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LittleBigPlanet 2 Review: A Gallery of Ingenuity

Archive: 94 posts

http://i.imgur.com/197Ql.png

When the original LittleBigPlanet was announced (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI5JmcQv3n4) at 2007's GDC, it was a surprise hit. It got people talking - about ease-of-use, about creativity, about the cute stitched-up character with the equally cutesy name. It got people excited about what LittleBigPlanet meant for gaming as a whole. At the time, LittleBigPlanet seemed truly primed not only to revolutionize user generated content, but to serve as an entire Creative platform - for Creators and Players alike.

Fast forward to the present, and we have LittleBigPlanet 2: the game that completely and unequivocally delivers on the lofty promises made by that LittleBigPlanet GDC demonstration four years ago - and then some. In terms of ease-of-use, its creation tools are second-to-none. It provides a thoroughly robust tool for discovering new/popular/dev favorite levels, complete with a full-featured web component (LBP.me (http://lbp.me)) which even supports queuing levels (right from that site) for later play. It revitalizes the engine with new graphics, new lighting methods, and tons of extra eye candy. You can even import your original LittleBigPlanet profile into LittleBigPlanet 2 and bring along everything you've made and unlocked - stickers, objects, materials, levels, everything.

And, before you ask - yes, the platforming physics are the exact same as LittleBigPlanet's. LittleBigPlanet 2 is backwards-compatible with every single level ever published in LittleBigPlanet - a number that is currently in the multi-millions - so they opted to keep it the same so as to not break that backwards compatibility. I'll say it now, so it's out of the way: I do not have, and never had, issues with the platforming physics. If you do, it's probably a good idea to keep that difference of opinion in mind while reading the rest of the review.

In the end, LittleBigPlanet 2 is not necessarily going to please everyone - as mentioned, the floaty jumping is still present, and, according to some, the thermometer is less flexible this time around - but whether you consider yourself a fan of LittleBigPlanet or not, you owe it to yourself to give its successor a whirl. There are too many things done right (and done better) in LittleBigPlanet 2 to willingly pass it up.


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http://i.imgur.com/OiXBJl.jpg


Story Mode: A Fresh, Imaginative, Sometimes Clich?d Ride

The original LittleBigPlanet had a story mode that, while filled with fun gameplay, had an actual story that left something to be desired. In this way, LittleBigPlanet 2 is almost exactly the same as its predecessor. The story is hard to follow at times and, while I won't reveal too much, does get a bit hipster/clich? at the very end. Each set of story levels is still sorted into loosely-related "themes" and you're still hunting for prize and point bubbles along the way, so there is a strong feeling of familiarity to this new romp through the LBP omniverse.

The story revolves around your quest to join forces with a number of Creators throughout the "Imagisphere" (a universe of creative worlds) as you gather the strength necessary to fight the "Negativitron". The Negativitron is a vaccuum-resembling fun-sucker that seemingly has nothing better to do than to follow Sackboy around and ruin his day. As a result, you're tasked with eventually destroying the Negativitron. Since you can't do it alone, you spend the majority of the game cavorting around various worlds in the Imagisphere, fighting the effects of the Negativitron and building the allies necessary to fight him head-on.

In terms of the way the story mode plays, the only big difference is that nearly every single level - regardless of theme - is unique in terms of both gameplay and visuals. Whether it's a level intended to introduce you to the Grabinator, a new "vehicle" (the term is used loosely for a reason ) you're driving using the Direct Control Seat, or another fun use of the Grappling Hook, nearly every level has a unique gameplay hook coupled with a new look that helps keep things feeling fresh. Often a "new look" means a different layout and different assets within the same "theme", but it still prevents feelings of "samey-ness" that might have surfaced otherwise.

Overall, the story mode is a great ride. Each of the over forty levels presents new challenges and new ways to look at the game, and Media Molecule does a great job making their methods just obvious enough that a seasoned Creator will learn a ton from the Story Mode just by playing through and looking around at the mechanics of it all. There were many times where I simply forgot my motivation while playing through the Story Mode, but in those instances, I never really cared. If I was shooting a glob of sticky cake out of a Creatinator at a spiked, fire-throwing baddie while being flung through the air on bouncepads, why I was doing it was ultimately unimportant - the fact that I got to do that thing was so much fun in and of itself, it didn't really matter why.


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http://i.imgur.com/RfLYsl.jpg


Create: Better In Every Way

The first time you drop into Create mode in LittleBigPlanet 2, your ever-present guide Stephen Fry will offer to assist you by presenting you to the (quite massive number of) tutorials. Jump in, and you'll be slowly-but-surely introduced to both new and old features, in an order designed to help ease understanding of the vast number of tools at your disposal. Obviously, they're all optional, and you don't have to do them in order - if you really want to, you can jump around, do some but not others, or just skip them all using the handy "Unlock All Tutorials" button at the bottom of the list.

I'm not going to try to lay out every new thing there is in Create, but I will say this: the list is massive. Absolutely gigantic. Everything from thermometer consolidation to built-in logic to a microchip for holding that logic to a sticker cutout tool to sorting-stickers-by-color to fullscreen Popit to animated materials to a UV editor that lets you edit the textures on those materials (and static materials, to boot) to Sackbots and AI to direct control mapping to dynamic scene/water/gravity controls to gameplay and music sequencing...the list goes on and on and on. It's absolutely wonderful how full-featured Create is this time around.

