I realized it’s been a while since my last post, so I thought I’d do a chill post and let you guys know what I’ve been doing recently.

Last week I picked up Little Big Planet 2 for the Playstation 3. I’ve been waiting for this game like you wouldn’t believe. I had heard the stories about Little Big Planet long before I bought a PS3 – essentially it’s a video game about creation. The physics engine is incredibly detailed, and the tools available for level editing allow the player to create practically any environment. The one thing I heard that troubled me was the lack of enemy creation tools – and if I can’t kill something I make then what’s the point?

By the time I bought a PS3 they had already announced Little Big Planet 2 which, based on what I heard, was going to include everything I believed the first game was missing. So I opted out of buying the first game because once I started toying about with the level creator I wanted to have all the tools at my disposal.

It was the first item on my Christmas list this year…but then it was delayed until January. That was a major bummer. But I have to give them credit for not rushing out an unfinished game just to make the season rush. Most game developers don’t have such self-discipline.

So I finally got my hands on the game last week…and I’ve been struggling to sleep ever since.

I have to admit I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of options that go into level creation. I’ve never seen a form of customization this deep in any game before. It’s like discovering Lego all over again.

In the short time that I’ve had it I’ve managed to make a Final Fight-style level and a competetive minigame consisting of Bounce Pads. Not much. The first several hours were spent expirimenting with a tool called The Creationator which can be made to shoot anything in the game as ammunition – that includes anything I create myself. I have a gun that shoots swords, a gun that shoots beach balls, a gun that shoots metal fists in rapid succession, a gun that causes giant fireballs to rain down from the sky… It’s just odd that you must wear the gun on your head like a hat. Oh well, I am still feared. Mwahaha.

More recently I’ve spent time designing common, real-world objects that are programmed to fall apart and explode in various ways as they take damage – like cars. Cars are fun. I only had to build that car once but I’ve destroyed it dozens of times – one of the benefits of the digital universe.

Another thing that really impresses me about this game is that it hasn’t had a panic attack yet. I’ve used level-building tools in other games, and most of them don’t respond well to my creativity. Little Big Planet politely and calmly tells me when I have too many things happening in one area. Most games just curl up into a ball and look for their happy place.

Unfortunately I’m unable to get an internet connection for my PS3 where I live, so I’m locked out from the online community of Little Big Planet, which I know is a huge part of this game. But even without that, I know there’s enough here to keep my creative side healthy for a long time.