LittleBigPlanet 3 Review

LittleBigPlanet 3 marks the sixth game in the franchise, though with a new developer does the game still stay true to it’s source material while still offering a great experience? The answer is yes and not only does Sumo Digital, the developer behind the game create an authentic game to the series, they have also added in new features which make the game more adaptable and more enjoyable.

Meet the Gang
The best parts of LittleBigPlanet 3 are the addition of new characters with Oddsock, Toggle and Swoop. All three of these characters offer a different way for traversal. With Oddsock being the fastest of the characters able to run on all four as well run up and jump off of walls. Toggle has two forms with the ability to transform himself into his larger form which allows him to weigh down switches or switch to his smaller form which allows him to walk on water and get to areas that are too small for the other characters. Lastly Swoop which resembles a bird has the ability to fly through levels as well as glide. This diverse cast of characters makes the platforming more entertaining with Oddsocks levels resembling Speed Run levels while Swoop ability to glide allows great movement. Though with these new additions being the highlight of the game, the main story does not feature these characters enough as I preferred to play as these varied characters instead of the usual Sackboy.

The game’s story is broken up into Hubs and has you play as Sackboy collecting crystals in order to awaken the “Heroes of Legend” which represent the three new characters, Oddsock, Toggle and Swoop. In each of the game hubs, you must complete three story missions in order to progress though there are also a handful of other levels you can play through which are treated as “Quests” with NPCs in these Hubs requiring help in a particular level. For example, one level might have you build a car in order to beat an opponent while another level might have you blast away aliens. These represent as side missions to the main story-line though offer a fun diversion. At the end of each hub world, you play as one of the new characters depending on the Hub. These levels will have you use the unique features of the new characters like using Toggle to walk over water or using Swoop to fly over obstacles. Though these type of levels are few with only one level in each of the games Hub. The main story comes to around 4 – 5 hours to complete though the game offers incentives to return like collectibles scattered throughout each level. These collectibles can be used in the Create mode.

Creativity
Like previous LittleBigPlanet games, the Create Mode will be for many where you spend countless hours creating levels or just playing around with different objects. With previous LittleBigPlanet games, you could build your level with up to four layers, LittleBigPlanet 3 offers 16 layers to build in. New additions also include new equipment for your sackboy like the “Hook Hat” which allows you to connect to rails and “Boost Boots” which allows you to double jump. These new equipment are also used throughout the story mode and are a nice addition to the existing list of equipment from previous LittleBigPlanet games. That said, all unlocks from previous game in the series which include costumes, stickers, textures and objects can all be carried over to LittleBigPlanet 3.

Sumo Digital has also added in “Popit Academy” which acts as Tutorials for Create Mode. These tutorials go through the basics of create mode and the different ways you can customize your level. This is a step up from previous games in the series which offered videos or tasks as tutorials. With the “Popit Academy”, you go through two terms solving puzzles by moving around objects or changing the settings for objects. It is a great way to learn the basics for creating levels. Create Mode can be both complex and easy to use as for many who just want to create a simple level will be able to do so. Though the game also offers a more complex side in Create Mode where users will be able to create pretty much anything that they desire as seen in previous installments.

On the presentation side, the game looks good great running at 1080p with textures and lighting being stand-outs. Also the soundtrack is excellent with the music working with the level that you are playing in. The voice acting is also top notch with voice work from Hugh Laurie and Nolan North being stand-outs. As well Stephen Fry returns to voice the narrator. 

Not a Perfect Planet
Though the game runs fine for the most part, while playing through the main storyline I did encounter some minor infractions. Including parts where an NPC wouldn’t progress in a level which would force me to replay a level or that I would get stuck in a middle of cinematic or when an NPC is talking which would require a restart. There were also parts while playing online that the game would slow down or freeze. Throughout the game, there are instructions on what to do and where to go. Though there were some points while playing through the game that there would be no instructions and I would find myself lost or confused on where to go. 

Verdict:
Sumo Digital has enhanced the game’s many features with the addition of new characters adding a sense of movement to levels. As well the additions to create mode like increasing the layer count to 16 as well as adding in new mechanics like the “Boost Boots” or “Velociporter” which allows you to warp through levels. Though these new characters are not explored enough while playing through the main storyline which made me rely more on the community in finding levels featuring the best additions of the game.