LittleBigPlanet 3
When the first LittleBigPlanet came out, I was completely and utterly enamored by it. The game’s incredibly bubbly personality and downright irresistible charm made it so damn hard to put the controller down. I had friends that would come over all the time just to revel in the four-player co-op madness — we simply couldn’t stop playing it. Fast forward to LittleBigPlanet 3 and, well, let’s just say that I wouldn’t mind playing only one level a week.
The game isn’t horrible by any means at all, it just doesn’t captivate anywhere near the same way the first one did. I understand that it’s the third game in the series and it’s harder to meet or exceed expectations with each passing sequel, but there are many examples of trilogies that are able to excel in new areas while staying true to their DNA. Think God of War III, Uncharted 3, Halo 3, Gears of War 3, and so on. There’s no reason that LBP 3 shouldn’t have been a much more impactful exclusive for Sony this year.
LittleBigPlanet 3 definitely gets some kudos for introducing interesting new dynamics with a stellar new cast, but the time spent with them is far too short. It’s the game’s lost spark and lack of meaningful innovation (despite said interesting cast) that land this one a spot on 2014’s most disappointing list.
-Paul Villanueva
