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Going into the PS3 generation, Sony found itself with an odd problem. Very few of its first-party games catered to a young audience, an inverse of the problem Nintendo had at the time. Graphics were pushing for more realism, and the first-person and third-person shooter genres were becoming overwhelmingly popular. Ratchet & Clank and an assortment of PSP games were still directed towards younger players, but the wide net Sony once cast had shrunk greatly. It needed to find a new avenue to compete for young gamers' attention. Fortunately, Media Molecule was ready in 2008 to introduce what would become its flagship franchise.
The LittleBigPlanet games were a series of 2D platformers that operated under the motto of "Play, Create, Share." Players controlled little dolls called Sackboys, and jumped their way through a wide variety of levels by themselves or with a friend. Along the way, they collected bubbles that could be used to create and place a wide variety of objects, stickers, and accessories. Level creation was also a core aspect of LittleBigPlanet, with players using what they had collected along with their own ingenuity to create content that could be shared online. While Media Molecule's current project Dreams is clearly the series' successor, Sony and Sumo Digital have kept the franchise alive in other ways. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a 3D platformer that launched beside the PS5, but that just proves that the system is ready for a traditional LittleBigPlanet 4.
The PS5 Capitalizes on LittleBigPlanet's Strengths
While LittleBigPlanet already has a spin-off on the PS5, the console is better suited for a regular continuation of the series. The Astro Bot games, if more are made, can fill A Big Adventure's niche with exclusive 3D platformers on the system. LittleBigPlanet is unique in that it is one of Sony's only 2D platformers and its largest one at that. A new LittleBigPlanet can make full use of the PS5’s improved graphical technology. The realistic materials that LittleBigPlanet’s world is made out of can be rendered with the highest amount of detail yet. The system would also be able to handle more complex custom levels and greater numbers of created objects.
The PS5's sharing and online functionality are also primed to support a new LittleBigPlanet game. With new friend list innovations, it is now possible to try what linked users are working on as soon as they publish their projects. It would also theoretically be possible for multiple users to come together and work on a single creation. There would be some redundancy with Dreams, but LittleBigPlanet is more focused on 2D projects, allowing it to function as a more robust Mario Maker equivalent rather than a full game building engine.
It Is Prime Time to Bring the LittleBigPlanet Series Back
The game industry is constantly shifting, and some things get lost in the shuffle. 2D platformers have been seriously diminished in the past decade, mostly becoming the territory of indie games. 2D is certainly not dead as Metroid Dread has proven, but it’s not the industry icon it once was. Sony could draw in a lot of people by being the source of a series dedicated to 2D platforming, and LittleBigPlanet could easily be that series. The feel of the platforming may need some revisions to impress a wider audience, but the recipe for success is there.
There is one other major benefit to LittleBigPlanet coming back in the modern era, and that’s the crossover content. The original game turned a lot of heads back in the day with its Final Fantasy 7 and Metal Gear Solid 4 crossover DLC, and it continued the trend in later entries. The modern Sackboy could have even more clothing options, including iconic PlayStation characters like Astro, Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us' protagonists, and Ratchet & Clank’s Rivet, among many others. Basically, Sumo Digital can take all the costumes A Big Adventure is adding and throw in some third-party material as well. A traditional LittleBigPlanet would give players the chance to share these possibly paid items with others, too. Sony is not addressing its potential for a crossover game, and LittleBigPlanet could get most of the way there.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is out now for PS4 and PS5.
