I Love my Sackboy

So as you all know my passion for books and games comes neck to neck, though many can say that playing video games is childish, I’m happy to admit it’s a great passion and though what I write next may or may not help that cause, one can only think that the millions of gamers can’t be wrong.

Now before I continue, I have to mention other memorable and humbling moments of gaming that have stood out in the recent years:

• The music when Halo 2 started for the first time, and the countless hours plugged into multiplayer sessions at people’s houses
• Wandering through Bioshock, and wondering how the hell it could be so pretty and scary at the same time
• Doing what everyone did as soon as they did it, and carjacking some hapless fool and running him over with his own car in GTA IV, and then just staring at the beauty of having the freedom to do it
• Playing first mission level of Call of Duty 4, all of you out there on my Xbox Live friends list, you know what I mean . . .

Now as non-gamers reading this, you’re probably all lost. Hell, even friends of mine who are gamers are sometimes lost when I talk to them, being a PS3 or Xbox loyalist. I choose not to bicker on sides and am equally happy with both, thought have not seen the lure yet of the Wii and exerting the same amount of effort to play virtual tennis that I could being on a court.

So one game that has been on my mind for a while since they mentioned it 2 years ago is Little Big Planet for the PS3. I was lucky enough, thanks to friendly mom and pop shops that don’t follow the big retailer’s strict release dates, (or in my case my friendly Iranian game shop owner), to get a copy 3 days ago, a full 10 days from the Oct 21st release date.

First of all, I love my Sackboy. (More on that later).

Now, one thing to remember for this; is that you are the game. This may not be entirely apparent at first. Chances are you won't be one of the four ex-Lionhead (who made the great Black & White series) employees who first put pen to graph paper in 2005, or the scant two-score pros who joined them when Media Molecule was born in 2006. Chances are you won't number among the legions of Sony employees who jumped in with resources and advice over the subsequent long days, months and years. But don't worry, you're playing a part. Or rather, you will be. You're a master-artisan-in-waiting, an embryonic lord of creation.

For those who've somehow managed to turn a deaf ear to Sony's relentless pimpage of this, its newfound favourite son, LittleBigPlanet is a molten hybrid of 2.5D platformer and level editor, wrought from the very latest in physics-enabled kitsch and stuffed to the seams with visionary charm. As a linear entity it provokes (and survives) comparison with the cream of Sega and Nintendo's output, from Super Mario Brothers to Sonic the Hedgehog 2; as a set of game creation tools it's in a world of its own, a world thronged with braided fabric boulders and pendulous waxwork constellations, elastic bands and jetpacks. The result is a bewitching paradox: simultaneously one of the most intuitive, unpretentious and egalitarian titles I’ve ever played, and also one of the most intricate and chimerical.

For those of you if what I’ve written already scare the crap out of you and if you have no idea what I’m talking about, and more; if all you want to do is hop a few platforms, bounce on a few jump pads and be home in time for tea, Little Big Planet has a table set aside for you. The story mode is kind of short at around 8 to 10 hours per play-through, but as with Mario, Sonic and chums, gunning single-mindedly through the compulsory levels is only part of the fun.

But what is LBP, at its core? It is very easy to wax on about the lofty aspirations of the user-generated content aspect of the game (which I no doubt will, later), but at its centre Little Big Planet is simply one of the most amazing and original platform game of recent years. Playing the story portion of this grand opus leaves you in little doubt about the mechanic at the heart of the action. Pure and simple; running and jumping. Oh, and a bunch of hanging and dragging, too.

Running and jumping is the cusp of the evolved-platform game play, but so too is hanging (useful for traversing particular areas, or clinging on for dear-life in some of the giant machines you'll meet later on) and dragging (key for reaching certain areas by moving items, or for unblocking the path ahead). All this motion is beautifully animated in a manner that would make Pixar extremely jealous, and the fun-filled but believable physics are among the best I've seen in any game, of any genre, hands down. (Eat that Half-Life). The way the moving of objects, and the manner in which physics impacts this, is key to the game play is wonderful to behold - and at times you'll catch yourself grinning like a drooling infant at the playfulness of it all.

You may have noticed that I've got this far and I've barely managed to touch on the user-generated content side of things - this isn't because this side of the game is in any way inconsequential, but rather I was hoping to highlight through my earlier ramblings how good the game is before you even reach for this extra layer of detail. Strewn throughout the game's levels are stickers to collect (these will give you bonuses if applied in the right places), and there are a myriad (no, really) of items to collect as you progress, beyond the innumerable point-giving orbs. The collection of items will give you goodies with which do decorate the world, and Sackboy himself, as well as gradually unlocking 'stuff' for using in the level creation portion of the game.

The level of Sackboy (or girl!) customization is very high indeed, and you'll find yourself evolving your fabric-hero on the fly simply because of the casual joy there is to be had trying out combinations of outfits, and the other accessories available. The possibilities are endless, and all this does of course add yet further color to co-op bouts as well. You can even decorate your 'pod' (Sackboy's home from where you'll access the game's various options) with decorations you've garnered in play. Nice touches include the ability to control your sack-person's arms by holding the controller's triggers; great for showing-off after putting in a sterling performance on a particular stage, while his expression can be tailored to a range of emotions as well. You can even make him bow by tilting the controller (the Sixaxis is also used for 'shaking loose' jetpacks). None of this is groundbreaking of course, but it adds lashings of charm and personality to the proceedings. (Usagi-chan and I spent the better half of an evening customizing Sackboy’s appearance, though I’ve settled on a semi-resembling aviators of myself, full with glasses and spiky hair, cigarettes not available).

Of course, the real longevity of the Little Big Planet experience is likely to come from the user-generated levels - and it is on this side of things that matters do get quite involved. Finding new user-generated worlds is a doddle... creating something half-decent of your own certainly isn't. I haven’t been able to check them out yet, with the servers still not up for another week, but there's already a massive amount of content for you to investigate, from a variety of creative (and potentially really insane) people.

Little Big Planet is one of the most inviting game world's ever imagined, the concept is a masterstroke, the implementation slick. Media Molecule are also promising enhancements still to come, and alongside epic amounts of user-generated content the sky really could be the limit for the diminutive Sackboy. Beyond a few control niggles and the obvious challenge of the content creation tools (which are perhaps not as approachable as the sandbox, power-to-the-people theme struck might imply), this is a game that can take you to new and exciting places like few others before it. I’m really buying into the Little Big Planet phenomenon; and buying in big. So should you. If you don’t have a PS3 and were on the fence or even nowhere near it, now is the time to get off your proverbial backside and get one now. Yes, it’s worth it just for LBP.

And yes, I love my Sackboy.