabric textures are of specific note as SackPersons actually look exactly like a hand-knitted doll might look, each woven thread just jumping off of the screen. Lastly, this game can produce images at 720p HD settings, providing an even sharper image and really bring the world of Little Big Planet to life.

           

-          Audio: High

o   Little Big Planet 2 has a high level of quality when it comes to the audio and music in this game. In fact, the one thing that enchanted me most about this title what was the narration for this title; provided by noted English talent, Stephen Fry. Fry not only provides a soothing and excellent performance, but constantly adds little quips, jokes, and puns here and there that had me chuckling for hours.

o   Music was another excellent highlight of the audio performance in this game. Several dozen musical pieces are included in this title and tend to add an exquisite edge to each level that you are enjoying. I remember a racing level that featured a fascinating rock-and-roll song that had been mixed with a classical score to create a piece that had my blood pumping as a ran to the end. Yet another, a simple mini-game, was accompanied with a fun 8-bit track akin to music from older video games. Plus, all of this music is able to be collected and used when you create your own levels!

o   The only problem of note with the audio in Little Big Planet 2 is with everyone's voice acting ASIDE from Mr. Fry. There are several cutscenes here and there that feature fully-voiced characters and, to their credit, the actors did excellent jobs. However, about 90% of the time these characters are NOT speaking, but instead making some inane babbling noises while players read the text displayed. This babbling the most annoying and distracting bit in the entire game and had me wanting to get away from my allies whenever I was paired up with them.

-          Gameplay / Playability: Very High

o   Little Big Planet 2 has an extremely high level of gameplay and playability. First, the overall gameplay is phenomenal. The majority of the controls are very basic, akin to games like Super Mario Bros. or Donkey Kong, and therefore make it extremely simple to pick up and play. Likewise, any controls that are not as simple as "run to the right and jump on him" are also fully explained and even demonstrated.

o   Now, while gameplay is one thing, Little Big Planet 2 also prides itself on the ability for players to create their own levels; so how easy is that? The answer is: pretty easy (so long as you are creatively inclined, of course). While we recommend examining at least a couple of the tutorials before digging into the meat and potatoes of level-making, the controls are so simple and intuitive, not to mention displayed in an easy to understand manner, that level making was a breeze. Within an hour or so of sitting down to face the beast that I expected, I was already putting the finishing touches on my "Tarzen Tree Swinging Banana-za" level.

o   Now, you ask, what if the controls aren't so simple for me to pick up? What if I am not Little-Big-Planet inclined, you say? Little Big Planet 2, to my surprise, features several dozen tutorial levels that demonstrates literally everything you could want to know; from moving around the screen to building a fully automated, walking, talking robot. Every tutorial also demonstrates exactly what a player needs to do on the Playstation 3 remote and how that action will translate into the game. Players are also handsomely rewarded with items for every tutorial level they attend. Should players not need the level, they can still visit it, grab the items, and be off within seconds.
          

-          Dollar-Value: Very High

o   Little Big Planet 2 has a very high dollar-value, specifically in the ability to create and play other user-made levels. There are no limitations to the number of gameplay hours that are available to you. The single player story will last you roughly 8 hours of solid playtime, however this only serves as a means to demonstrate and collect items for use in your own levels. With a massive community of players all working on their own ideas, even if you managed to play EVERY one of the millions available, more would be there to enjoy by tomorrow. That said, this game isn't limited to a single player, the entire family can play! Up to four players are able to sit down together and enjoy everything that this game has to offer. 

Recommendations

-          We highly recommend Little Big Planet 2. However, if you are looking for another platformer style game, we would recommend title such as Super Mario Bros. New or Donkey Kong Country Returns. Likewise, if you are wanting a game with more user-created content, we might recommend a title such as Minecraft or Starcraft 2.