You can link two levels together with a Level Link, to teleport a player (or groups of players) directly from one level to another. So if you wanted to make a long level but don't have the thermometer space for it, just split it into two and use a Level Link to make LittleBigPlanet 2 treat them as one level. It'll even hide the second level for you, so players have to finish the first in order to be able to play the second. You can also mark levels as Competitive or Cinematic, so it will treat certain levels as versus or cutscenes instead of the standard-fare cooperative.

You thought Calculator was impressive in LittleBigPlanet? With the logic tools they've provided, you could make that in the span of a couple of hours, tops - and you could shrink all the logic required down to the size of a sensor switch by putting it inside a microchip. It would require very little thermometer space because it requires very little physical material - all it's doing is computing numbers. How about our Logic Pack - lots of people thought that was useful. How hard would it be to implement that functionality in LittleBigPlanet 2? Already in there, out of the box - everything we provided, they're providing, and more. And they've one-upped us by making it non-physical (something we couldn't do) so you don't have to worry about it taking up tons of thermometer space in your level.

Out of everything, my personal favorites have to be the Direct Control Seat, Movers, Object Tweakers, and the new logic tools. The Direct Control Seat does exactly what it appears - it allows the Creator to map any button on the Dualshock to any action, and all the player has to do is hop in the Seat to activate it. Movers provide very precise control over objects - using them, you can instruct an object to move up, down, left, right, or even between layers. Object Tweakers, well, tweak objects! You have a ton of control over things like gravity, dampening, and even water buoyancy of an object (among many other things), and can set all of these variables per-object.

In the end, though, the logic tools are what really tie it all together for me. The new logic allows for some powerful control over what features of your level are active and when, and how much impact the player has on said features. Want to remove the gravity of an object at a specific time? Easy - just whip out a timer and an object tweaker, and connect them together. Looking for something more complicated? How about a UFO that the player can fly? Not only possible, but with a DCS, an Advanced Mover, and an Object Tweaker, you can set that up in 5 minutes. The more complicated your ideas get, the longer it would take to implement, but I've yet to come up with (or hear of) an idea that couldn't be implemented with enough time, dedication, and logic. For those who know how to use it, logic really does present endless potential.

Media Molecule and Sony are lauding LittleBigPlanet 2 as more than a way to make levels, but an entire platform for games. From what I've seen, that's entirely true. Top-down racers, first-person shooters, top-down shooters, Flower, even gameplay reminiscent of Heavy Rain - not just possible, but all already accomplished (thanks to the early Beta trials). The potential for this platform is massive, and you'd be crazy not to own a copy for nothing else other than to be able to pop it in and check out the latest hotness that one of of our many creative geniuses have made.


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http://i.imgur.com/8Tu3Ul.jpg


You: It's Personal

Just like the original, every aspect of LittleBigPlanet 2 is a wholly personal experience. Your Sackboy/Sackgirl, your Creator image, your Pod - everything about you is, well, you. Just as in Create mode, you design all these aspects yourself, and they follow you around throughout the universe of the game. It was the same way in LittleBigPlanet, so what's different here?

I think the biggest difference is the concept of Pins. For nearly everything you do in LittleBigPlanet 2, you earn progress toward unlocking a Pin. There are hundreds of Pins. Some are Story-related, some are Create-related. Some you unlock by designing your Sackboy, some you unlock by designing your Pod. Some are secret. Some of the more difficult Pins unlock trophies as well - these you'll be able to spot, as they'll be marked with the appropriate trophy icon. Custom Pins can even be made and handed out by Media Molecule for special occasions, so, down the road, there will be extremely rare pins to be collected.

Pins are cool for a number of reasons. For one, there are way more Pins than there are trophies, so there's a sense of accomplishment much more often. Pins are also integrated into the game much more heavily - you don't even have to leave the game's interface to check them out. The biggest sell, for me anyway, was the revelation that you can put any three Pins of your choice up on display under your Creator image for all to see, including secret/custom pins. This gives you the freedom to show off your most valued accomplishments to all your friends/admirers/visitors of your Planet. It really makes the earning of Pins that much more exciting - that you get to "own" those accomplishments by flaunting them to your friends, without being annoying about it. It's a very fun concept, and one I hope more games adopt in an abstract sense.

Another aspect new to LittleBigPlanet 2 is the ability to customize your Earth and Moon. Each has a number of layers (the Moon, 3 - the Earth, upwards of 5 or more) that you can tweak using your own selection of materials. Any materials you've unlocked in LittleBigPlanet 2 (or LittleBigPlanet, for that matter) can be used to customize your Earth and Moon. You can also slap on Decorations as well, for that extra bit of personalization. It's quite cool.

Sackboy customization is very nearly the same as before, except now there are costumes that are much more...jaunty, than they were before. They're bigger, they're more animated (in a very literal sense), and they usually come in more pieces to make customization that much more fun.

Stickers make a comeback, of course. They're just as awesome as they always were, and now there are twice as many as before (provided you've got an original LittleBigPlanet profile to import). Coupled with the new sticker cutout tool, stickers have been given a whole new life in LittleBigPlanet 2. I'm excited to see how the community puts them to use now that it's easy to make objects conform to their default shape.

