GAME OF THE SHOW
In some ways, LittleBigPlanet isn't so much a game as it is a tool for personal expression; a software toy dedicated entirely to good old-fashioned fun. After all, LittleBigPlanet is essentially a platformer that features you getting from one end of the level to the other, overcoming obstacles as you go. But that's only half the package. The other half is an intuitive suite of creative tools that should have you and your friends building the game as you play it. Through sheer, innovative force and a dead-simple interface, this game resists easy categorization, despite its platformer roots. Thanks to a fantastic showing at E3, it's proven itself to be the most exciting game coming out of the show this year.
Game of the Show
We've already met the Sackboys and Sackgirls--the adorable, bite-sized creatures that act as the in-game avatars made a dashing debut at the 2007 Game Developers Conference. When the game was unveiled, we saw the Sackfolk frolicking through a fascinating, multi-tiered level that was comprised of everything from neon stars hanging from strings to a skateboard made from wood and yarn spools. Oh, and loads of sponges. As nice as the GDC level looked, it paled in comparison to the ambitious creation tools the developers were touting. Based on what we saw at E3, those ambitions seem to be paying off in spades.
While creating objects from scratch looked simple back at GDC, in practice at E3 it was an absolute breeze thanks to a streamlined interface. Creating an object is no more complicated than stamping shapes in the world, then watching them fall into place using the game's complex yet intuitive physics implementation. Editing found objects is just as easy--you can cut away chunks to form new shapes, add bolts and mechanical moving parts to give stationary items locomotion, and practically anything else you can dream up.
In just a few minutes you can whip up a makeshift tank; a huge, hulking tower; or some altogether unique creation that might not even have a real purpose. Better yet, creation can be a collaborative effort--multiple Sackfolk can work on the same object at once (either on the same PS3 or via online play), and any of the objects or levels you create in the game can be shared with friends online. As we learned at E3, that multi-faceted GDC level was created with the exact toolset and templates found in the E3 2007 demo, which represents just a fraction of the content that should make its way into the final game when it's released in 2008.
However you want to play it--as a traditional platformer, as a tool to kindle your imagination, or as a way to kill time with a few friends--LittleBigPlanet looks like one of the most ambitious games in recent memory. It's certainly one of the most impressive and intriguing PlayStation 3 games on the horizon, and undoubtedly deserves its distinction as E3 2007's Game of the Show.
Finalists
Which games did you think were the most impressive at E3? Leave us a comment below and let us know!
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