“LittleBigPlanet 2” is not a platform game. It is not a shooter, racer, rhythm or puzzle game. This game is all of the above and more and is simply not bound by any one genre.

Media Molecule first released “LittleBigPlanet” in 2008 as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, and LBP2 is the continuation to this series.

All levels created in LittleBigPlanet are playable in LBP2, and with a vast amount of new tools, features and items in this new game, Media Molecule gives you the freedom to “play, create and share” this game with anyone and everyone in the world.

Story:

In LBP2, you play as “Sackboy” or “Sackgirl” in an epic adventure to save Craftworld from an evil vacuum cleaner creature known as the Negitivitron.

A strange fellow named “Larry Da Vinci” convinces you to join the Alliance in order to stop the Negitivitron from stealing everything in Craftworld. You travel from world to world, saving Craftworld’s inhabitants from being sucked into Negitivitron’s giant vacuum.

The story mode in LBP2 is wonderfully exciting compared to the old mode in the first LBP. You typically start each new world with a well-made cutscene that includes incredible cinematic control and voice acting.

The best part about story mode is the knowledge that the mode was created using the same tools and features available to everyone who creates levels using LBP2’s in game creation mode. All the items and tools you collect through LBP2’s story mode will help you create interesting and exciting levels of your own.

Gameplay:

The basic gameplay of LBP has not changed much since the first game. Without the use of tools, your sack person can run, jump, collect items and grab objects.

If you are looking for a new experience, LittleBigPlanet 2 includes all of the same tools and items from the first game, as well as some new gadgets that really change how the game is played.

The grapple hook is an example of an item that transforms the gameplay of LBP2. This tool allows you to grapple on to any soft material in the game, including cloth, foam and other players.

Another feature is the bounce pads, which you can use to propel yourself at high velocity up steep walls and across large gaps. When combined with tools like the grapple hook, you can also swing completely in a new direction.

The player now has the ability to instantly create new objects using an item called the “creatinator,” which was first introduced as a pastry-creating machine called the “cakeinator.”

The creatinator allows you to quickly emit objects into the level that can be used to solve gameplay puzzles. It has many uses, such as flooding a gap with items to allow safe passage or propelling a sticky object into a moving wall to use as a platform.

However, one downside to the gameplay in LBP2 is that the physics of the game have not changed much, so your sack person’s jumps are still going to be as “floaty” as the first game.

Game Creation:

Game creation in the first LittleBigPlanet was a time-consuming process. Spending hours creating a level in LBP is not unheard of and some players would spend weeks to perfect their level’s story, logic and design.

With added features and tools in LBP2, level creation is easier to grasp but will probably still prove to be extremely time-consuming. Here are some of the new features that make creation mode more interesting:

In the first LBP, players could create animated creatures or enemies in levels. However, the functionality of creature creation was very limited, as the artificial intelligence in the game only allowed a few simple actions for the creature to initiate at a time.

LittleBigPlanet 2 changes this by adding “sackbots,” or robots that look like Sackboy. The level creator has the option to manually “program” their sackbots to follow your character, run away or just ignore you.

Sackbots can also learn actions by copying the actions of the player who recorded them. So if you want your sackbot to wave their arms, or jump at a specific time, you can record it in creation mode.

One new tool that is extremely in-depth is the music sequencer. Using a piano roll, you can plot music onto an easy-to-read musical “graph.”

You can also control the tempo, adjust the timbre – or color – of the instrument’s sound, and quickly graph the musical patterns you arrange to create your masterpiece.

One downside to creation mode is the lengthy amount of tutorials that you have to complete in order to start creation, most of which you go through with the first LBP. However, if you have more than a night to spare, and you don’t mind watching 52 tutorials back to back, then you will find creation mode a fun and rewarding experience.

Community:

The community function of LBP2 is certainly one of the most important parts of this game, and Media Molecule has overhauled their community system to make sharing and playing other levels easier to do.

One new change to the community is the complete overhaul on the search system. You can choose between four different options to help you find a particular kind of level or game, instead of searching through all levels at once.

You can also search for a particular keyword in the search box for levels, or you can filter levels by genre, popularity or type. As stated earlier, all of the original LittleBigPlanet games are available to play, and new LBP2 games are being created every day.

Summary:

LittleBigPlanet 2 is an amazing sequel that stays true to the original game. This game is very accessible and fun for anyone to play, create or share with others. Though the physics have not changed much, the added features and tools help create an entirely fresh experience.

4/4 Stars

Image Gallery for Art: http://www.littlebigplanet.com/en-us/2/

ESRB: Rated E for Everyone

System: PlayStation 3

PlayStation Move Compatibility