Decorations should probably be touched on as well. Decorations as we knew them were slightly 3D forms of stickers, mostly - sometimes they stuck up in the air a bit, but mostly they "kept to themselves" - they were subtle, low-profile. Not anymore. Now, there are decorations that are unashamed of their size - and, for the better. It's so much more fun to decorate your pod with huge dangly dice and engines and egg cartons that take up half the screen. Of course, they're all resizeable like any other custom thing you would place down, so they don't have to be huge and obtrusive, but personally, I like the ability to dress up my pod in a much more flaunty manner.

Also, dice dangling from my Sackboy's ears just look hilarious.


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Wrapping It Up

I could go on and on about how necessary I think it is that all gamers own a copy of LittleBigPlanet 2, but I'd just be wasting time repeating myself. The fact is, LittleBigPlanet 2 is a game so rife with imagination and creativity, it doesn't matter whether or not you'd use the Create tools yourself. It doesn't matter whether or not you have a problem with the "floaty" platforming. LittleBigPlanet 2 is a gallery of user-generated ingenuity, in a way that no other console game before it has managed - you're paying for one game, you're getting at least a million. Even if only a tenth of those are any good, or even a hundredth, because of how ingenious its community is (e.g. you guys!), you're still getting ten-thousand times your money's worth. Look at it from that perspective, and you'll quickly realize: you'd be crazy not to own LittleBigPlanet 2.



Score: 9.5

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Full disclosure: Played through the entire Story Mode and a handful of the bonus levels. Completed all 52 in-game tutorials individually, and spent a total of 10 or so hours in Create mode. Was provided with a free, early copy of LittleBigPlanet 2 by SCEA for the purposes of this review.

Full-er disclosure: I bought the Collector's Edition anyway. 		2011-01-12 03:48:00

Author:
ConfusedCartman
Posts: 3729

This is just amazing... I think that this game, LittleBigPlanet 2, will turn out to be one of the greatest video games ever made in the world!
The review is very well written; I cannot wait to play the game. Good job, CC.		2011-01-12 04:07:00

Author:
Stoicrow
Posts: 276

YAY!!! Good review well done CC2011-01-12 04:09:00

Author:
OverWork
Posts: 873

Awesome!So that's what you been doin'.Truly awesome and I'm glad for you to get to enjoy LBP2 ahead of time to tell us about it.Thanks for the heads up look thread here!And once again,have fun! 2011-01-12 04:09:00

Author:
robotixpro
Posts: 354

Finally, a review from a player and not a critic! Good job CC!2011-01-12 04:11:00

Author:
Mr_T-Shirt
Posts: 1477

wow incredible review XD

way better than the last review I saw today of LBP2, they gave it a 7.5!		2011-01-12 04:12:00

Author:
Arnald23
Posts: 1843

TL;DR: Any bad/annoying elements?
Is the create drone noise still there?
Just kidding, I did read it lols.

We're gonna need a FAQ. 		2011-01-12 04:14:00

Author:
midnight_heist
Posts: 2513

whoa this is great am so pumped 2011-01-12 04:14:00

Author:
vezonfan01
Posts: 293

Just curious, but is it possible to access a material's tweak menu while customizing your Earth or Moon? Anyway, thanks a ton for this review! I didn't know it was possible, but I just got even more hyped up! Can't wait for my sister to take me to Gamestop next Tuesday! The Collector's Edition is mine!!! Preorder, FTW! My copy has been waiting for me since it was announced...2011-01-12 04:18:00

Author:
Super_Clone
Posts: 849

Full-er disclosure: I bought the Collector's Edition anyway.

I loled.
2011-01-12 04:18:00

Author:
Merc
Posts: 2135

Really, this is the most relevant review this game will ever get.

From an honest leader of the community.

Yeah, thats what this "game" is.		2011-01-12 04:19:00

Author:
Fishrock123
Posts: 1578

I'm not going to try to lay out every new thing there is in Create, but I will say this: the list is massive. Absolutely gigantic. Everything from thermometer consolidation to built-in logic to a microchip for holding that logic to a sticker cutout tool to sorting-stickers-by-color to fullscreen Popit to animated materials to a UV editor that lets you edit the textures on those materials (and static materials, to boot)

WAT O_O

I feel like I should have heard of this before now?...

*relurk*		2011-01-12 04:19:00

Author:
Unknown User

WAT O_OI feel like I should have heard of this before now?...*relurk*

It only changes panning of textures 		2011-01-12 04:34:00

Author:
Shadowriver
Posts: 3991

If you don't import anything from LBP1, what do you get in LBP2? Are things like basic materials still there?2011-01-12 04:37:00

Author:
warlord_evil
Posts: 4193

what a very intricate and detailed review, I'm beyond impressed.

also loved how you emphasized that you get way more out of your $60-$80 (Collector's Edition) with all of the community supporting this title.

and just like you I have pre-ordered my Collector's Edition and await in the mail like a giddy schoolgirl (while securing my masculinity )

in the end this review has been my favorite to read and has me excited for a game that will revolutionize the way we play...and make games

@ warlord - you still get basic materials...but thats pretty much it i think...then you unlock the LBP2 materials...but LBP1 materials and objects like the boot and stuff I think stay in LBP1 if you don't transfer anything		2011-01-12 04:43:00

Author:
Shadowcrazy
Posts: 3365

Excellent and honest review!
Well written and easy to read (for non english people )

One question please :


http://i.imgur.com/8Tu3Ul.jpg

Will we be able to "officially" change the background of the pod in the final game or not?		2011-01-12 04:47:00

Author:
dajdaj03
Posts: 1486

Full-er disclosure: I bought the Collector's Edition anyway.

