When I played LittleBigPlanet a couple of years ago, I enjoyed it immensely. Aside from the glitches, I didn’t think there was anything MediaMolecule could do to make this game more fun. My only con was the storyline for LittleBigPlanet but we all knew this game’s online community is what made it shine.
One of the biggest improvements in LittleBigPlanet 2 was the campaign. I had no idea I would enjoy the storyline the way I did. I was only playing it for the review at first but after the first batch of levels, the game’s storyline had me hooked. I immediately fell in love with all the characters as they were introduced and how well the new gadgets were placed in the story.
The storyline kicks off when Avalon and Larry Da Vinci rescue you from the Negativitron and offering you a spot in The Alliance. The story is a lot thicker and more attractive this time around due to the addition of fantastic camera work, unique character personalities with animated movements as opposed to clunky marionettes.
Remember how LittleBigPlanet was all “run, jump, run, jump”? LittleBigPlanet 2 tosses in 2D side-scrolling shooters that aren’t platforming point A to point B. Using camels to blast obstructions or rolling on walls to slam on top of a boss is exhilarating. You never know what to expect when playing through the LittleBigWorlds. The grappling hook works as advertised and the creatinator can shoot just about anything. The new sackbots show a personality of their own. There will be times when they are obsessed with you like a screaming Usher fan or afraid of you like you are when you failed Chemistry for the 2nd time.
If you had LittleBigPlanet, you can export all your items, costumes and levels to LittleBigPlanet 2 so you can have your Sack Thing just the way you left it. You can jump in and start making levels if you please and the 50 friendly tutorials may help ease what frustration you may face. As LBP, it takes time and patience to muscle through the grudge work to make a masterpiece. Variety is key. Link the levels together and they’re no longer just levels, but games in the making. If you want to play, play, play, you’ll probably need to wait a couple of months before the real masterpieces come along. There are a couple of clever levels out there, the most popular among them being Omicron – Neon City and Fallout New Vegas RPG.
“MM picks” is a section of the community where the team at MediaMolecule will hand pick the levels they liked the most and deserve attention. Only the first-rate levels will make it on this eminent list. This section of the community is a wonderful and welcome addition for those who don’t want to look 10 out of 12 levels that say “17 free trophies” while the other 2 may be “super fast speeding car”. Famous levels from LittleBigPlanet are featured on this list, for example, Dragon Slayer by Jaeyden.
While playing, I’ve noticed a number of bugs. The most infamous is the infinite loading screen which normally occurs while playing online with a friend. There are fixes to get around it for a temporary amount of time but that doesn’t really smooth out the experience to make it more fun. Another glitch that has only affect people with the exclusive avatars in the Collector’s Edition is something I like to call the “LittleBigPlanet glitch”. There will be a ginormous craftworld stuck in your pod blocking out nearly everything except a small corner that won’t even display the full body of Sack Thing. Loading times still suck for the most part
Whether you look as this as a massive patch or a new game, LittleBigPlanet 2 does not disappoint. It is rare for a game to maintain the amount of anticipation that was caused the day it was announced to the day it was released and still blow minds away.
The Good
- Great story levels
- New Gadgets
- Fantastic protagonists and antagonist
- Simpler ways to create a level
- It really is a platform for games
- Already a small batch of fun levels
- Voice acting and movie cameras
The Bad
- Infinite loading glitch prevents you from having any fun with your friends
- The “LittleBigPlanet glitch” can make the game nearly unplayable
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