How a LittleBigPlanet Reboot Could Correct a Significant Missed Chance
A LittleBigPlanet Reboot: Rectifying a Major Missed Opportunity"
Sackboy: A Big Adventure demonstrated that the LittleBigPlanet mascot can thrive outside the franchise, making a new game less necessary. However, there is still potential for a new LittleBigPlanet game to deliver an in-game achievement system and enhance the player experience. By allowing creators to reward players for completing challenges tied to their levels, a new game could offer an endless supply of Trophies to gather.
Despite its poor performance on PC, Sackboy: A Big Adventure received positive reviews, indicating that the lovable stitched mascot could survive outside of its original franchise. Furthermore, Media Molecule has moved on to Dreams, and with the game becoming available through PlayStation Plus, the need for a new LittleBigPlanet game has diminished. Nonetheless, the series could be revived by Media Molecule or another developer, as there is still potential to explore the beloved play-create-share formula.
LittleBigPlanet fans have suggested various directions for a new game over the years. These include adding proper creation tools for third-person and first-person gameplay, allowing players to make their own outfit pieces, and creating a live service LBP title that can thrive within PlayStation’s upcoming multiplayer era. Another idea is to introduce a battle royale-style mode where players compete to make the best creation in a short amount of time. However, the most impactful improvement would be the implementation of in-game achievements in the next LittleBigPlanet game.
Creator-Made Achievements and the Potential for a New LittleBigPlanet Game
Before, creators could make complex community creations within LittleBigPlanet, but they were unable to add their own achievements to these levels. While the leaderboard system allowed players to compete for the best scores in official and community levels, achievements would provide specific goals for players to work towards. With ambitious fan projects being created, an in-game achievement system has the potential to thrive.
Creators could use achievements to reward players for finding secrets, defeating enemies in specific ways, completing speedruns, and overcoming challenges of different difficulty levels. These achievements would greatly enhance replayability and provide players with a reason to hunt for in-game Trophies. To make these achievements desirable, item unlocks could be tied to them. Creators could assign special items to each achievement, with the difficulty of the task determining the quality of the item. Alternatively, players could earn points for each achievement and redeem them for official LittleBigPlanet cosmetics. An in-game achievement case attached to players’ profiles could also motivate them to pursue these achievements.
How a LittleBigPlanet Reboot Could Correct a Significant Missed Chance
Furthermore, if a new LittleBigPlanet game were to be released, it could bring back the MM Picks feature, where Media Molecule showcased the best community creations. In the next game, these developer-endorsed levels could have their achievements turned into proper PlayStation Trophies, providing the game with a constant supply of DLC Trophies. This would add replayability to mini-games and make connected levels feel more like a complete game.
In conclusion, while a new LittleBigPlanet game may not be a pressing necessity due to the success of Sackboy: A Big Adventure and the focus on Dreams, there is still potential for the series to be revived. By introducing an in-game achievement system that allows creators to reward players and provide specific challenges, a new game could enhance the player experience and offer endless Trophies to gather. The addition of item unlocks and the integration of MM Picks achievements could further increase replayability and make a new LittleBigPlanet game a worthwhile endeavor.