If you asked me what video game’s I’m most excited about right now, I’d probably give you a laundry list of different games (actually just Dead Space, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, Endwar, Prince of Persia, Resistance 2, and…). Most of those games would be exciting because of technical prowess, immersion, complexity. Yet one of these games is simple mind blowing in its absolute open-endedness. That game is Little Big Planet for the PS3.
The game itself is a fairly straightforward platformer, you control a little sack-person, having them run from left to right while jumping over obstacles and such. But the games design sets a remarkably interesting tone in that it looks like some magical set piece that you’d order from Etsy. It’s beautiful, to say the least:
I had a chance to play with the beta over the last few days, and I’ve concluded that this is one of the most stylized and remarkable games on the horizon. But the real appeal of LBP, the kicker, the whole shabang… is the fact that you can build your own levels, customize your own characters and turn your level into almost anything that you could possible imagine. The developers of LBP have given the user a complete design experience, which the beta of course doesn’t even begin to touch. You can, essentially, build an entire level (or hell, a whole new game), and subsequently share it with everyone on the game’s servers. Yep, build, share, rebuild, customize, borrow, share, repeat. It is going to be amazing.
It’s going to be amazing because it is one of the first console games ever to not only be full of creativity, but to breed it (yeah yeah yeah, we all know about Quake and Half-Life Mods… but those aren’t console’s now are they? And hell, this is 100X easier than making a Quake level (albeit the last time I tried to make a Quake level was for Quake 2, so it may have gotten easier by this point)). It’s going to showcase what games can do, in all of their good, bad and ugly (we’re all going to assume that yes, there will be at least 1000 user-generated penis based levels). On top of that it boasts a collective creativity in that you and your friends can sit down together (literally or figuratively online) and create levels with each other. Already, with the beta being live for under a month, a few great levels have been produced…
(video’s after the break)
One of my favorite’s, based on the excellent Shadow of Colossus, this one is called (logically, I suppose)
“Little Big Colossus.”
And another, based on something else…
And… another… based… on something else…
Of course, there is a fair share of Mario levels as well…
But don’t let that discourage you! There are going to be some real innovations in gameplay and connectivity, and LBP will make playing online a completely different and exciting experience. I, for one, have already started sketching out the designs for a Republic of Thoronia level, and will deliver it upon you once its ready (kind of like the iPhone game… huh? What was that? I’m sorry, I have to go… do…. this other thing….)
As most of us all walked away from Spore stunned and dissapointed, LBP will be a saving grace for user-generated unlimited ability content. All this comes to PS3 owners on October 21st. The online service is completely free and you can bet your ass that it’s going to be a popular time-waster here in Thoronia.
Similar Posts:
- Year in Reviews Part 4: Little Big Planet
- Alright, one more Little Big Planet post and I’m done (until the RoT level comes out)
- A Year in Reviews Part 6: The Rest
- Sigur Ros appears in… video game trailer?
- Business as usual — weekly update on what you’ve missed
I promised not to play another game until RoT came out, I’d expect you to do the same. Seriously…dude.
Liar! I know you played Tap Tap Revolution, and probably a bunch of other iPhone games… it’ll happen soon, I promise! 2009!