Well, the sackplush and all those costumes are totally worth it. That's why I did the same.		2011-01-12 04:48:00

Author:
Super_Dork_42
Posts: 1874

you'd be crazy not to own LittleBigPlanet 2.
tell that to non creative people and people who complain about getting half of a game and sayingits like, "here it is, MAKE YOUR OWN GOD DAM GAME"!!!		2011-01-12 04:55:00

Author:
wait wtf
Posts: 853

Well, I can't say I was really on the fence about buying the game, but this definitely has me pumped for a week from today. 2011-01-12 05:02:00

Author:
Duffluc
Posts: 402

Sorry I'm not answering questions - there are quite a few, I don't want to turn this into a full-on Q&A, and there's no fair way to pick whose question should be answered!

I updated the review with a score, but I want to add a small explanation along with that:

I don't believe in 10/10s. I think, in the world of scores, 10/10 is an unreachable nirvana that all games are aiming for but, due to the realities of humanity, none quite hit. All games (as in all things) are imperfect, and I think scores should reflect that. My opinion on that matter is reflected honestly in the score I've added to the review. If you want to fully grasp my opinion on the game, try to focus more on the content of my writing than the score itself - the score is meant to be a quick summary, not a full explanation of my feelings. 		2011-01-12 05:33:00

Author:
ConfusedCartman
Posts: 3729

52 tutorials?! Is that REALLY necessary?2011-01-12 05:51:00

Author:
Bremnen
Posts: 1800

Yea - and you'll probably want to view them a few times if your like me.

Granted if you just want to mess around you can but to really get what it's capable of those tutorials are just the beginning,		2011-01-12 05:52:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

To be honest, I have really waited for this rewiev. Finaly someone here got it up! Thanks CC, even though I would have buyed it anyway.2011-01-12 06:07:00

Author:
FreeAim
Posts: 2462

Ahhh... This review gets me even more excited for this amazing game. It's nice to hear that you enjoyed the story levels, I've been hoping that the story would be great. As opposed to LBP1s story mode that was really just experimenting with what the creator can do.

I also can't wait to use bots again... and Holo material... I've been missing those two things since the beta ended...		2011-01-12 06:13:00

Author:
ShamgarBlade
Posts: 1010

Sorry I'm not answering questions - there are quite a few, I don't want to turn this into a full-on Q&A, and there's no fair way to pick whose question should be answered!

how about making a Q&A thread later on when you deem it appropriate and have time for questions...I'm sure you'd be able to screen questions that cannot be answered in the beta and answer those...plus with the BETA FAQ thread you could link that in the OP of the Q&A thread too

just a mere suggestion		2011-01-12 06:15:00

Author:
Shadowcrazy
Posts: 3365

Sorry I'm not answering questions - there are quite a few, I don't want to turn this into a full-on Q&A, and there's no fair way to pick whose question should be answered!

I updated the review with a score, but I want to add a small explanation along with that:

I don't believe in 10/10s. I think, in the world of scores, 10/10 is an unreachable nirvana that all games are aiming for but, due to the realities of humanity, none quite hit. All games (as in all things) are imperfect, and I think scores should reflect that. My opinion on that matter is reflected honestly in the score I've added to the review. If you want to fully grasp my opinion on the game, try to focus more on the content of my writing than the score itself - the score is meant to be a quick summary, not a full explanation of my feelings.
I agree,a rating is not the most accurate way of expressing our thoughts towards your review.Like you said,no game is perfect,all have their faults.That's why I don't like to rate but to express my thoughts in a comment also I applaud your review ConfusedCartman (CC).It was an opinion from the heart!Take a bow and pat yourself on the back!<3		2011-01-12 06:29:00

Author:
robotixpro
Posts: 354

I do not really get it why some people complain about sackboy/girl's jumping, I have always found it to be just the perfect thing to use :/ Anyway, great interview, really looking forward to playing it soon 2011-01-12 06:49:00

Author:
moonwire
Posts: 1627

People complains about jumping because the game is not made by Nintendo or Microsoft and bashing Sony has become a United States new hobby.
(Obviously is not this...it's not ONLY this...)
Anyway good review, but nothing I didn't expect.
Really this time with LBP2 it's all about creativity and to see how much closer to our ideas we can get..		2011-01-12 07:05:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

...you to pan it! Nice read CC... My one problem is a sequel was never called for in the first place...and now the've gone and remade the same game for what? Part of LBP's charm was it should never have been able to be out-moded!

AND NOW THEY've gone and created this indespensiblle package.		2011-01-12 07:14:00

Author:
Gravel
Posts: 1308

Exellent review! It's really nice to see a review from people that aren't complete create mode noobs paha. Good work! 2011-01-12 07:17:00

Author:
Mnniska
Posts: 531

people complain about sackboys (and sackgirls) jumping? thats... sad... no-one complains about sonic the hedgehogs speed, or ratchet's (from ratchet and clank) strange ability to jump, then somehow launch himself into a frontflip by pushing off air? WHY DO THEY BE MEAN TO SACKBOYS (AND SACKGIRLS). and wait, did you say 60-80 dollars... i spent 110 at ebgames for normal edition... oh well it still comes with the plush...2011-01-12 07:22:00

Author:
Riolu17
Posts: 38

Wow, very proffessional review CC, you should be a reviewer at a gaming site, you'd easly make it.

