When the first LittleBigPlanet was released, many people were calling it the most innovative platformer they have ever seen. Many people disagreed, even staff at The Koalition argued over the statement countless times. However it is going to be incredibly hard to argue over the level of innovation that is going to be seen in LittleBigPlanet 2. Someone over at NeoGaf managed to get their hands on the June issue of Game Informer early, which features a lot of new details on LittleBigPlanet 2. They were even so kind as to write a list of all the information, which you can read below. The details that spark my interest are the ones that suggest that you are no longer just creating levels; you are creating full mini games, complete with different genres. It will be very interesting to see how they pull that one off; perhaps A.B Frasier may even pick the game up.
LittleBigPlanet 2 Information. For the full list go here
– LBP 2 has less of a focus on platforming altogether and it’s more of a platform to actually create games with.
– There is an all-new level creator and it is not just a tool to create platform games.
– As examples, the game 100% encourages the player to create game types and wants you to make a shooter, a racer, puzzle games, Space Invaders clones, even RPGs
– A player can even customize a HUD. The example given is a health bar for a fighting game.
– A Media Molecule developer has created a fully-functioning Command & Conquer Clone
– Media Molecule loves that a lot of user-created levels in LBP1 were homages to classic games and laments that so many manipulations of the creation tools were necessary to do them. Sackboy won’t need to be “hidden behind the curtain” when you make games with LBP2.
– There is a new super-important creator tool called “direct control seats”
– (from previous point) In LBP1, lots of people made rudimentary “hold R1 to accelerate” vehicles. Mark Healy created a car out of rubber wheels and a bottle, then placed a direct control seat in it. He pulled up an interface that resembled a PS3 controller and assigned commands to buttons.
– Example given was assigning Sixaxis tilt for forward and reverse, horn on the X button.
– You are no longer limited to the game’s stock sound effects. You can record your own sounds and voices, attaching them to characters or objects. Magic Mouth from the original LBP is gone
– Direct control seat’s control scheme is instantly accessible and you can attach it only to the part of the vehicle you want it to control.
– Example was given about the 8/16-bit remakes/tributes having to use the signature gameplay mechanics of LBP. That is no longer true in LBP2. A creator can place a direct control seat on their own platforming protagonist and complete it with a customized control scheme.
– Example of the previous was Yoshi’s Island. If a player creates the perfect recreation of the SNES-era jump they can share it with anyone in the community.
– There is an in-game microchip that functions as a calculator and it is a direct response/homage to PSN user Upsilandre (seriously, he’s mentioned by name)
– Enemies in the original title could only be programmed with super-basic commands and most resembled marionettes.
– Users will be able to take a template for an enemy called a Sackbot, tweak the AI and dress it in any way they choose.
– Creators can choose the weak points on the Sackbot, determine if it is scared of heights, and even program acting routines.
