Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Summer Game Fest
  • New games for 2025
  • Upcoming Switch 2 games
  • Switch 2 stock
Recommended reading
A screenshot shows a boss battle from Hollow Knight Silksong.
Action Games New Hollow Knight: Silksong screenshots show just how much Team Cherry's Metroidvania has changed in 6 years, making the remaining wait even worse
Grounded 2 screenshot with Summer Preview logo
Survival Games After playing Grounded 2 for 30 minutes, it's clear that my favorite survival game is getting a massive glow-up
Bumpkin and Sprout demo screenshot
Co-op Games If you want Little Nightmares 3 without the nightmares, Bumpkin & Sprout is the 3D Mario-style co-op platformer I need you to wishlist
Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot
Action RPGs FromSoftware had to adjust the difficulty in Elden Ring Nightreign after the beta to make sure it's "challenging as you progress, but still manageable," and yes, some things are harder now
A Helldiver waves a flag while looking down at a battlefield in a screenshot from Helldivers 2's Masters of Ceremony trailer.
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 patch finally lets you take the fight to the Illuminate Leviathans, but the real MVP is the fabled review bomb cape that's been datamined: "This is the one cape I won't remove"
Grounded 2 screenshot showing the entrance to the Ice Cream Truck chill area, with Summer Preview 2025 branding
Survival Games Everything is bigger in Grounded 2, but Obsidian never considered stretching beyond four-player co-op: "It would have undermined what Grounded was really about"
Baldur's Gate 3 pale vampire elf Astarion, a man with curly white hair and red eyes
Baldur's Gate New Baldur's Gate 3 update addresses Patch 8 bugs and reworks its subclasses, and Larian Studios isn't done with the RPG yet: "We're still fixing a few things"
  1. Games
  2. Adventure
  3. LittleBigPlanet 3

The LittleBigPlanet 3 Beta shows off 9 small but significant changes

Features
By Andy Hartup published 14 October 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Crafty devils!

Crafty devils!

Unusually, for a series that was positioned as 'game-changing' back on PS3, the buzz for LittleBigPlanet 3 has been relatively slight. Perhaps it's because the tools for level-creation have become so vast and complex that only a significant investment of time spent 'learning the ropes' (coupled with a flair for creativity) could unlock the most satisfying LBP experience. In other words, most people just can't be arsed to make decent levels. Shame, because LBP is bloody brilliant.

I've been playing the Beta for LBP3, and while it's already a veritable wonderland for the creatively minded, there are clear signs that new developer Sumo is trying to make the do-it-yourself stuff more user-friendly. Here are nine smart, exciting things that I discovered while messing around with Create and playing other (vastly superior) levels made by the community.

Image above taken from: 'Winter Wonderland' by ONEEYEDBANSHEE

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
You can make 3D levels

You can make 3D levels

Yeah, this is a biggie. You can now create worlds that are fully 3D, shifting the camera behind the player, and making them the centre of the experience. On the surface, this means you can make proper 3D platformers like Super Mario 3D Land. In fact, don't be surprised if there are a bunch of Mario clones already online when you get the game.

However, the community has already been using it for more ambitious purposes. The screen above is from Project "HILL" Retro Horror Experience by ACDRAMON, which is a cross between Resi 2 and Silent Hill 2. The creator uses the new camera angle to replicate the look and feel of classic survival horror, and employs the new transition system to let players open doors and appear in new rooms. From here, they can even find and read notes and diary pages... just like Resi and 'Hill. Amazing.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
Light is amazing

Light is amazing

One of the first levels I played is called 'Lighten Up' (by KOMODOBROTHERS). Here, you're given an Illuminator (yeah, it's a torch) and tasked with navigating Sackboy through a dimly-lit library. Sure, LBP has always had extensive lighting options, but now you've got a tool that can be specifically used to puncture the darkness. What does this mean? Well, on a basic level you can create dark levels, and challenge players to navigate platforming with limited knowledge of their surroundings.

However, light can also be used as a trigger. In Lighten Up, there are several light-activated switches that raise lifts, expose bounce-pads, or even force platforms to rotate. You need to keep your Illuminator beam trained on the switch to make them activate (well, here anyway), so this really adds an extra dimension to the puzzle solving.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
No really, the lighting is awesome

No really, the lighting is awesome

Later on, I play 'Fotaya Temple' by theflashback02, which has a kind of jungle / Aztec ruin vibe (although the screen above is from 'Lighten Up' again). There are more smart tricks with light here. At one point, Sackboy finds himself in a dark room, with only a candle in his hands to light the way. The glow around the flame, and the way it flickers and bends as you move, is a wonderful visual touch, and here it's used as a trigger to light-up a whole new area without the need for a clumsy transition. Speaking of which...

