A stitch in time may indeed save nine but, in the case of Little Big Planet 2, it makes for a five star gaming experience...

The original Little Big Planet was a huge success, both critically and commercially. Introducing the delightfully pleasant SackBoy into the world of gaming, Little Big Planet reminded us that you don’t have to be shooting terrorists or crashing head-on into other vehicles to be having a shedload of fun on a gaming console. This second offering brings much of the same to the table, while introducing dozens of new ways to create your levels and contributing generously to the player-created-content community. More than this, LBP 2 offers a stellar experience, one that offers gamers so much and never fails to impress.

Concept

The premise behind the story of Little Big Planet 2 - if at all there is one - is the fight against the Negativatron, an evil tyrant who threatens the safety of SackBoy and fellow companions. Playing as SackBoy himself, you fight your way through a wide variety of levels - each with their own, personal theme and gaming experience - collecting points and various items to add to your goodie bag. However, said story is merely a backdrop to its gameplay, a light-hearted affair that borders on laugh-out-loud at times, with the majority of the characters being ridiculously funny. As such, the end of the story is simply the start of the game, with dozens of different items, materials and awarded bonuses becoming available after completion, many of which can be used either to decorate your own little SackBoy, or put to good use in the creation suite. LBP’s greatest strength is its ease and accessibility, with levels being incredibly enjoyable to complete in the single player experience, and to create in whichever way you please. Both of these features alone have the potential to suck hours upon hours of your time, without taking into the account the vast array of player created content that is constantly streaming onto the LBP community.

Gameplay

Creating levels has never been easier. While Little Big Planet may have introduced this concept, it is LBP 2 that has perfected it, providing the gamer with a wide variety of tutorials to guide you through everything there is to know about personal level construction. From the very basic to the most complex features in your creation tool kit, everything is wonderfully narrated by Stephen Fry, who in turn does an amazing job of bringing the charming world of Little Big Planet to life. There is so much to learn about the various ways to manipulate items in your levels; all of which ultimately take time to get used to, but when you do, it’s simply unforgettable. Whether you’re creating a level to publish within the community, or simply one to enjoy yourself, there really is an infinite amount of freedom here. Whether you are merely looking to make cakes fall from the sky, or fancy crafting an entirely new world from a number of unique fabrics, LBP 2 makes it both a possibility and a pleasure to do so.

Overall

In short, Little Big Planet 2 is beautiful. Whether you’re traversing huge pencils in an attempt to stop the evil Negativatron, or scaling giant books to avoid being burnt to a stitched crisp, the world of Little Big Planet is so intricately detailed that you’ll often find yourself stopping simply to admire Media Molecule’s handiwork. You can also customise your own little SackBoy in tonnes of different ways to make him truly unique to you; from moustaches to sombreros, it’s all in here.

Overall, Little Big Planet 2 is an astounding success, one that gives the opportunity to experience more of the LBP universe, whilst enjoying a refreshing break from shooting thugs in Call of Duty. It’s a perfect reason to boast about owning a PS3, and one which will keep you entertained for hours to come. Whether you’re playing the single player levels, contributing to the vast community, or both, this is a memorable game that stays in your thoughts long after you’ve left the console.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS ARTICLE, PLEASE HELP SUPPORT OUR SITE, AT NO COST WITH ONE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK 'LIKE' BUTTON BELOW:

If you're interested in writing for Shadowlocked (disc and screening reviews, etc, or just getting some extra coverage for your extraordinary writing talent, get in touch with us.