Sackboy gets more facial expressions and wilder outfits in the follow-up to the original.
Those with an affinity for the squee-inducing adorableness of LittleBigPlanet will be glad to know the same playful chaos rules the sequel. But make no mistake – there’s new additions as well. Mini-games are on offer, and the PlayStation’s “Move” wand adds new dimension to the multi-player mode.
First, we went hands-on with the classic PlayStation controller. The demo level took place within a spaceship (the Enterprise!) where a segway, some electrified plates, and anti-gravity featured; also neat was a small pong game playable on a spacehand’s computer. Sackboy eventually bumps into kooky characters panicking at some random crisis onboard. All hands abandon ship! Engage!
Later on we got a chance to try out the game using the Move wand. Though basically a Wii Remote for the PS3, it fits the hand well and seems more responsive. We played multiplayer: one person played as Sackboy with the classic controller and another used the wand to manipulate the environment. Seemingly simple, but the challenge was all in coordinating with your partner. Jumping – as your partner, say, lifts a platform – must be timed precisely. A second too early or late lands Sackboy straight into a fiery pit or a patch of inconveniently-placed needles.
The LittleBigPlanet 2 demo featured only 2D platforming, though the actual game will have a bit more going on. According to the trailer, Sackboy will wield a larger variety of tools, including grappling hooks and power gloves. The full version should have 50 in-game levels.
The game will be out in North America on November 16th.
TGS 2010 reporting is done jointly by Fintan Monaghan and Lisa Gay.
