LittleBigPlanet

Pros:
+ They got Stephen fucking Fry to narrate the entire game, primarily for tutorial purposes, and he does an obviously spectacular job. My 8 year old brother was able to master this game in a week thanks to the clear instructions
+ Game remains entertaining with only really two buttons that do anything, X and R1, executing a simple jump and grab respectively. This ties into the original point of a very low skill floor required for younger players to enjoy themselves
+ Each world takes artistic inspiration from a real-world historical regions in a playful and respectful way, especially musically. This ends as soon as we arrive in Russia, however, which is a world comprised of levels that look like Soviet bomb shelters, lol
+ DLC levels from Metal Gear Solid and Pirates of the Caribbean (RIP) add some mechanical complexity in a projectile weapon and water/fluid physics that would be later built on in the sequels, so despite the bonus content being mostly cosmetic, there is real content available
+ My GOTY copy actually included 18 "editor's picks" of user-created levels, which highlighted a bunch of content that was nearly as good as the MMG-created campaign
++ Strong visual design, crafting a unique aesthetic of arts and crafts, paper mache, and general DIY affection that is so actively instilled in children
++ Excellently curated soundtrack of licensed tunes that fit each stage well, including some personal favorite acts in Battles and The Go! Team among smaller artists
++ Strong display of showmanship by developing every single story level with the same tools the player themselves has access to, which can expand the scope of what might seem possible with the level creator. This was probably really tedious but usually led to really clever results and personal faith in the level editor's potential
++ Every story level encourages online interactivity of couch co-op by making some collectibles only accessible with multiple players in-game all working together
+++ The collectibles also are guaranteed to benefit the player in some way, as it is either a building material to use in the level editor or clothing options for your sackboy or sackgirl
++++ Quite literally millions of user-created levels, ranging from absolute garbage to spectacular level design achievements, with some breaking the game in more ways than you, I, or MMG might have thought possible

Cons:
- Occasionally the in-game tools in a story level won't work as intended, which can lead to some underwhelming climaxes to certain setpieces or unfair deaths, but this is pretty rare overall
- Every once in a while, you'll get an online level with some outrageously racist shit, usually made by a 12 year old. There is a report level function but the moderation seems kind of light overall for a game with such an active and young playerbase
- Every checkpoint has 4 lives and 4 lives alone, even if you're playing with 3 friends. That means everyone dying on the same obstacle forces a level reset which can be annoying at times
-- Zero coyote time on jumps means that the game is actually more difficult if you have played platformers before
-- Wonky physics-engine-based jumping mechanics means you can easily get fucked over at places you've made the jump before from small changes in momentum, making it a bit frustrating to "ace" levels
-- Said mechanical issues with the jumping are somewhat exacerbated by some janky level objects present in the story mode (the circular obstacle courses in world 8 and clouds from world 1 standing out)

Little Big Planet isn't a revolution. It's a good platformer with a great aesthetic that comes with a great level creator. Speaking for the more hardcore hobbiest, LBP is not the game of infinite possibility and fun that it was pitched as. Just like so many other games, it's a game you will pick up and love but ultimately will put down in a matter of weeks. However, LBP is among the few you are likely to pick up and enjoy again a couple months later. Even better, you'll be playing through worlds and ideas you didn't even experience before. Simply because they weren't available yet.

LBP is a testament that platformers can never be harmed by minimalism. The game only lets you jump and grab, lending itself to NES-era controls (despite the fact, the grab button is on the right trigger). Other than that, the only challenge comes from finding your way through a level and its obstacles. Riding a mine cart to the right, finding a lever, and throwing a bomb to blow up a wall are as involved as the levels can get. You'll find more complex things like an air balloon made of different levers but that's about it. Nevertheless, the main campaign never gets boring. Each level is unique and the core gameplay is always fun. Even better when you tag along with a friend.

Not having a PS3 mic almost seemed ideal, as I closed out my playthrough of the main game. Media Molecule crafted a Pixar or Disney-esque world where a person's personality can be simplified into little details in each character's outfit and actions. Joining a game with a guy sporting a poncho who leaves you behind all the time, or a little girl in a dress who always waits for you to respawn carries a sort of pureness to it that words would ruin. Another reason you would prefer to have no voice chat on, is to hear the fantastic music throughout the game. I am speaking of details here, because that's what makes LBP so memorable. In the end, the only thing that will separate one player's creation or experience is the details.

As sad as it is, LBP doesn't have the tool set to breed new gameplay mechanics or entirely new worlds. And so, you play the player-created levels to prolong the experience and to be cast into a different world -- if the level is properly imagined. It's fun to play levels that pay tribute to BioShock or Batman in the most limited of ways. It's like in the mid-90s when I played through Indiana Jones level packs for Duke Nukem 3D or a Star Wars one for Doom. LBP isn't the first game to give player's opportunities to create new worlds. Just look at the PC mod community from the '90s for some startling examples of creativity. LBP is just the first game to mainstream it. Everyone can create their own world, everyone can experience it, and everyone can enjoy it because Media Molecule made a platformer that is surprisingly fun. If you think it all seems too much of the same, well you are right. You are also too old and cynical for this experience. Sadly, I think that includes me.

A game that had potential, the idea of this game is you can create your own levels and do some creative things, and it became a fan favorite game on Playstation. But playing this I just found it to be bland, I played the main story and couldn't even get past the first few levels due to boredom, then took on a few of the better rated fan created ones. There were some interesting levels, one where you were in a haunted house and had to escape from Jason, there was a one where you had to survive things falling on your head, there was one where you got eaten by a giant whale. But once the novelty of the game wears off, so does the enjoyment. The game is pretty easy to begin with, and feels very limited. You characters mobility is very limited and you have a weak jump and you only move in 2 directions. I liked the games graphics and style but I feel this game could have just been more. Now that Super Mario Maker is a thing, this game is practically worthless since I'd rather create Mario levels than ones for this. I mean this game is mildly entertaining to dick around in for a few hours, but its not one I'd want to dedicate more than a few hours a month to.

An interesting curio. The sense of style and atmosphere is off the charts, including a brilliant turn from Stephen Fry as the narrator, and the main story's collectathon senses are framed just right. It's enough to make for a fun story mode, and the assets on offer are enough to clearly make for an extensive level editor if the community creations are anything to go by, even if I think the editor itself isn't that user-friendly, and neither are the jumping controls.