MAn, just one more week people, ONE WEEK!
Then....it (LBP2) begins!

LBP2, here we go!		2011-01-12 07:34:00

Author:
Silverleon
Posts: 6707

Thanks, CC. Great review of

AN AWESOME GAME WE WILL ALL LEARN TO LOVE/ALREADY LOVE



Soo......... Cn I haz LBP2 plz? 		2011-01-12 07:42:00

Author:
mutant_red_peas
Posts: 516

I remember once reading about that if we heart an author we will get updates on what new things they're doing. Is that still in the game or was it abounded because of lbp.me?2011-01-12 08:24:00

Author:
blizzard_cool
Posts: 752

awesome review.2011-01-12 09:51:00

Author:
Pattington_Bear
Posts: 777

Excellent review! And it's made me even more thrilled about LBP2 than I already was. I want it. Nao! *sigh* Just seven more days to go...2011-01-12 10:38:00

Author:
slutzinc
Posts: 124

Nice review CC, definately the best I've read. Finally somebody who actually understands the game.


I don't believe in 10/10s. I think, in the world of scores, 10/10 is an unreachable nirvana that all games are aiming for but, due to the realities of humanity, none quite hit. All games (as in all things) are imperfect, and I think scores should reflect that. My opinion on that matter is reflected honestly in the score I've added to the review. If you want to fully grasp my opinion on the game, try to focus more on the content of my writing than the score itself - the score is meant to be a quick summary, not a full explanation of my feelings.

I'm glad you posted this because I was just about to rage that you ONLY gave it a 9.5. I don't believe in true perfection either, but (and this is just my opinion), I don't consider 10/10 to literally mean perfection. If you don't believe in 10/10s, then why rate using a scale that includes it? I don't really see why this needs a score at all, as it's not like this a review site - this is pretty much the only game reviewed. Ratings are only needed to compare it other game scores. I for one was perfectly happy reading your in-depth review of the game, and when I saw that 9.5 at the end I thought "Wait a minute, you never mentioned any negative things about the game, why does it lose out on that extra 0.5?" and then proceeded to write this post. The review itself is all that matters.


people complain about sackboys (and sackgirls) jumping? thats... sad... no-one complains about sonic the hedgehogs speed, or ratchet's (from ratchet and clank) strange ability to jump, then somehow launch himself into a frontflip by pushing off air? WHY DO THEY BE MEAN TO SACKBOYS (AND SACKGIRLS).

Apparantly many people seem to think that because games like Mario, Sonic etc have impossible and unrealistic jumping mechanics, all games should be the same and anything that is different is wrong and "needs fixing". These are people who obviously don't understand Sackboy is small and made of fluff annd stuff so his jumping would be floaty, and they also have no understanding of physics. And so, naturally, that is the games fault.		2011-01-12 11:30:00

Author:
Nuclearfish
Posts: 927

this is pretty much the only game reviewed. Ratings are only needed to compare it other game scores.

And indeed I will. For the original LBP got a score of 9/10 from CC, and so that means this game is 5% better then old LBP.

I love logic.

anywho, I have to admit I was on the fence, but now I can safely say I am potentially considering this game <3		2011-01-12 11:34:00

Author:
RockSauron
Posts: 10882

And indeed I will. For the original LBP got a score of 9/10 from CC, and so that means this game is 5% better then old LBP.

I love logic.

Ah, well, I didn't know LBP had been reviewed too. *runs away looking stupid*

Still though, I think the review speaks perfectly for itself. The score doesn't add anything (for me at least).		2011-01-12 11:44:00

Author:
Nuclearfish
Posts: 927

Wow , can't believ i just read the whole thing
but...

...OMG this is so awesome !!		2011-01-12 12:16:00

Author:
TOXIC_KILLA_
Posts: 147

thanks cc2011-01-12 12:35:00

Author:
johnee
Posts: 78

Very cool review, CC! Very cool to have real player opinion!

Can I published it's translate on Rissian LBP Community site littlebigrussia.ru?		2011-01-12 14:32:00

Author:
Domik12
Posts: 838

Hello,LBPC comunity.

- I think this was be definitively the game of my dreams,I see this like a great tool to create ANY kind of game and anyting (Art,Music,Costumes,Films).The people who like Art and Videogames MUST buy this.I was so happy cause this game (or plataform for games) coming out soon.

- Thanks to all LBP Central team for this great Review and Thanks to Media Molecule for create this masterpiece.

- Good bye and have a great day,LBPC.		2011-01-12 16:18:00

Author:
Unknown User

Yay, thanks! This was a really well written (and long) review, and has made the that much more excited for the game! I'm a bit dissapointed the stroy has no, well, story (after 100%ing LBP1's I haven't touched it since, bar a few Survivals), but it still sounds fun, and we all know the Community is where it's at.2011-01-12 16:19:00

Author:
kirbyman62
Posts: 1893

Will we be able to "officially" change the background of the pod in the final game or not?

Since you put that picture in, I assume the background in the popit is why you ask. But I assume that's just the temporary changed background you get when you select a story level. If you quickly press Circle a bunch of times you can take a picture like this in the beta, already.


I remember once reading about that if we heart an author we will get updates on what new things they're doing. Is that still in the game or was it abounded because of lbp.me?

