Hello! I'm here again, ready to write up on my experience playing Sackboy: A Big Adventure from 11 p.m. yesterday to 2 a.m. today! :3
To begin, I'd like to note some of my criticisms of the game so far. While I (and presumably my brother) both had fun in our most recent run, we'd also started being a bit harsher towards certain choices made for the game.
Btw, do keep in mind that we've only made it to the second theme/world so far, so take all of this with a cup of salt! Also, another heads-up: there'll be spoilers for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd LittleBigPlanet's from here out (and also early ones for SABA, of course).
Vex doesn't have much presence as a villain. I almost totally forgot he was in the game. He showed up at the very start acting like top shit and oh so evil and kinda bounced LOL.
I don't know what they have planned for this radical jesterman, but I think the whole "safe early zone trampled on by big baddie buzzkill" thing was done better in LittleBigPlanet 2 with the Negativatron.
Even the Negativatron's design seems to be better: he's a vacuum; vacuums are big scary household machines that suck up small bits and bobs (which is what comprises the universe of LittleBigPlanet). The symbolism and philosophy is clear. Why is Vex a weird Oogie Boogie-looking Vivziepop-esque red-licorice-armed jester? So far, the reason eludes me...
Again, I'm not very far into the game, but I hope to see his look having some significance as things unfold. It's something the previous games nailed each time:
LittleBigPlanet's the Collector was an insecure little guy. He was simplistic and small, which created an interesting dynamic where he could be caught hiding behind the corner. It was actually fascinating and even creepy how we could helplessly watch him kidnap our mentors.
LittleBigPlanet 2—well, I already talked about him.
LittleBigPlanet 3's Newton represented how an idea can have unforeseen and negative consequences when put into practice. His design being a light bulb—a symbol of ingenuity—reflects this well. The fact that his yellow (the traditional lightbulb color, also symbolic of optimism) is inverted into purple (symbolic of power, ambition, mysticism, and mystery) is a brilliant use of color!
Now, this part might be a stretch, but I'll include it anyway: A lightbulb above a head is a common way of showing a character having an idea. With this in mind, one could interpret Newton's head being the light bulb as a visual metaphor suggesting Newton lets his ideas and ego "get to his head."
I think a culprit in Vex's forgettability so far is SABA's gameplay loop. When I play the game, it doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere, or that anything's at stake. So many of the levels feel short and strangely fragmented; their design makes me feel like I'm playing a bunch of minigames rather than something coherent.
Something else I've noticed is the lacking impression I'm left with concerning the themes/worlds, especially when contrasted with the many memorable ones in LBP 1–3. Maybe it's just the first one that's sorta meh with its generic green garden environment, but my bro and I have reached the jungle area, and it's not looking all that striking. We did have a sweet time slapping the big mama monkey first thing there though; that addition is awesome.
I totally have lots more to say, but I'm going to let those digs be carryovers to my next log. So be sure to check that out (when it is out) if you wanna see my writings on the following:
• Scarlet and the Characters
• The Canonization of the Sackboy
• "I Wish I Could Make This..."
• A Faulty Wardrobe
• Proposing a Better Villain
Oh! And how could I forget...
My sackboy! I will take and attach an image of them next entry. :3
Anyways, here's some care; take it. Catch you later! :D
P.S. I also watched my bro play mess around a bit after my controller called quits, so I guess I'll add the "watching another play" tag too.
P.P.S. I liked when Vex said "sackers" because it sounded like a slur for sackboys. That was pretty funny. Doesn't help that he's enslaving them and all...