One thing that has always been more of an annoyance than anything is the way creators are forced to transition players between sections of their levels. Sure, you can just build a connecting section, but sometimes you just want to teleport Sackfolk straight to the next part of your level. Well, in LBP3, that's now a thing. It helps you create more of a flowing, almost cinematic, narrative to your levels.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
Sackboy has more moves (as does the whole crew)

Sackboy has more moves (as does the whole crew)

One thing I noticed in a few levels is Sackboy's new climbing ability. Create now lets you include climbable textures, which--more than anything--help you get out of sticky situations where jumps or bounce-pads don't cut it. Holding R1 makes Sackboy climb ladders and cargo-nets etc.

Similarly, Toggle has the ability to push large blocks while in his 'larger form', simply by walking into them. Oh, and Swoop can glide by tapping R1 too, which is a little less useful, as tapping A makes him flap anyway. Still, it looks cool, especially in the awesome 'Tower of Swoop' community level (by BREEZY-THE-PRO).

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
Layers are more complex, but easier to navigate

Layers are more complex, but easier to navigate

To become a truly great LBP creator, you need to understand how layers work. This third game gives you loads more options for transitioning players through various layers, which should--in theory--make your levels easier to design. There's a slide that pushes players from the back to the front automatically (and doesn't allow them to return to the back layer). Similarly, there are switches that can be grabbed, pushing the player to any layer the creator chooses, and rail-rides, as seen in 'Iced Over' by SE-MI92 (above).

Then there are layer bounce-pads, that can push Sackboy both in a specific direction and through layers. And, if you fancy a little flourish, you now have proper breakable textures to crash through. Think NFL players smashing through that paper wall when they run onto the pitch at the start of a game. Only with cute mascots made of wool.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
It's easier to make stories, not just levels

It's easier to make stories, not just levels

There are a bunch of new features designed to make story-telling easier in user-created levels. From a cosmetic perspective, stock backgrounds are more detailed, and some of them are properly animated. Speech is more natural when you implement it in non-player characters too (I played a level called Loot Le Gold by OMGYOUWOULD, where two Sack-Gangsters tasked me with recovering a load of gold to repay a debt).

What really adds spice, though, are mid-mission objectives and user-created pins. You can now provide players with optional quests (so, in Loot Le Gold, I got a bonus for looting five vaults), and award them with pins for doing specific things. Combined with smoother transitions between areas, and the ability to better hide spawn-gates, creators can now build proper stories rather than just isolated levels. In LBP and LBP2 it always feels like you're crafting continuity via an elaborate use of technical smoke and mirrors, but LBP3 appears to forefront the idea of joined up levels and narrative.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
The community is already doing amazing things

The community is already doing amazing things

So, one of the most impressive things people do with existing LBPs is make entire mini-games, not just straight platform levels. The increased toolset in this Beta has already lead to more accomplished mini-games, as created by the community. I played 'Gravity Crash', a side-scrolling shooter with an incredible variety of enemies, options, and level variety.

I must confess, while I've spent hours crafting levels in previous games, I'm still unsure how some creators achieve mini-games like Gravity Crash (or Cosmic Gate--a Rez-style game by PIRMAUT--which you see above). So I can only guess at the new options that allow things like ship upgrades, regenerating health bars, and enemy ship attack patterns. Just know that, if you have the talent, it's possible in LBP3.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
You can now edit while playing

You can now edit while playing

YES! No longer do you need to continually switch between Play and Create modes to test and amend your levels. You can now make changes while playing, using the Power-Up tool. And it's really easy to use. Any time you want to change the size or shape of a texture block, or want to shift its layer, or just move / delete it... you just open up your PopIt and use the selector to fiddle with the offending item.

You can also insert objects into the world while playing, and add other decorative bits and pieces as you see fit. It's tough to overstate just how important this is. It really is a time-saver, and allows you to edit in context rather than within the weird technical area of the Create space. Oh, and you can pause and rewind in Play mode too, just like in Create.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
Learning is more fun

Learning is more fun

No matter how previous games dress it up, learning how to create levels is a bit dull. Well, LBP3 now makes more of an event of these tutorials. You actually navigate levels while Larry Da Vinci talks you through the game's extensive tools.

