Sackboy: A Big Adventure A Must Play on PS4 or PS5

The Little Big Planet franchise has been one of the most iconic franchises on PlayStation consoles, and when rumours popped up regarding another adventure featuring Sackboy, I’m sure some fans were excited for the possibilities. I’m sure many folks were not ready for the Sackboy they ultimately got, but after beating the entire game with my kids, it’s ultimately Sackboy at his best!

Think more Super Mario 3D World as opposed to traditional Little Big Planet. This colourful platform title drops you into detailed, crafted worlds full of enemies to defeat and secrets to uncover. Each level assigns you a score at the end, which culminates in a bronze, silver, or gold trophy ranking. There is also an emblem to earn for collecting all the hidden costume pieces, for finding all the orbs, and for beating the level without dying. When attempting to 100% the game, you’ll quickly realize how replayable this title is!

And the worlds are detailed and gorgeous, filled with all manners of traps, long jumps, and hidden secrets. I’ve yet to find a level I didn’t like, and that’s pretty impressive! While the gameplay style reminds me of the best 2D Mario titles, the design is very much like the original titles in this series. Everything looks created – for those unaware of the series prior to this release, think Yoshi’s Crafted World, but better.

There are a couple of setbacks to this experience, one which I experience and one that I didn’t. The jumping in Sackboy could be just a bit more fluid. Certain jumps are way to difficult, and improved physics and controls would alleviated many of those frustrations. The other downside to this title is if you have to play by yourself. While possible, Sackboy is built from the ground up as a multiplayer experience, as evidenced in the design of many of the levels. I played entirely with my kids, and loved every minute of it. When I watched my kids play by themselves, the game didn’t hold their attention nearly as long.

It’s worth noting that some levels require a cooperative partner, although no story progression is hampered by these levels. Online play is coming, and folks can find partners online to play with.

Ultimately, Sackboy ranks so high with me because of how damn charming the game is. From the hundreds of character costume items that can be found and purchased (with in game orbs), to the beautiful levels, to the first time you get dumped into a song based level, there was a smile on my face throughout. This was obviously a game crafted with a lot of love and pride, and is easily one of the best launch games on the PlayStation 5.