LBP beta movie - The intro, tutorial and first level
September 23rd, 2008 @ 23:58
Didn’t get a key? Never fear: this is almost as good. After the break you’ll find a movie of the first 14 minutes of play from the LittleBigPlanet beta, including the opening sequence, the tutorial - narrated by Stephen Fry - and the run-through of the first level.
SCEE put its beta live tonight, with demand crushing Eurogamer as the PS3 faithful tried to get one of 5,800 keys for the test.
Watch it. Sorry about the quality. We’re getting a capture card very soon, so it’ll be direct-feed all the way from there on in.
Am I the only one who thinks this game looks EXTREMELY easy?
I never could get hyped for this because of that exact reason. Kind of reminds me of how I felt about Super Paper Mario, both side scrollers, both looked visually cool to me but SPM ended up being so easy it was downright BOOORING. This game is giving me the same vibes :/ Being able to create levels and customize little sackboy will not be able to save LBP for me if it’s too easy Unless you can make hard levels that have alot of enemies to bypass like the old Super Mario days… or does this game even have enemies besides bosses?
The Levels are as easy or hard as you want them to be. If you wanted too you could pretty much reproduce the Mario Land levels including the enemies.
I expect the later pre-made levels will be a bit harder in the full game.
I played the first three levels last night and the third one was more difficult. They’ve said there’s 12 hours of play in single-player, so I reckon there’ll be enough there to keep you happy even without all the online stuff.
lol! I’ve probably been too old for a long time now
I just watched the first 5 mins of that vid ( don’t won’t to spoil it for myself ) and it transported me right back to when I was little. The music, voice-over, animation - all utterly perfect.
It’s lovely, it really is. It actually had me jigging up and down in my seat giggling with anticipation as I took control of my sackboy for the first time, mooching through that first intro level with the dev pics.
Stephen Fry as the voice of LBP is a stroke of genius and loaned a bit of Hitch Hiker’s Guide style class to the whole thing (him being the voice of the book in the film n’all).
Overall, it’s made me deliriously happy and relieved that it doesn’t suck. Really really hope MediaMolecule relent on the use of mouse / graphics tablet for input - and the use of the cam as the only source for image imports - but we’ll see.
Exactly. I’m strangely not all that fussed about how good the actual game is, I just want an awesome experience with mechanics that let me mess about for an hour at a time (which isn’t much less than the gaming time I get a week). A big sandbox creation tool sounds like fun to me, especially as I can play it co-op offline.
I entirely understand why some might find it a total turn off. Each to their own.
I really don’t get the “giddy with excitement” stuff. It’s good. Reasonably fun to play but not without response issues which by default negate a fluid platforming experience.
The ideas are nice and it has its charm but when Stephen Fry told me I could decorate my Pod I thought “why?”.
I know how you feel NoPud. Been creating a Level until 4 in the morning today and had to get up at 7:30.
Almost finished creating the level now. A bit of deco and it should be good enough to get uploaded.
I’m not, morriss. If the creation and co-op stuff is good enough, that’s good enough for me. Seriously. Playing about in a big sandbox in co-op sounds like something I could get lost in for hours. The fact that it’s also beautiful, polished and funny is an awesome bonus.
I’ll play the main game through, but I’m certainly not buying the game just for that.
I totally understand if people think that’s insane. To each their own.
Fair enough, Truk. But if the core platforming mechanic isn’t optimal, then surely it takes some of the fun away from actually playing the levels that you have created?
Yeah, I’d agree with that. I do think the platforming mechanic is fine though. I agree with the in-out of the screen stuff being a bit confusing/niggardly, but I don’t believe it’s a big negative and one I can get over, I’m sure.
I was mainly referring to the design of the main game, i.e. the level design, rather than the mechanics themselves, which, as I said, I think are fine. If the level design isn’t so good (but from all indications it will be) then I’m not so fussed, as I’m not buying it just to play a 2D platformer.
