LittleBigPlanet 2 - A Parents Guide

{sidebar id=1}As a parent, I know all too painfully well how difficult it is to find age-appropriate games which are also fun; usually, age-appropriate games have been so sanitized that kids wind up feeling like they’ve been treated as kids, which in turn results in the game seeming boring and watered-down and, as a kid might say, like it’s for babies. It’s an incredibly difficult balancing act for parents to find a game that is age-appropriate and fits their values and beliefs, that isn’t condescending to a child’s intelligence and that is also fun.

Editors Note: This review is intended for parents of children with disabilities and specifically focuses on what parents need to know about this game both in terms of content and accessibility.

Little Big Planet 2 (LBP2) is an exceptionally challenging and enjoyable game filled with bright colors, intricate puzzles and constant discovery. It begins with a small, cute character named Sackboy who explores level after level of mysteries, helping solve problems and unlocking new levels, challenges and content along the way.

LBP2 is fundamentally a platformer – that is, a side-scrolling game in which players move side to side and up and down. LBP2 is also slightly different from most platformers in that it often offers three degrees of depth for players to explore, with content or hidden pathways hidden behind some objects. Players have to navigate levels by jumping, grabbing, using found and unlocked objects, and finding paths that won’t lead Sackboy into danger.

Little Big Planet 2 also adds more in-game items like robotic animals to ride, Grabinators (gloves which allow Sackboy to pick up items) and the best named weapon of the year, the Sniper Trifle, a helmet which fires pastries to help Sackboy move through a level and defeat opponents.

Unlike Little Big Planet, LBP2 has a story of sorts – Sackboy has been invited to join a heroic organization called The Alliance and must pass entry tests (essentially the game’s tutorials) before being allowed to act on The Alliance’s behalf to defeat the Negativitron. As a result, the tutorial levels don’t feel like an introduction to the game that was tacked on without consideration. Instead, they feel much more like a wholly integrated part of the game, including rewards and unlockable content.

In another change from Little Big Planet, players will explore a variety of settings including Larry Da Vinci’s library / workshop, kitchens, trains, factories and so on instead of exploring diverse, multicultural environments based on other countries and continents. However, these settings are just as charming as the environments in Little Big Planet and require just as much thought to navigate.

Furthermore, Little Big Planet 2 is unique in that it’s a game which is appropriate for kids that is also enjoyable and challenging for adults. All too frequently, developers make age-appropriate games by effectively dumbing them down, making them less interesting or less complex or less challenging. As a gamer, I’m happy that LBP2’s developers didn’t take that route.

As a parent, I can offer that everyone in my family, regardless of age, is interested in this game and wants to play it. LBP2 also feels a bit easier than its predecessor, and in many levels allows players to accomplish much more on their first time through.

Despite this perceived adjustment to difficulty levels, Little Big Planet 2 frequently presents significant accessibility issues which can’t be easily mitigated. Acing (getting 100% of the items) on a level is exceptionally challenging, even on tutorial levels. Although this game is not nearly as difficult or frustrating at early levels as a hardcore platformer like Super Meat Boy is, it is still difficult at times and requires a significant amount of twitch reflexes.

Parents of disabled children considering this game need to know that there are puzzles which present challenges that may be impossible for their child to solve, whether due to disability, developing hand-eye coordination or just average childhood clumsiness.

In addition, some puzzles require abstract thinking and non-linear logical leaps to be solved, such as shooting a snack cake at a drawbridge to lower it. As a result, parents of children with cognitive disabilities may encounter even greater challenges than parents of children with physical disabilities.

With these general comments in mind, let’s examine the specific challenges gamers and parents are likely to face with Little Big Planet 2.

For a deep dive into the accessibility of LittleBigPlanet 2, please make sure you check the AbleGamers Review