LittleBigPlanet 3 is platforming and creativity heaven

The LittleBigPlanet series made a dashing debut in 2008 as it offered more than just a 2.5D platforming experience. The real hook of the game was the ability for gamers to create their own levels and share them for the world to play.

From that point onward, the series became a worldwide hit and spawned a sequel plus two handheld editions. LittleBigPlanet 3 is the third game to be released for the PS3, although it is also available for the PS4 which is the version I tested.

Before I talk about the create options in LittleBigPlanet 3, I would like to point out how enjoyable the single player offering is. Even though this game is developed by Sumo Digital and not Media Molecule, it still retains the great level design and puzzle solving that made the other games so great to play.

The levels are set out a bit differently in LittleBigPlanet 3 as they are separated into four different worlds each with their own hub level. You are free to explore the hub level to collect other stickers and find other quests too.

Much like in other previous LittleBigPlanet games, Sackboy has a lot of neat gadgets in his arsenal to help him through the challenging levels. This includes a cool helmet that can attach to wires that acts as a sort of rollercoaster. There is also a “portal” type gun that can teleport Sackboy too.

What separates LittleBigPlanet 3 from its predecessors is the addition of the all-new characters you get to play as. There is Swoop who is a bird, OddSock who is a fast type of dog and also Toggle who looks like McDonald's Grimace but can turn small when he needs to be.

The addition of these new characters makes the gameplay fun as each of them have unique abilities that Sackboy cannot do. Not only does this make the single player campaign very satisfying, these characters are also available for players to use for their own levels they design too.

There is also a new section that has been added to the game called “Popit Puzzles”. This is a new mode that has been created that allows you to solve puzzles exclusively. It’s not as fun as the main single player campaign, but it’s a nice challenge to have when you want to test out your brain.

It wouldn’t be a LittleBigPlanet game without the creativity, and there is a whole lot you can do in LittleBigPlanet 3. With the help of some long tutorial videos, you can become a game designer of sorts and make up your own types of levels. The best part of all is that you can share your levels online for others to play through.

It’s not just platform type of levels that you can create either. I managed to see what other people created and some people even made entertaining cutscenes as well. The addition of Swoop the Bird also allows creators to make levels where you can fly around and more.

There were already hundreds of levels already created by players when I played the game. There will be thousands of levels available by the time the game officially comes out. Sure some levels are better than others, but it just shows that even the average person is able to show some creativity.

Performance wise, LittleBigPlanet 3 on the PS4 looks good, although isn’t a huge leap in visuals compared to the older PS3 versions. Also, some of the loading times for the game were abnormally longer than usual. Other than that, I didn’t experience too many game breaking glitches.

LittleBigPlanet 3 is a great addition to the series as it adds new characters that makes the gameplay more fun. The create options are also as extensive as always, although you will need patience and a lot of skill to make decent levels of your own. Still, LittleBigPlanet 3 is a great platform game that is sure to keep you entertained for many hours.

Verdict: 8.5/10