When you’re faced with beer or beta, it’s often an easy choice. Why should you forsake a good pint in the name of free bug-testing for a game you’re probably not that fussed about anyway, right? But when you find out the beta keys are flying around the web are for LittleBigPlanet, well, the decision is easy. 900MB later, and we’re in bed with Steven Fry and a guy made from sack. And we’re smiling and laughing like never before.
Make no mistake, Microsoft and Nintendo must be kicking themselves: if LBP isn’t a system seller then the games industry’s dead to us and we’re starting a website about kittens that can’t spell instead. From the very beginning, when you first boot the game from the XMB, LittleBigPlanet’s insane production values and complete easy of use scream out. The game’s extended later development has paid off, and whoever thought about hiring Fry for the voiceovers deserves a pay-rise - he fits brilliantly and his humour fits like a glove.
The beta’s actually massive. You get a good sampling of Media Molecule crafted levels, the ability to create your own (with tutorials and videos) from scratch plus full online functionality. If it wasn’t time limited we’d probably not bother with the Blu-ray version, and we don’t want to rub this in your face if you weren’t lucky enough to snag your own beta, but this is going to keep us busy for some time. Someone said something about Wipeout hitting tomorrow - we no longer care.
Slick isn’t the word for the interface, it’s as intuitive as anything we’ve seen before, each button sticks to its single use, there’s always on-screen prompts and everything is explained to you slowly for the first time. Sure, it’ll take you a good hour to get through the Create tutorial but there’s so much in there that the manual alone wouldn’t be enough. The first few Play levels are voiced over too, but the game gradually eases you into each new concept and before long you’re dashing around the Pod, decorating the walls, exploring new levels, seeing how your friends are getting on and forming ideas for Create, usually all at the same time.
Already, by 11 o’clock this morning there was a smattering of half-decent user created levels, and the further you plug into the main Story mode the more options you’ll get to play with yourself. The beta contains a huge amount of tools and devices (in fact we can’t imagine there’s really very much missing) and creating your own levels is a doddle once you’ve got your head around the game’s key concepts of physics and gravity, and how objects interact.
The visuals are to die for, too - everything’s locked at 30fps with some gorgeous effects, subtle motion blur , incredibly tactile textures and the art direction is consistent throughout. Every screenshot you’ve seen looks so much better in motion it’s hard to describe. The audio is equally brilliant, and although we’re not going to spoil any of the levels for anyone, the way the music changes in a couple of the pre-built Story sections is really cool.
So, LittleBigPlanet is all that. This is our first proper extensive hands-on with the game, and now we’ve seen the game’s structure, the menus, the options and the full complement of pop-it items it’s easier to see Media Molecule’s overall vision for the title. It’s vast but approachable, utterly next-gen but never aloof. LittleBigPlanet is history in the making, and Sony are absolutely right to be 100% behind the game this season. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going back to making that Manic Miner level out of sponge and fire.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:24 am
This is the first i’d hear of Steven Fry… or wasn’t paying attention. Excellent news.
I’m so excited I might have to steal someone’s PS3 with a copy of the beta on it.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Agree with all of the above.
Thanks for the write-up, makes the fact I’m at work and not playing LBP that teeny tiny little bit less painful :’(
Br0ken Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Makes it more painful!
cc_star Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 11:57 am
seconded
September 24th, 2008 at 10:33 am
I was hoping that you at TSA also got your share of Beta-keys, so we registered users could get into the Beta. But because of this writeup, I know i’s not going to happen :-/
However, great site, great article! I just had this tiny little hope..
nofi Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I’ve asked, but I’d doubt it.
theycallmeryan Says:
September 25th, 2008 at 2:13 am
I call dibs :P.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Finally managed to get a beta code from EuroGamer and everything about the game, from the sackboys to the design and the voiceovers is just so polished and so much fun. Even the wife loved it (quite a feat considering the only other game she’ll play is Monsters).
Stephen Fry is indeed a touch of genius, though some of the jokes do seem a bit “British”. I can’t help but wonder what the Americans will make of it all.
Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to play it properly last night so I haven’t had a chance to create any levels of my own. However, I did have a quick play around and it does seem fairly straightforward (once you’ve collected all of the items needed).
One question, is there more to story mode after the first fours levels or is that all that’s in the beta?
nofi Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
that’s it.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:46 am
I’m glad some of the jokes are a bit British.
That gives the game its cultural identity.
Roarster Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Indeed. I can’t wait to see Americans posting on forums asking what “fannying about” means!
September 24th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Great game… How do I add switches/checkpoints/points bubbles/finishing TV to my created levels though???
nofi Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Go through all the tutorials
September 24th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Cool, it’s soo good to hear it’s living up to the hype. I missed out on the beta but i’m kind of happy to wait and see it in it’s shiny finished glory. Just don’t break it beta people!
September 24th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Is that a website about kittens that can’t spell the word ‘instead’ ?
nofi Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 11:50 am
yes. oh, wait, i see what you did there. =)
September 24th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I won’t ask who Fry is on fear of being stoned, though I heared he’s good! but will I also get him in the game here in America? Hope I still get in the beta xD
Robothamster Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
You might know him from this: “He has also taken up a recurring guest role as psychiatrist Dr. Gordon Wyatt in the popular American drama Bones.”
cc_star Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Nope each region has someone different voicing it…
September 24th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
So god damn jealous, really cant wait for this game now.
September 24th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Hey nofi
Ask MM/SCEE for 370 beta kays and email them to your registered forum members
They should still have 14,000 left after the 6,000 give-away…
nofi Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I’ve asked, honestly, but I have an inkling they’re reserved for the big boys.
nofi Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
It’s a ‘no’, I’m afraid. More are coming though, I think.
gazo69 Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Yeah all the other codes are going to beta members, damn thats me out again.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
MediaMolecule’s official site says they have no power over the beta releases. It’s entirely in Sony’s hands.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I think I better pre order this. It sounds like I’ll be playing this up till Christmas, over Chistmas and beyond Christmas. Can’t Wait!!!
September 24th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Does anyone know if Stephen Fry will do voiceovers for both the UK and the US etc.? There seems to be different opinions here/
September 24th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
please, please, PLEASE! im absolutely gutted here! (to think ,i won the competition as well) any, and i mean ANY (i’m off work at the moment) chance i could ’saff’ (great stokey term) a key off you guys?? (i absolutely hate grovelling, but for once it’s justified)
i’m waiting for a bone here….
seedaripper1973 Says:
September 24th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
shit i just re=read that and its fucking shameful…LMFAO
September 24th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I got into the beta. It is definitely living up to it’s hype, if not surpassing it.
crow-sama Says:
September 25th, 2008 at 4:25 am
glad to hear! means the final release will be magnificent
September 25th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Hey TSA. This is my first post but I’ve been a regular reader ever since your coverage of PixelJunk Monsters (I love that game). Great site BTW!
I didn’t get into the LBP beta and I am jealous… Do you know anything about why they are releasing the beta now, since they have already anounced that the game has gone gold? Is it just to prepare for the first patch?
September 30th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Will we get any sort of additional info/thoughts on this from TSA?
I spent ages trying to get a beta code.