What we're talking about: LittleBigPlanet 2, the sequel to the do-it-yourself platformer extraordinaire, LittleBigPlanet.
Where we saw it: This one was hands-on all the way, played through an early build of the game by my lonesome.
What you need to know:
LBP2 will be compatible with all the content that you or anybody else created for the original LBP, according to Sony. So all your favorite custom levels, all the nifty little add-ons and tweaks, you'll be able to revisit them with the new engine in LBP2.LBP2 will feature a new system in which players will be able to create "logic boards" for vehicles and other machines. That is: they'll be able to create simple sets of instructions for these machines that can be transferred to similar machines anywhere in the game. For example, players could set up a system where a Corvette will move forward at a press of the X button and stop with square. That set of instructions could be removed and transferred (like a circuit board) to any similar wheeled vehicle, thus saving time and allowing for creativity to build on itself.
Gameplay will no longer be restricted simply to platforming - instead LBP2 will allow for seamless transitions between game levels (without having to return to a central hub level), customization of the game's HUD itself, and a vastly improved and expanded palette of graphics will allow LBP2 players to create full-on RPGs, recreations of their favorite old-school titles, and even things like racing games.
LBP2 features "Sackbots," diminutive, AI-controlled versions of Sackboy that can assist with solving puzzles, or act as cogs in a larger design scheme for a level. While these can be a little creepy with their glowing red eyes, for the most part they're awfully helpful and expand what can be done in a level.
There will be a single-player campaign in the game, featuring Sackboy traversing a variety of levels using LBP2's solid platforming engine. So don't despair that if you don't have an internet connection you won't be able to play this game at all - but to be honest, you're going to want an internet connection.
Point in development cycle: I played a pre-release beta version of the game that was fully functional, but lacked the online sharing and community due to the fact that it hadn't been released yet.
My take: For fans of LBP, the future couldn't look brighter. This game not only incorporates and improves upon all the features they loved in the original, but it adds clever new tools and even sharper graphics, as well. The new logic-boards feature seems like it has a ton of potential, but in all fairness, because I was playing a pre-release version of the game, I didn't have a chance to test it out in all its glory.
For those of you who haven't played LBP before, but have played (or are familiar with) games like Minecraft - LBP2 is a game you should seriously consider taking a look at. It taps very heavily into that creative instinct that seems so prevalent among gamers, and does so in a far slicker, if somewhat less free-form, way than Minecraft or The Sims does.
But even if you're not the creative type, LBP2 will allow you to quickly and easily partake in others' creations with its upgraded content browser. It's now much easier to search for custom content - I'd say it was faster, too, but since there wasn't really any available in the build I played I can only comment on how the interface worked.
It's clear that the designers have listened very closely to fan demands on this game - not only by implementing some requests from the peanut gallery, but by making LBP2 even more susceptible to being customized and tweaked than the original was. From where I'm standing, this one looks like it could be the game that keeps on giving; you've really got a whole universe of possibilities with the tools it gives you.
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