Sackboy: A Big Adventureis a new PlayStation exclusive that features the long-awaited return toSony’sLittleBigPlanetfranchise. The PlayStation has experimented with different characters that could function as mascots, butLittleBigPlanet’sSackboy continues to be a popular figure that audiences want to see in more games.
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The recentrelease of the PlayStation 5has marked the return of many older properties from Sony’s library, and it’s exciting to seeSackboy: A Big Adventuredelivering a slightly different take on the typicalLittleBigPlanetadventure. The spin-off game has won the hearts of many fans, but it’s also a title that’s not without its flaws.
10We Love: PlayStation 5 Upgrades
Sackboy: A Big Adventureis a title that’s released during an important period of transition in the video game industry, which means that it benefits from a release on both the PlayStation 4 and the new PlayStation 5. ThePS5 upgrades PS4 gamesin impressive ways and it’s nice to see these aesthetic improvements apply here.LittleBigPlanetgames have always looked good, but it’s exciting to finally glimpse Sackboy with PS5 hardware. Additionally, the use of the DualSense controller is sublime when moving through Sackboy’s world and makes a big difference in the game.
9We Don’t Love: There’s Repetitive Level Design
Sackboy: A Big Adventurefeaturescreative environments and levelsthat are very entertaining, but it’s surprising to see just how much repetition there is in a title that’s not that long in the first place. There are a few distinct types of levels that do something different, but for the most part, there’s a predictable pattern that the levels fall into. They may change the visuals, but some stages will gloss past the player since they’re so similar to previous levels. There are some great ideas present in this game, but it doesn’t feel likeSackboytakes most of them far enough.
8We Love: Its Use Of Co-Op
Sackboy: A Big Adventureis a tight platformer, but it’s a part of a series that’s typically been reserved for solo campaigns. One of the biggest perks of thisLittleBigPlanetspin-off is that there isn’t justlocal couch co-op available, but also the ability to do four-person multiplayer and really go nuts in the game.
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It’s a new experience forLittleBigPlanetfans, but it works especially well here. It’s an easy way to get more depth out of the title, but also helps turn the solo adventure into a party event.
7We Don’t Love: A Weak Story And Characters
To be fair, most people are jumping intoSackboy: A Big Adventurefor heightened and addicting platformer gameplay, and there isn’t any real expectation of a deep story or robust character development. These are supposed to be cute characters, but even theSuper Mariogames have found ways toexpand upon its fairly static cast. The villain inSackboyis Vex, but there’s not much going on here beyond a basic good versus evil narrative that’s used to throw Sackboy into action. This spin-off game could have set a new precedent instead of taking this direction.
6We Love: A Heavy Level Of Customization
It’s no secret that video games haveembraced the idea of customizationin increasingly intense ways over the years. Developers understand that audiences often want to put as much of themselves as possible into the characters. Sackboy has a simple design, butSackboy: A Big Adventureoffers a ton of cosmetics that can be added to the character to give him a more personal and unusual touch. It’s incredible just how much is offered here, and there’s a lot to explore in this facet of the title.
5We Don’t Love: Its Short Length
Sackboy: A Big Adventureis a spin-off of theLittleBigPlanetseries and so it’s expected that it might not be as long of an experience as the previous games. However, despite the level of enjoyment to be had in the title’s slick gameplay, it’s stilla very short gamethat shouldn’t take players much longer than a dozen hours.
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There are extra areas like the Knitted Knight Trials and hidden collectibles that add more to the game, but it’s still very brief for a title that costs full price.
4We Love: The Music Levels
The biggest innovation to the platformer genre that’s present inSackboy: A Big Adventureis the handful of music levels in the game.Sackboyisn’t the first platformer to experiment with such a concept, andtheRaymanserieshas done some fantastic things with the idea. That being said, it’s still wildly entertaining to see the design of levels move in tandem with not just catchy pieces of music, but mainstream hits like selections from the libraries of David Bowie or Bruno Mars. They’re easily the most enjoyable levels in the game.
3We Don’t Love: It Doesn’t Do Enough With The Shift To 3D
All of the previousLittleBigPlanetgames have worked as innovative 2.5D platformers. Traditional sidescrollers have become more of a relic in the modern age, although there’s definitely still an audience for them.Sackboy: A Big Adventuredistinguishes itself from its predecessors with how it fully shifts to 3D platforming. It’s a nice change of pace that gets more out of the series, but it doesn’t feel revolutionary in the same way that the other titles did to 2.5D gameplay. Taking more cues from something likeAstro Bot: Rescue Mission,even if it’sa VR game, would be a strong approach.
2We Love: The Collectibles
Video game audiences often appreciate when there’s an extra level of difficulty that’s included in a title through optional challenges.Sackboy: A Big Adventuredoesn’t have a very steep difficulty curve in its attempt to appeal to a broad audience. Seasoned players of the platformer genre will easily breeze through the game, but there are tons of fun collectibles that are hidden throughout levels. These collectibles are actually challenging and there’s a lot of love that goes into these objects that reflect the PlayStation’s larger history. They’re the perfect bonus.
1We Don’t Love: Its Graphics Don’t Push The Limits
Previous entries in theLittleBigPlanetseries have been serious showcases for what the technology of previous Sony consoles,like the PlayStation 3, could achieve. The aesthetic inSackboy: A Big Adventureleans more towards a cute fantasy, but that doesn’t mean that it still can’t be brought to life with extreme fidelity. So much can be done with the textures and fabrics in this world, and even though the game still looks great, it could have gone further for a title that comes at the end of the PlayStation 4’s life and the beginning of the next generation.
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