I’m happy for the controls to be loose. It’s a physics platformer, not Mario, so pixel-perfect jumps and instantaneous response don’t really fit. The design constraints are different than a typical 2D platformer, so they require a different response and approach to creating the game.
As much as I think the level design side would be fun it is the gameplay that makes or breaks a game like this for me.
Just look at spore it lets you practically create everything from your character to the spaceship you will drive later on. Then look at the gameplay its complete crap worst gameplay in the history of gaming.
LBP is no different to spore it lets you create everything in your game world right down to how you look. But the gameplay looks awkward and for me that’s just put me right off it.
“I don’t want to like things in order to fit in unlike other people.”
Funnily enough I don’t have to do shit like that to fit in with other people. I’m one of the nice guys and I don’t go around trying to be controversial to look cool…
September 24th, 2008 at 12:17 am
I know that music from somewhere. Some art TV programme from years ago
September 24th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Cool stuff, too bad I don’t have a PS3
September 24th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Good stuff. Looking forward to adding another solid co-op game to my collection.
September 24th, 2008 at 1:29 am
Help defeat the Beta Key profiteers:
http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/7348/zim2gy9.jpg
(Instructions for reporting Ebay sales of Beta software)
September 24th, 2008 at 6:09 am
Am I the only one who thinks this game looks EXTREMELY easy?
I never could get hyped for this because of that exact reason. Kind of reminds me of how I felt about Super Paper Mario, both side scrollers, both looked visually cool to me but SPM ended up being so easy it was downright BOOORING. This game is giving me the same vibes :/ Being able to create levels and customize little sackboy will not be able to save LBP for me if it’s too easy
Unless you can make hard levels that have alot of enemies to bypass like the old Super Mario days… or does this game even have enemies besides bosses?
September 24th, 2008 at 7:10 am
The Levels are as easy or hard as you want them to be. If you wanted too you could pretty much reproduce the Mario Land levels including the enemies.
I expect the later pre-made levels will be a bit harder in the full game.
September 24th, 2008 at 7:30 am
So there ARE enemies right? If so then that’s good… Did you play the beta? or are you just making assumptions -.-
September 24th, 2008 at 8:02 am
I played the first three levels last night and the third one was more difficult. They’ve said there’s 12 hours of play in single-player, so I reckon there’ll be enough there to keep you happy even without all the online stuff.
Haven’t tried co-op yet.
September 24th, 2008 at 8:03 am
And yeah, there are enemies. There are ghosts, etc, in the first few levels.
September 24th, 2008 at 9:38 am
BartonFink - the music’s from Vision On / Take Hart - the gallery section. As soon as I heard that bit of music I was unutterably in love with this.
Played it for around 3-4 hours solid till I got nagged to go to bed. Love it, love it, love it to bits.
September 24th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Damn I knew I recognised it.
Take Hart was the one with the little character that used to mess things up right?
September 24th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Morph…
September 24th, 2008 at 10:21 am
S’right.
Course, if you’re old enough to remember Vision On you’re probably too old to play games any more? Unless you’re me…
September 24th, 2008 at 10:36 am
lol! I’ve probably been too old for a long time now
I just watched the first 5 mins of that vid ( don’t won’t to spoil it for myself ) and it transported me right back to when I was little. The music, voice-over, animation - all utterly perfect.
/tear to the eye
September 24th, 2008 at 10:41 am
It’s lovely, it really is. It actually had me jigging up and down in my seat giggling with anticipation as I took control of my sackboy for the first time, mooching through that first intro level with the dev pics.
Stephen Fry as the voice of LBP is a stroke of genius and loaned a bit of Hitch Hiker’s Guide style class to the whole thing (him being the voice of the book in the film n’all).
Overall, it’s made me deliriously happy and relieved that it doesn’t suck. Really really hope MediaMolecule relent on the use of mouse / graphics tablet for input - and the use of the cam as the only source for image imports - but we’ll see.