This is also a really, really important addition. Not only does it make learning more fun (apologies for the horrible clich), but it shows you how to use the game's Create features in context. So you can actually see the benefits of moving something back and forth through layers, or having a texture that dissolves etc. It's a big step towards making the creation of levels simpler and more appealing to those who aren't quite motivated enough to dive in.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
Back, Sack, and Cracking

Back, Sack, and Cracking

So, there you have it: a taste of what to expect from LBP3's user-creation options. It's by no means an exhaustive list, and there are loads of improvements that I probably haven't spotted. Have you been playing the Beta? Are you now inspired to try to make your own levels? Let me know in the comments below.

While you're pondering that Game of Thrones-themed level you're going to make in LBP3, why not check out more GR features? Here's one about The Bizarre Pig-People Who Live In Forza Horizon 2. And another about 8 Games That Didn't Have Real Endings (But Fixed It Later).

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
CATEGORIES
PlayStation PS4 Platforms
Andy Hartup
Andy Hartup
Social Links Navigation
See more Playstation Features
Read more
A screenshot shows a boss battle from Hollow Knight Silksong.
New Hollow Knight: Silksong screenshots show just how much Team Cherry's Metroidvania has changed in 6 years, making the remaining wait even worse
Grounded 2 screenshot with Summer Preview logo
After playing Grounded 2 for 30 minutes, it's clear that my favorite survival game is getting a massive glow-up
Bumpkin and Sprout demo screenshot
If you want Little Nightmares 3 without the nightmares, Bumpkin & Sprout is the 3D Mario-style co-op platformer I need you to wishlist
Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot
FromSoftware had to adjust the difficulty in Elden Ring Nightreign after the beta to make sure it's "challenging as you progress, but still manageable," and yes, some things are harder now
A Helldiver waves a flag while looking down at a battlefield in a screenshot from Helldivers 2's Masters of Ceremony trailer.
Helldivers 2 patch finally lets you take the fight to the Illuminate Leviathans, but the real MVP is the fabled review bomb cape that's been datamined: "This is the one cape I won't remove"
Grounded 2 screenshot showing the entrance to the Ice Cream Truck chill area, with Summer Preview 2025 branding
Everything is bigger in Grounded 2, but Obsidian never considered stretching beyond four-player co-op: "It would have undermined what Grounded was really about"
Latest in Adventure
Minecraft's copper golem reaches inside a copper chest
Minecraft is finally making copper useful with a new tier of tools bridging the gap from stone to iron, and a long-lost mob returning as the automatic item sorter fans have wanted for years
Screenshot from Hytale, showing three warriors with a sword, bow, and staff sighting a big, icy dragon.
Saving Hytale isn't something Stardew Valley's ConcernedApe is "thinking about too much" thanks to Haunted Chocolatier, but "If something were presented to me, I would be open to entertaining the idea"
Pokemon
Pokemon's hardest challenge has finally been completed after 15 months and "easily over 100k" collective attempts, and it took an absolute monster Crobat to do it
Screenshot from Dear me, I was' announcement trailer, showing a woman in a necktie sitting in what looks like a class room.
New Switch 2 game comes from the developer of some absolute DS classics, is designed for "adult women," and is doing something genuinely exciting for visual novels
Screenshot from Hytale, showing three warriors with a sword, bow, and staff sighting a big, icy dragon.
OG Hytale founder confirms he "will reach out" to Riot Games about buying back the Minecraft rival: "The chances of revival are next to impossible… It's the least I can do"
Hytale
Stardew Valley's ConcernedApe reportedly says he could "possibly" step in to save cancelled Minecraft-like Hytale, but he'd need to know "why it failed" first
Latest in Features
Nintendo Switch 2
I can't use the Switch 2's handheld mode, so I'm hoping a Lite is on the horizon
Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mister Miracle as the Justice Gang in Superman
The Justice Gang explained - The non-Justice League in James Gunn's Superman may be influenced by team of classic DC supervillains
Team Fortress 2 characters looking at a map
I have 464 games on my Steam wishlist, 23 games in my Steam Summer Sale shopping cart, and I can feel my already overstuffed library giving me the side-eye
Heavy Metal Death Can demo screenshot
I got a nicotine rush and set zombies on fire in this PS1-style survival horror demo, and it's basically Resident Evil on a submarine
A PSVR 2 review image next to the marketing reveal image of the Meta Quest 3S, separated by an orange line
Xbox finally has a VR headset, but it's not the PSVR 2 rival I was hoping for
Ironheart
Ironheart casually reveals the Marvel villain everyone has been waiting for – and it makes perfect sense
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. A T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
    1
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  2. 2
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  3. 3
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  4. 4
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  5. 5
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...