With the release of the PS5 comes a variety of new experiences for all types of players. For those interested in platforming games with a bit of challenge, Sackboy: A Big Adventure offers a new and exciting take on the iconic PlayStation mascot.
Like Bugsnax, Sackboy: A Big Adventure offers an experience that players of all ages can enjoy. This spin-off has gameplay designed to reinvent the way the franchise, LittleBigPlanet, will be played forward. While it may be quite different from its predecessors, this is a game that deserves a lot of love.
10 This Spin-off Is More New Than Old
While the game is centered around the LittleBigPlanet protagonist Sackboy, it is a separate experience. Sackboy: A Big Adventure introduces players to a 3D platform playground that uses a new direction to reinvent the iconic platforming character.
There are several nods to the original franchise, and a few familiar locales, but this is an entry focused on separating itself from what came before. Some tools and tricks from the original series will make appearances, like the grappling hook, while others, like the Knitted Knight Trials, display new and challenging creations.
9 Knitted Knight Trials Test Your Skills
Throughout the campaign, certain levels contain a collectible resembling golden cubes. Collecting these golden cubes in the main levels grants access to new areas known as Knitted Knight Trials. These completely optional trials will test platforming prowess, offering later levels far harder than any in the main campaign.
Littered with obstacles and enemies, memorization and perseverance are key. Players must navigate these areas within a designated time to achieve orbs. With three different times to hit, repeat runs will be necessary to master each course.
8 Music Is Incredible
A surprise standout in Sackboy: A Big Adventure is the soundtrack. The music captures the classic LittleBigPlanet atmosphere while adding unique twists as the journey continues. Many levels contain audio remixes as players progress through.
Taking full advantage of the 3D audio of the PS5 version allows for more vibrant and pronounced sound. Some levels are even created around popular songs like Uptown Funk and Let’s Dance, focus on creating an experience around audio mechanics in a way the series has never seen before.
7 Later Levels Can Be Challenging
Sackboy has an enhanced focus on traditional platformer designs. This includes a steady increase in difficulty as the game progresses. Towards the climax of the adventure, players will have to utilize all the skills and abilities Sackboy has at his disposal to defeat Vex.
The original LittleBigPlanet did have a few difficult levels, but the hardest levels in Sackboy are far tougher than its counterpart. While the challenge players will face is far from impossible, it is something to be considered, especially for those getting this game for younger players.
6 Full Completion Requires Co-Op Play
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a game designed to be played with family and friends. Just as with every previous entry in the franchise, playing with others will allow for the most enjoyable experience. Certain areas of the game can be completely missed when playing alone.
This includes levels specifically designed for two or more players to tackle. Sack people will have to coordinate their efforts to grab every hidden item. For those looking to get the most out of Sackboy, make sure to bring at least one more along for the ride.
5 Official Game Help Is Great For Collectibles
If a certain level blocks progression, PS5 players will have a special benefit that assists them. For PS5 users with an active PS Plus subscription, opening up the Game Hub will show what objectives are missing in a level.
Some of these missing level requirements have video guides that reveal collectibles and hidden routes in mere seconds, removing the need to go to an external source like YouTube for the information. This is a feature available for every level in the game.
4 Create & Share Modes Are Absent
Arguably the most iconic part of the original LittleBigPlanet franchise was the ability for players to access create and share modes. Users could play, create, and share levels using the litany of tools provided. Levels remained in the "Imagisphere," meaning creations from previous iterations could still be accessed as the franchise evolved and sequels were released.
In this Sackboy spin-off, these features are no longer present. Level design is now entirely designated to the developers, a stark contrast to the past iterations of the franchise.
3 Sackboy Is A Full 3D Platformer
Unlike its predecessors, the LittleBigPlanet games, Sackboy strays away from the 2.5D landscape in regards to level design. Opting instead for a full three-dimensional plain, players can navigate these new playgrounds in ways the series has never deemed possible.
This game has been built to accommodate a more modernized type of platforming experience and aims to increase the scope of what is possible for players. Sackboy even has a few new tricks at his disposal to tackle the more complicated worlds he encounters, including rolling and ground-pounding.
2 Story Has Enhanced Focus
While a story was present in the LittleBigPlanet series, it was often an afterthought. Sackboy: A Big Adventure aims to tell a cohesive story from start to finish. Following Sackboy on his journey to rescue the sack people from the mischievous Vex, players will meet a colorful cast of characters that Sackboy must recruit to help him on his journey.
Sackboy, Scarlet, and the rest of the cloth-covered cast must work together to restore the Imagisphere to the way it was before Vex disturbed the peace.
1 No Online Co-Op At Launch
One reason LittleBigPlanet became such a sensation was in part because of how ingrained the multiplayer was into the experience. Though certain aspects of the game cannot be fully explored without multiplayer capabilities, the developers regretfully informed players shortly before launch that this feature would not be ready for some time.
This means until online is added, many players will not be able to finish the game in its entirety. Sackboy: A Big Adventure creator, Sumo Digital, has stated that online cooperative play will be coming by the end of 2020.