LittleBigPlanet Beta Impressions

I was lucky enough to get into the beta for LittleBigPlanet which allowed me to get a taste of what the game has in store for us when it releases next week. Now that I've had the last two weeks to play around with the game, I'm going to share my thoughts on the LBP beta.

The game begins by throwing you into the story mode (after a bit of an intro). The beta had the first three levels of the game and a mini-game available. These first three levels act as a tutorial on how to play the game. It's basically a 2.5D platformer and is rather simple to play. The most important control aspects are the jump and grab button. The X button jumps, higher depending on how long you hold the button, and the R1 button grabs onto things. This can be used to grab things to swing on or move blocks to help you get up to places. This plus the left stick moving your character is basically what you need to get through a level. The square button will open up a menu that let's you customize your sackboy and activate switches with stickers you've found while other buttons will allow you to move around your sackboy's arms, head, and change their expression. All that is mostly just for fun though. The level design is a mix of platforming challenges and puzzle elements. You'll hit buttons and switches to get mechanisms to move, swing over gaps, use jetpacks to fly around, and avoid enemies. All this is really fun, though the first two levels are really just tutorials. The third level was really well-done and gets me excited for what the full game might have in store. Levels can be played with up to three friends online or off which makes the game even more fun. Also, doing various things within the levels like collecting bubbles or not dying will unlock new things that can be used for either creating levels or dressing up your sackboy (or girl).

Picking stuff up while flying around with a jetpack is pretty fun.

This brings us to the other main aspect of the game, the creation portion. The game allows you to make levels just like the ones already in the game. You can start with a template like a city or a temple or just start with a blank level. The game makes you go through a load of tutorials on how to use the different tools in the game, but after this you can really make any number of things. You'll have access to everything from different building materials like wood, stone, or cardboard to buttons and switches to winches and pistons and much more. You'll learn how to utilize different materials for different purposes. For instance, glass is slippery and acts like ice. You'll also need to become used to the physics behind the game. You can't just make a wood platform in the air and expect it to stay there. You'll have to prop it up somehow or use the dark matter material which will just stay where you place it. You must also get used to the fact the game world has three planes along which you can run. Once you get a hang of these things you can make some truly great levels. I was impressed with what I had seen from people in the beta. I especially liked a couple levels I saw made based upon the game Shadow of the Colossus and the TV show Ninja Warrior. I made my own level that had a number of platforming challenges like hopping on "icy" platforms, jumping up some piston powered sections, and running along teetering platforms. I had some other parts where you had to find a switch to move a door or start a mechanism to progress in the level. The level turned out pretty well. I also toyed around with making different vehicles with engines and wheels in another level. There wasn't a whole lot of stuff to customize your sackperson with, but if videos I've seen are any indication, the full game will have a lot more options.

The beta had a skateboard part similar to this which made for an exciting ride.

Overall, the game was a lot of fun. If you just want to play some levels, the ones on the disc should be great and you're bound to find a ton of great ones online when the game has a been out for a little while. I could see enjoying this game without ever touching the creation aspect. The platforming mechanics are simple yet work well and it seems there will be a lot of secrets for those looking to explore. The creation aspect is really cool and seems like it will only get better when more is available in the full game. It looks to be a good co-op game, too. Overall, I was pleased with what I played in the beta. LittleBigPlanet looks like it will please platforming fans and those looking to tap into their inner game designer. I'll try to have a more on LBP when I get the full version soon.