I just want to go home and play this now.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Exactly. I’m strangely not all that fussed about how good the actual game is, I just want an awesome experience with mechanics that let me mess about for an hour at a time (which isn’t much less than the gaming time I get a week). A big sandbox creation tool sounds like fun to me, especially as I can play it co-op offline.
I entirely understand why some might find it a total turn off. Each to their own.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:09 am
“I’m strangely not all that fussed about how good the actual game is”
Wait. What?!
September 24th, 2008 at 11:11 am
I really don’t get the “giddy with excitement” stuff. It’s good. Reasonably fun to play but not without response issues which by default negate a fluid platforming experience.
The ideas are nice and it has its charm but when Stephen Fry told me I could decorate my Pod I thought “why?”.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Went to bed at 2am last night, and woke up at 8, only just got back (shortest day!!!)
I have been craving making a level all day. And last night I was ancy to have a go.
And the intro just hooked me, as pjmaybe said, the song from Vision On/SmART is pure genius, as it appeals to the right demographics.
And Stephen Fry. Well damn this game is the shit.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:24 am
I know how you feel NoPud. Been creating a Level until 4 in the morning today and had to get up at 7:30.
Almost finished creating the level now. A bit of deco and it should be good enough to get uploaded.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:27 am
I’m not, morriss. If the creation and co-op stuff is good enough, that’s good enough for me. Seriously. Playing about in a big sandbox in co-op sounds like something I could get lost in for hours. The fact that it’s also beautiful, polished and funny is an awesome bonus.
I’ll play the main game through, but I’m certainly not buying the game just for that.
I totally understand if people think that’s insane. To each their own.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:39 am
I can’t wait to get to the decoration part. I’m gonna make it looks urban and jungly at the same time.
The Leaf sticker is my friend.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Fair enough, Truk. But if the core platforming mechanic isn’t optimal, then surely it takes some of the fun away from actually playing the levels that you have created?
September 24th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Yeah, I’d agree with that. I do think the platforming mechanic is fine though. I agree with the in-out of the screen stuff being a bit confusing/niggardly, but I don’t believe it’s a big negative and one I can get over, I’m sure.
I was mainly referring to the design of the main game, i.e. the level design, rather than the mechanics themselves, which, as I said, I think are fine. If the level design isn’t so good (but from all indications it will be) then I’m not so fussed, as I’m not buying it just to play a 2D platformer.
I’m happy for the controls to be loose. It’s a physics platformer, not Mario, so pixel-perfect jumps and instantaneous response don’t really fit. The design constraints are different than a typical 2D platformer, so they require a different response and approach to creating the game.
September 24th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Or nerf it.
But if you’re happy, I’m happy! :p
September 24th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
/hugs
September 24th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
As much as I think the level design side would be fun it is the gameplay that makes or breaks a game like this for me.
Just look at spore it lets you practically create everything from your character to the spaceship you will drive later on. Then look at the gameplay its complete crap worst gameplay in the history of gaming.
LBP is no different to spore it lets you create everything in your game world right down to how you look. But the gameplay looks awkward and for me that’s just put me right off it.
September 24th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
So you’ve gone back to “this is not the game for me” now Moz?
Ack if only you could transfer your key to someone who’d actually enjoy it… ;P
September 24th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I have enjoyed it.
Ack I really wish, just for once, you would read before your fingers hit the keyboard.
But, just for you: I like it. It’s good. It’s just not great, wonderful, and nowhere close to a system-seller, imo.
I don’t want to like things in order to fit in unlike other people.
September 24th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Like R2?
Technically impressive but once again awful art direction prevails?
Uh-Huh…
September 24th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
“I don’t want to like things in order to fit in unlike other people.”
Funnily enough I don’t have to do shit like that to fit in with other people. I’m one of the nice guys and I don’t go around trying to be controversial to look cool…
…unlike other people