Lbp.me is complementary to that. The recent activity list that you see in lbp.me on the dashboard is also available in LBP2, in the top level of your pod computer, no less.		2011-01-12 16:19:00

Author:
Rogar
Posts: 2284

I like floaty physics!
My rating for lbp 1 was 9.3 and I hope that if lbp2 even matches that for me, I'll be completely delirious!		2011-01-12 16:32:00

Author:
KQuinn94Z
Posts: 1758

Great review!! This only heightens my already extreme anticipation for the future release 2011-01-12 17:45:00

Author:
Powershifter
Posts: 668

can't wait to play!2011-01-12 18:23:00

Author:
Unknown User

Sorry I'm not answering questions - there are quite a few, I don't want to turn this into a full-on Q&A, and there's no fair way to pick whose question should be answered!

I updated the review with a score, but I want to add a small explanation along with that:

I don't believe in 10/10s. I think, in the world of scores, 10/10 is an unreachable nirvana that all games are aiming for but, due to the realities of humanity, none quite hit. All games (as in all things) are imperfect, and I think scores should reflect that. My opinion on that matter is reflected honestly in the score I've added to the review. If you want to fully grasp my opinion on the game, try to focus more on the content of my writing than the score itself - the score is meant to be a quick summary, not a full explanation of my feelings.

I don't understand the logic behind a 10/10 scale if 10 can never be achieved. Of course no game is perfect, but a 10/10 should represent a game that is an amazing experience and is something totally unique. Everyone know's that nothing is perfect, and I doubt that someone expects pure perfection out of something just because it score full marks. That's like giving a student an 'A' grade, when they really deserve an 'A+' and your reason for giving them the lower score is that 'nothing is perfect'. I feel like you only scored the game a 9.5 because 'nothings perfect'. That's something Mm can nothing about, so it's totally unfair to dock them .5 because of something out of control. I felt like you basically gave the game a 10 and only took .5 off it because 'nothing is perfect'. Also review scores that have .5's are as stupid as not giving games 10's. Just give it a 9 or 10.

But it was a well-written and informative review nevertheless. Not that it really affected my purchase decision since I was sold on day one.		2011-01-12 21:26:00

Author:
The Spartan Don
Posts: 56

Great review, can't wait to play this game 2011-01-12 21:48:00

Author:
iGotFancyPants
Posts: 1355

I don't understand the logic behind a 10/10 scale if 10 can never be achieved. Of course no game is perfect, but a 10/10 should represent a game that is an amazing experience and is something totally unique. Everyone know's that nothing is perfect, and I doubt that someone expects pure perfection out of something just because it score full marks. That's like giving a student an 'A' grade, when they really deserve an 'A+' and your reason for giving them the lower score is that 'nothing is perfect'. I feel like you only scored the game a 9.5 because 'nothings perfect'. That's something Mm can nothing about, so it's totally unfair to dock them .5 because of something out of control. I felt like you basically gave the game a 10 and only took .5 off it because 'nothing is perfect'. Also review scores that have .5's are as stupid as not giving games 10's. Just give it a 9 or 10.

But it was a well-written and informative review nevertheless. Not that it really affected my purchase decision since I was sold on day one.

Agree.
Also, this game deserves a OVER 9000+!/10, not because I don't believe in perfect 10/10 (which I didn't put ), but because this game is PURELY MADE OF EPIC WIN!I love Rex's Art, Alex's Creativity, Tom & Spaff's Awesomeness, johnee's luck, Jim's awesome UI Skillz, Kareem & Francy's Imagination, Stephen's friendly voiceovers and all of you at Mm! I LUV YOU!

This game is like a console itself in which programming has made an easy-peasy proccess! I'm getting LBP2 CE! 		2011-01-12 21:57:00

Author:
fatman689
Posts: 54

Great review, thanks! I do think the Sackboy plushy you will get with your CE will push your score to a prefect 10! Saying LBP is a good value for the money is a bit of an understatement. If you divide the money spent on LBP1 by the hours the average LBPCentral member has played it, it probably works out to about .4 cents an hour. (.42 with DLC) One more week, yay!2011-01-12 22:02:00

Author:
JakePutz
Posts: 92

I don't understand the logic behind a 10/10 scale if 10 can never be achieved. Of course no game is perfect, but a 10/10 should represent a game that is an amazing experience and is something totally unique. Everyone know's that nothing is perfect, and I doubt that someone expects pure perfection out of something just because it score full marks. That's like giving a student an 'A' grade, when they really deserve an 'A+' and your reason for giving them the lower score is that 'nothing is perfect'. I feel like you only scored the game a 9.5 because 'nothings perfect'. That's something Mm can nothing about, so it's totally unfair to dock them .5 because of something out of control. I felt like you basically gave the game a 10 and only took .5 off it because 'nothing is perfect'. Also review scores that have .5's are as stupid as not giving games 10's. Just give it a 9 or 10.

But it was a well-written and informative review nevertheless. Not that it really affected my purchase decision since I was sold on day one.
Think about it like this: if perfection was an 11/10, how would you effectively communicate to your readers how "far" from perfection a game was? If the ceiling was 10, then that would imply that all games at 10 are as great as any game can be. Not only is that a weird implication, but then you're stuck with a system where "perfect" is one more "point" higher than that and no score between 10 and 11 can be applied to a game. That ends up being hard to use, because then 11 is still technically part of your scale, you just can't ever give games that score - or any score near it, for that matter. So any game that's incredibly close to perfection gets a 10, gets interpreted by your readers as "perfect" or "as good as any game can possibly be", and is considered equal by score aggregators (like Metacritic) to any other game that also got a 10 under that system. So even though one game that got a 10 might be slightly better than another that got a 10, your scoring system doesn't reflect that because perfection is a whole point away from where those games sit.

