FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future
Story image
Tearaway: Unfolded is a great platform game for PS4
Thu, 3rd Sep 2015
FYI, this story is more than a year old

When Tearaway came out for the PS Vita back in 2013, it was a fun and innovative game that made perfect use for the handheld's front and rear touch screens. It was one of the best platform games I had played in years. Sadly, the PS Vita is not the most popular console out there and only a handful of people managed to get to play the original Tearaway. Tearaway: Unfolded is somewhat of a remake on the PS4 as it adds a few new features and levels that weren't in the PS Vita version. Tearaway: Unfolded has a simple story of a character named Iota (boy) or Atoi (girl) living in a world made out of paper. You control either Iota or Atoi as they journey through the paper world to travel to the real world to send a message to the player themselves. The best thing I like about this game is that it still feels like a fresh experience even though it's a “remake” of sorts. Media Molecule has managed to make several new changes that improves on the level design and also makes the story more coherent and fun. Thankfully, the DUALSHOCK 4 controller has many features like the PS Vita console that this makes Tearaway: Unfolded different from all of the other platform games out there. This is more than just a simple beat-em-up style of game with jumping puzzles. There's a lot to the level design that keeps the gameplay fresh and innovative throughout. First of all, you can use the DUALSHOCK 4's touchpad and built-in gyroscope to alter the levels in the game. There is one sequence where you have to guide a little ball and roll it across the level. You can move around the controller and use the touchpad to remove any obstacles in the way of the ball and more. The touchpad can also be used to control the wind too. Iota or Atoi will be riding on a paper plane and you can use the wind to help them fly and get more speed. The wind can also be used to blow away enemies and other things that stand in your way too. It's a great gameplay mechanic that I have not seen in a video game since Okami. There are lots of other unique gameplay mechanics that this game has that I have no time to name them all. One gimmick made me smile a lot and that's when you throw objects “inside” the controller. Iota or Atoi will throw an object to the screen and the player can throw the object back to break a wall or defeat enemies. Creativity is the main theme of the game and you can take photos and create your own paper creations inside the game. Some characters will ask you to make objects for them such as a crown or even a new eye for them. It's entertaining to create these things because you don't always have to be accurate. There was this one time I just took a picture of a squirrel and that was supposed to represent fire... Aside from the innovative gameplay features, Tearaway: Unfolded is also a more substantial and lengthy experience compared to the original game on PS Vita.  One of my main gripes of the original release was how short it was. This PS4 version adds several new levels and is much a longer game. The story has also been improved too adding more characters to the mix and fun new levels to play in. Graphically, Tearaway: Unfolded looks beautiful on the PS4. The PS Vita version still looks pretty, but the PS4 makes the whole game brighter and more colourful than ever before. Not to mention the game runs smoother at 60fps and has a resolution of 1080p. Even if you already played the PS Vita version, Tearaway: Unfolded is more than just a simple re-release. The PS4 version adds tons of new gameplay features and level design that it almost feels like playing an entirely different game.  This game is a must-have for fans of platform games. You will also enjoy it if you love the LittleBigPlanet series too as it has the same charm and unique gameplay features to make it stand above the rest of the competition. Verdict: 8.5/10