PS3; �49.99; cert 7+; Media Molecule/Sony
LittleBigPlanet was a landmark release back in 2008 ? not least for being the first original IP to make the PS3 look anything but overpriced. Now, having loved the original so much that it bought the developer, Sony needs this difficult second album to succeed.
And luckily, LBP 2 knows better than to mess with a hit formula, retuning almost every aspect of the game while maintaining the same bog-standard platform gameplay, freely borrowing from every genre classic from Donkey Kong Country to Sonic the Hedgehog. Despite spending little effort on actual storytelling, the game's main Story Mode takes you through eight themed worlds and around 30 levels, punctuated by bonus levels aping other game styles.
It's a shortish campaign, although as with the original this is only the tip of the iceberg. Playing in co-op mode opens up not just new areas of existing levels, but whole new ones that cannot be played alone. Yes, the camera occasionally struggles to make the experience equally satisfying to both players, but when it does work it's supremely satisfying.
Once you've exhausted the levels provided, the serious business of creating your own begins. How deep you delve into the new and improved level editor is up to you, as adding basic structures and characters to preset templates is relatively easy but mastering the physics and AI across three planes will at first seems like a vertical learning curve. Still, given there are already millions of original LBP levels to download, you can afford to wait while the community gets to grips with all the new editing options. It'll be worth keeping an eye on the website to see how quickly original user content starts appearing.
So, take it for granted that LBP2 will be massive, but is it massively better than the original? Undoubtedly, the surreal brilliance of the concept is less pronounced the second time around and Stephen Fry voiceovers are beginning to sound like twee self parody, no matter where you hear them. Most disappointingly, for all the worlds he visits or challenges he overcomes, Sackboy never really develops past his minimal original powers, meaning LBP2 retains its two-button gameplay from start to finish. Given the sheer freedom you're given to customise, design or improve almost every other aspect of the game ? including an endlessly changeable appearance ? would it really have hurt to give him an occasional special power or two?
In spite of all this, it's hard to dislike a game that both encourages and rewards every effort with more and more content. If this is where the bar has been set for 2011, it'll be fun seeing who can beat it.
? Game reviewed on PS3
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2011/jan/19/littlebigplanet-2-ps3-game-review
MISCROSOFT OFFICE MICROSOFT MICROSEMI MICROS SYSTEMS MICRON TECHNOLOGY
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