If you include perfection in your calculations, then you can rate games very close to 10 (9.9, 9.8, etc etc) - and they'll all be capable of being small amounts away from perfection while still being discernible in quality based on the score alone. It uses less of the scale, sure, but it's ultimately much more flexible for the reviewer and a much more honest reflection of the quality of the game as a whole.

I mean, I guess you could compromise and call "10.1" perfection - but the difference is so negligible I'm not even sure it's worth a discussion.

As to the ".5" opinion - I've read enough reviews and played enough games to have a good feel for the difference between a "9" game and a "9.5" game. The difference is polish, lots of refinement, and, ultimately, a sense that the developers were confident in the thing they were making. If you feel that strongly about it, feel free to round the score to a 10 in your head. It's not that far off, really.

--------------------

What it really comes down it is: I don't think LittleBigPlanet 2 is perfect. Giving it a 10 feels weird to me, because I feel like I'd be lying about the quality of the game. It's an amazing, wonderful game, but it's not perfection - and that's what a 10 is to me: perfect. There's no game in the world I'd give a 10/10 to, because that's how my internal scoring system works. If you don't agree with that, I understand, but I explained to you how my system works (and it's not a new system, really), so you shouldn't have a problem interpreting it. Whether the number is a 9.5 or a 10 is negligible - the fact is, I loved the game, and I think you should buy it. That's what you should focus on.		2011-01-13 00:24:00

Author:
ConfusedCartman
Posts: 3729

We are saying that a 10/10 is 'As great as any game could be', however, we also say that a 10/10 could be considered as a perfect score. Seeing as this could be taken either way, it's a matter of opinion. Idealistically, a 10/10 is perfect, but because there is no such thing as a man-made perfection, I believe that our standards should be set at what is realistically best for such a genre.
As I said before, it is all a matter of opinion, but then again, isn't everything? One could say "Hey! My head is made of rock!" Although you may disagree, it all depends on definition and context.

I digress, you very well may be correct, but, similarly, I may be correct; it depends on perspective.		2011-01-13 00:46:00

Author:
Super_Clone
Posts: 849

Best review on the Net so far, much more believable and it feels, well human
Another reason to feel proud of being an LBPC-er 		2011-01-13 03:41:00

Author:
Chump
Posts: 1712

I would've bought the game despite a good or bad review either way but i was sure it wasn't gonna be disappointing.

2011-01-13 03:48:00

Author:
wolverine_2008
Posts: 304

Well doesn't THAT sound nice :32011-01-13 07:20:00

Author:
Amigps
Posts: 564

I won't get CE. I mind, the only thing that, in my opinion, diserves wasting extra money, are level packs, and some DLC (not all).
However, I respect other's opinion, and if they like ALL DLC, then it's ok for them !		2011-01-13 16:24:00

Author:
ZeroZ30o
Posts: 157

What? Did n actual human write this review? That's the first one I've seen by a human. (Or so it seems.)
Anyway, this review rocked! This should converty any on-the-fencers. 		2011-01-13 18:14:00

Author:
jalr2d2
Posts: 256

Nice job, that review was very well written. It just makes me twice as exited to play the game! Cant wait! 2011-01-13 22:01:00

Author:
Minisak
Posts: 4

you got lbp2 early, and for free!!2011-01-13 23:15:00

Author:
Unknown User

Great review CC!. I can't wait for this game2011-01-13 23:36:00

Author:
CLC4life
Posts: 18

This was a really good review!! Its nice to finally see a review by an experienced player.2011-01-14 00:11:00

Author:
Serpent541
Posts: 83

I so cants wait for lbp 2 !2011-01-14 02:41:00

Author:
DeusJt
Posts: 56

Cant wait for Tuesday!
Wanted the Collectors Edition but my piggy bank only got me as far as the regular version Reviews need more people who actually like the game at heart and less who are just paid to write and might not like the game. Although then they would put down any faults the game had. Oh great now I'm arguing with myself. Anyway great review CC 		2011-01-14 04:13:00

Author:
Unknown User

Great Reveiw! It's great to see a review that sees things from a player's perspective2011-01-14 04:57:00

Author:
TREMIC1
Posts: 263

I love the sackbots.2011-01-14 09:40:00

Author:
smash909
Posts: 83

Great review! Nice going, C.C.! We are all counting down the days... At this point, I don't think anyone really cares what rating the game is getting, because we will all get to experience it in our own personal ways, but I am sure we will be rating it waaay up there!
Internet sites, TV, shopping, movies, and all other places will be empty because everyone will be playing PS3 18th on!		2011-01-14 10:53:00

Author:
Unknown User

*drools* AWESOME! I wish I could make a copy of the review, as it looks on this webpage, to show all of my friends. And a couple of my teachers, who have gotten interested in the game because ofhow much i obsess over it, and my talking about it. I wish that next weekend would hurry up adget here, cause i don't get to play until I go to my dad's that weekend. also, i may not be able to get my pre order... my dad has a small paycheck this week, hopefully, if he comes up short, it's only by about $25, cause i saved up that much, just in case he did come up short on cash.2011-01-14 11:57:00

Author:
flamesterart
Posts: 585

I do not really get it why some people complain about sackboy/girl's jumping, I have always found it to be just the perfect thing to use :/ Anyway, great interview, really looking forward to playing it soon

I find the jumping a bit annoying at times. Certainly not a game-breaker as some would claim, but it isn't perfect. I find the PSP version (of LBP1) easier to control for some reason.

