Sackboy: A Big Adventure
A 3D platforming spin-off of the LittleBigPlanet series.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a 2020 platform game from Sumo Digital and Sony Interactive Entertainment, released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. A spin-off of the LittleBigPlanet series, it shifts from the side-scrolling style of earlier games to full 3D platforming. It was ported to Windows in October 2022, marking the LittleBigPlanet series' debut on PC. By February 2022, it had sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide. In the game, players control Sackboy across world maps that unlock platforming levels and bonus content. Completing stages opens new ones, and each level contains Dreamer Orbs that must be collected to advance. Sackboy’s moves include slapping, rolling, nosediving, picking up objects, and flutter jumping, which can be chained into combos for greater distance. Levels feature interactive objects that require at least one of these moves. Power-ups return: the Clawstring (formerly the Grappling Hook) lets Sackboy grab objects from afar; the Whirltool is a boomerang-like weapon for defeating enemies and breaking objects; and the Plasma Pumps allow hovering and firing energy blasts. The game supports local and online multiplayer for up to four players. Some stages require multiple players to enter and are designed for cooperative progress. Online functionality was not available at launch but was added via a patch on 17 December 2020. The story begins in the village of Loom in Craftworld, where the villain Vex (voiced by Richard E. Grant) tears through the sky, using machines to enslave Sackpeople for his Topsy-Turver machine, which will let him take over Craftworld with his evil Uproar. Sackboy escapes enslavement, steals the Topsy-Turver plans, and flees in a rocket. With help from elder sackperson Scarlet (Dawn French), he travels Craftworld, solving problems Vex caused and gathering Dreamer Orbs. Later, Vex ambushes Sackboy, stealing the orbs to fuel the Topsy-Turver. Encouraged by Scarlet, Sackboy ventures to Craftworld’s center, where Vex plans to replace the Tree of Imagination. After Scarlet is knocked unconscious, Sackboy enters the Topsy-Turver, defeats Vex, and destroys the machine. Peace returns, and Scarlet knights Sackboy as a Knitted Knight. Developed by Sumo Digital (who also made LittleBigPlanet 3) and published by Sony, the game was announced at the PlayStation 5 reveal event on 11 June 2020.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Developer
- Sumo Digital
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Series
- LittleBigPlanet
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Windows
- Released
- PlayStation 4WW · 12 November 2020 · PlayStation 5NA/OC · 12 November 2020 · WW · 19 November 2020 · WindowsWW · 27 October 2022
- Genre
- Platform
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Writer
- Mark Llabres Hill / Dean Wilkinson
- Composer
- Lena Raine
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a platformer that departs from the side-scrolling gameplay of earlier LittleBigPlanet titles, offering a range of perspectives and 3D movement. Players control Sackboy on world maps that grant access to numerous platforming levels and bonus content. Completing stages unlocks new ones, and all levels contain collectable Dreamer Orbs required for progression. Sackboy's move set includes slapping, rolling, nosediving, picking up objects, and flutter jumping, which can be chained into combos for greater distance. Levels feature interactable objects requiring specific moves, and powerups such as the Clawstring (a grappling hook), the Whirltool (a boomerang-like device), and the Plasma Pumps (allowing hovering and energy blasts). The game supports local and online multiplayer for up to four players, with stages designed specifically for cooperative play. Online functionality was not present at launch but was added via a patch on 17 December 2020. The plot follows Sackboy in Craftworld's village of Loom, where the villain Vex (voiced by Richard E. Grant) enslaves Sackpeople to build his Topsy-Turver machine. Sackboy escapes, steals the plans, and travels with elder sackperson Scarlet (voiced by Dawn French) to gather Dreamer Orbs and thwart Vex. After Vex ambushes Sackboy and steals the orbs to fuel his machine, Sackboy ventures to the center of Craftworld, confronts Vex, and destroys the Topsy-Turver, restoring peace. Scarlet then knights Sackboy as a Knitted Knight.
Reader's Guide
Sackboy: A Big Adventure represents a notable shift for the LittleBigPlanet franchise, moving from 2.5D side-scrolling to full 3D platforming. Developed by Sumo Digital, who previously worked on LittleBigPlanet 3, the game was announced at the PlayStation 5 reveal event on 11 June 2020 and released for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in November 2020. Its Windows port in October 2022 marked the series' debut on PC, expanding its audience. The game received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic and strong approval on OpenCritic, with 83% of critics recommending it. Commercially, it sold 1.2 million copies worldwide by February 2022 and ranked among the most-downloaded PlayStation 5 games in North America and Europe in 2020. The inclusion of both local and online multiplayer, with post-launch online support, extended its replayability. The game's plot, featuring voice performances by Richard E. Grant and Dawn French, and its emphasis on cooperative stages, contributed to its identity as a family-friendly platformer that maintained the creative spirit of the LittleBigPlanet series while introducing new mechanics and perspectives.
Did You Know?
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure was the first LittleBigPlanet game to be released on PC.
- The game originally shipped without online multiplayer; the feature was added in a patch on 17 December 2020.
- Vex is voiced by Richard E. Grant, and Scarlet is voiced by Dawn French.
- As of February 2022, the game had sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide.
More in Video Games of the 2020s, Part 2 1-24
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