In 2008, Media Molecule and Sony launched the ambitious platforming gameLittleBigPlanet, which gave players extensive tools that they could use to create their very own gaming experiences.LittleBigPlanetwas a huge success, selling millions of copies and earning near-universal acclaim at the time of its release.LittleBigPlanet’s success spawned a brand new tentpole franchise for Sony, with numerousLBPsequels and spin-offs.PS5 launch titleSackboy: A Big Adventureis the latestLittleBigPlanetspin-off game, and it also happens to be one of the better ones.
Whereas the mainLittleBigPlanetgames place a heavy emphasis on user-generated content,Sackboy: A Big Adventureis a more traditional platformer. Taking obvious inspiration from titles likeSuper Mario 3D World,Sackboy: A Big Adventureis a 3D platformer that sees up to four players completing a variety of platforming challenges across themed-worlds, all with their own gimmicks and aesthetics.
One of the more charming aspects of theLittleBigPlanetgames is the art style, and how the game worlds are always made up of real-world objects.Sackboy: A Big Adventurekeeps that design sensibility going with players platforming their way across everyday household objects in worlds that are seemingly crafted out of paper. There are cute little touches everywhere, like water being made out of blue glitter, and part of the fun is taking in these sights.
The vast majority of thelevels inSackboy: A Big Adventureare traditional platforming fare, with players jumping on enemies, solving some minor puzzles, and completing timed challenges. The jumping feels great and simply exploring the levels is a lot of fun, though it’s admittedly a pretty ho-hum experience for much of the game.Sackboy: A Big Adventure’s biggest issue is that it’s way too easy, lacking any of the tension that’s commonly found in other platforming titles.
Sackboy: A Big Adventuremay not be the most thrilling or intense platforming game on the market, but it does have a great deal of variety to mix things up from one stage to the next. Throughout the course of the game, Sackboy and his allies gain access to special gadgets like boomerangs and grappling hooks that lend themselves well to puzzles and platforming challenges. New mechanics like these are introduced regularly to ensure thatSackboydoesn’t get stale.
But whileSackboy’s platforming gameplay has a ton of variety, the enemy encounters lack innovation. Players encounter the same enemy types constantly from the start of the game to the end, and that extends to the boss fights as well. Players essentially repeat the same boss fight withSackboyvillain Vexmultiple times throughout the game, with each encounter having a slight variation.
PlayingSackboy: A Big Adventurewith friends will help keep any potential tedium at bay, though the game’s co-op comes with its own caveats that potential buyers should keep in mind.Sackboy: A Big Adventure’s co-opis best experienced with two players as opposed to the maximum of four, as things can become too chaotic. The camera struggles to properly display all of the action when four people are playing at once, plus it’s very easy to get in each other’s way.Sackboyplayers will find themselves accidentally jumping on each other’s heads, sending their partners falling to their death, or inadvertently picking each other up with the grappling hook.
Going throughSackboywith one other person is the most ideal way to experience the game, as it minimizes the frustrating aspects of the co-op while highlighting its benefits. PlayingSackboy: A Big Adventurein co-op opens the door to all kinds of new ways to explore the game world, mainly since players can throw each other to elevated, hard-to-reach places. Not only that, but there are a handful of stages in each world that require two players.
At launch,Sackboy: A Big Adventure’s co-op is limited to local only.Sackboy: A Big Adventure’s online multiplayeris set to come in an update that’s supposedly in the works for later this year, but what this means is that unless players have someone to play with and an extra DualSense controller handy, they are effectively locked out of some of the game’s content. This is unfortunate, but it’s an issue that should be resolved sooner rather than later.
Sackboy: A Big Adventureutilizes the PS5 DualSense controller well, taking full advantage of its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The game also puts the DualSense controller’s speaker to good use, whether it’s the satisfying chimes when picking up collectibles or the hilariously dramatic scream of Sackboy when he falls into a pit. Anyone that has managed to get their hands on a PlayStation 5 should definitely pick up thePS5 version ofSackboyover its PS4 counterpart, as the DualSense controller adds to the experience in a big way.
Regardless of which version ofSackboy: A Big Adventureplayers pick up, they have quite a bit of content to look forward to. It will take about 8-10 hours or so to reach and defeat the final boss, but there’s plenty of secret levels to find, time trials to complete, trophies to unlock, and in typicalLittleBigPlanetfashion, tons of cosmetics to find as well. Each stage is full of collectible costume pieces that players can use tofully customize their Sackboy, not to mention some that can be purchased from the in-game shop. Players are free to mix and match cosmetics in the game, including emotes.
Emotes come in handy inSackboy: A Big Adventureat the end of levels, as the game zooms in on the players and gives them time to celebrate their accomplishment. The player that performed the best is given a trophy and gets their picture taken, though the other player has the opportunity to smack the trophy out of their hand. This is amusing at first, but by the end of the game,Sackboyplayers will wish that this end-level score count and celebration could be skipped entirely so they can jump into the next level as fast as possible. There is a fast-forward option, but it still takes a while.
Nitpicks aside, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention one ofSackboy: A Big Adventure’s best level types, and those are the stages set to licensed music. The songs include hits like Bruno Mars' “Uptown Funk” and “Toxic” byBritney Spears, with enemies bobbing to the beat of the music and the levels paced in a deliberate way to highlight the lyrics. Along with gimmicks like the grappling hook and boomerang, these musical levels go a long way in ensuringSackboy: A Big Adventurehas plenty of variety and never gets boring.
Sackboy: A Big Adventureis an easy recommendation to fans of the platforming genre or anyone looking for a co-op game to play on their new PS5 console. While it would be nice to see a properLittleBigPlanet 4come to Sony’s next-generation system, hopefully, fans can look forward to futureSackboyplatforming adventuresas well.
Sackboy: A Big Adventureis out now for PS4 and PS5. Game Rant reviewed the game on PS5.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
WHERE TO PLAY
A LittleBigPlanet spin-off, Sumo Sheffield’s Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a 3D platformer that was originally released exclusively for the PS4 and PS5, before being ported to Microsoft Windows later down the line.