That said, LBP2 looks to be the mother of all games, and I await it with baited breath.		2011-01-14 15:57:00

Author:
Bovrillor
Posts: 309

Wow! I can't wait for this game! Just a week to go! (For us here in the UK anyway) Great review CC! I found it very interesting.
2011-01-14 19:42:00

Author:
Unknown User

nice review.. I got my copy in the mail today. so EXCITEDD 2011-01-15 03:20:00

Author:
AbstractSam
Posts: 332

Darn you, I tried so hard to suppress my hyperactive excitement for LBP2. Then you had to get this review in here! Oh the excitement, and jealousy (You had to mention your early copy and collector's edition?) and mild sadness (No Collector's edition ) but mostly the excitement
On a side note, is GOTY bonus shtuff compatible too?		2011-01-15 09:10:00

Author:
Unknown User

Great review CC! Got it pre-orderd, cant wait!

*soz about the sig, came out wrong... *		2011-01-15 15:43:00

Author:
Unknown User

//End Lurk

Can't wait for Tuesday. I grew inactive with LBP1 mostly because my logic circuits were taking up too much of my level's thermo. I'm really looking forward to getting back into the game and this community.		2011-01-15 16:39:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

I don't believe in 10/10's either... So shall we all agree to make this a 11/10?


:3		2011-01-15 19:50:00

Author:
TjoxYorro
Posts: 220

Awesome review. Very well written.
You clearly get what make LBP so great.
LBP 2 will undoubtedly be the best game of 2011		2011-01-15 23:47:00

Author:
Unknown User

I don't believe in 10/10's either... So shall we all agree to make this a 11/10?


:3 Nah, I say we give this a 20/11..! Does u c wut i did thar?		2011-01-16 01:53:00

Author:
Super_Clone
Posts: 849

I'm not even going to try and count the number of 'thanks' the OP got. 2011-01-16 02:23:00

Author:
ConverseFox
Posts: 2333

I'm sorry, but this review is wrong about the backwards compatibility and the physics are not the exact same.

I have friends in the beta and I have also played the demo.

I can't speak for the final release. But in the demo and beta the physics were not the same and I doubt they went and changed the physics for final release. A lot of jump techniques are no longer possible, and also sack's hitbox is half a head larger, all this makes most levels in the pro community not backwards compatible.

We have to use LBP1 disc to play most our old levels. To everyone that doesn't play to extremes (about 90% of players) this probably isn't noticeable. Even MM won't notice these things.

Now just to be clear I am looking forward to LBP2. I preordered Collectors Edition a while back. Nothing against it. Many new things to discover.

But I can assure you the statement of backwards compatability is wrong. Other than that it's a very nice review.		2011-01-16 11:57:00

Author:
Hana_Kami
Posts: 393

WOW,When I First Time Saw The Trailer I Was Like OMG I Gotta Get This Game.But Then I Remembered That Its For PS3 And Has Not Been Verified,That Will It Come For The PSP But I Still Believe That It will Come For The PSP. iF Not My Psp Can Say Hello To The TOILET! 2011-01-16 13:01:00

Author:
jezba112
Posts: 3

awesome review!2011-01-16 18:46:00

Author:
gareth
Posts: 81

I read the entire review and i liked it but i have only 1 question how do you change the background outside the pod2011-01-16 19:36:00

Author:
kmcwalters
Posts: 1

^ its changes itself...2011-01-16 22:43:00

Author:
theswweet
Posts: 2468

excellent and honest review!
Well written and easy to read (for non english people )

one question please :



Will we be able to "officially" change the background of the pod in the final game or not?

yyyyyyeeeeeessssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!		2011-01-17 16:41:00

Author:
extreme2fl
Posts: 86

how the heck is this not a ten???

oh, wait. i get it. you're waiting for LBP3.		2011-01-17 22:55:00

Author:
ryanninjasheep
Posts: 4

by the way, kinda contradicted yourself a little big CC

you said the story was fresh, then you added cliche...wut?

lol anti-thesis ftw 		2011-01-19 00:16:00

Author:
wolverine_2008
Posts: 304

This game IS AMAZING! I'm getting mine tomorrow! Can't wait!!!2011-01-19 00:36:00

Author:
Grakiao
Posts: 3

This game is freakin awesome!!!!2011-01-20 18:41:00

Author:
snakeeyes124
Posts: 4

Reviewing a game on a site dedicated to the series?2011-01-20 19:59:00

Author:
Jaquan1254
Posts: 49

Yeah!!!!! Best! Game! Eveeeerrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2011-01-20 20:10:00

Author:
LOLinator v1.02
Posts: 101

That's a awesome review ! Great work CC... You made me proud boy <32011-01-30 11:25:00

Author:
Unknown User

I read the entire review and i liked it but i have only 1 question how do you change the background outside the pod

When you are in the decorate menu you can press R1/L1 to cycle through different tabs, go to the right and eventually you'll come upon the different background choices		2011-01-31 01:58:00

Author:
TheBlackKnight22
Posts: 695

yepp 52 tutorials! get prepared for "boredom" 2011-02-05 21:53:00

Author:
Unknown User


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