Little, big decision to make

Let me first make this clear to you all, I have never wanted nor had the inclination to purchase or own a Playstation 3!  Got it?  I have been perfectly happy with my 360 and when I tire of that I can always fire up the Wii or DS, but I have never wanted to buy into the over-priced PS3, I just haven’t seen the point in it.  There aren’t any games I have seen that I must play, none of the features have made me want it, and like I said, it’s just too damn expensive, so I just don’t want one!

So why oh why did I attend the EIF (see Chris’ post) yesterday as part of the Ready-Up crew?  I was there to work, to help out not to become entranced by a game running on the hell console!  As you walked in the door and navigated past the welcome desk the first thing your eyes fell on was a strangely designed stand showcasing……………..Little Big Planet.  There, I’ve said it!  This is the game that makes me want a PS3 so very, very much.  Not Solid Snake, not GT no sir, a game about walking beanbags!!

Like most, I know about Little Big Planet, not in huge detail, but I have been aware of its existence for some time, mainly down to the fact that it has been delayed so much.  However come October all you lucky PS3 owners will be able to get your hands on it.  Since yesterday I have done some research on the game and if you are interested here is what I found out.  The makers of the game are called Media Molecule and they are made up of several industry veterans incorporating many ex-Lionhead staff. They have worked on many games that you will know and love including the likes of Black and White, Fable and Burnout so strong pedigree indeed; the team were also responsible for Rag Doll Kung-Fu.  This is their first game aimed at the PS3 and features the platforming adventure of sackboy over various real life themed levels, that’s the boring stuff out the way.

Until you see Little Big Planet running you just won’t get it, it is so very, very, very much more than just a platformer.  You see, you can create almost anything you want in the game including levels and design of your characters, this can then all be shared online with the entire community and you can access other people’s worlds as well.  Yesterday I saw things being made to a level that I have never seen before in a game, I saw a train being made which then was given motion, once it was up to spec it was also given smoke that comes out of the chimney at whatever time intervals you desire.  I saw people being made and animated, individual joints could move to their own pre-determined routines, faces could be photographed (via the eyetoy thing) and placed anywhere.  The only limit really is your imagination, it is entirely feasible that you could make a Gears of War level if you devote the time to it or for that matter any game related level you want.  The tools on offer are vast and from what I saw are really easy to use. Ideas can be up and running in minutes and with stunning results, another person can also join in at anytime and help out.  While I was watching all this going on I completely forgot that at its heart it is also a platform game that can be played by up to four people at one time.  It can be played co-op or competitive or indeed both but from what I saw the co-op looks an absolute blast, with players helping each other out to reach areas or just progress, the big skate board has to be seen in action to believe it!

Your character, Sackboy, can also be customised to phenomenal levels with everything from clothes to faces and even the way he moves, there are also downloadable costumes on offer for pre-orders so I would expect more to be made available in the future.  In this breif blog I haven’t really even scratched the surface of what is on offer: it is vast.  At my tender age of 36 I never imagined that I would be so taken by a game, I want to read lots about it, I want to watch videos of it in action but most of all I want to play it in the comfort of my own home.  So… does anyone want to donate me a PS3 in time for October?  I’m willing to swap an original copy of Rambo II on cassette for the 48/128k Spectrum, still in box!  Please? Anyone?