Welcome to our review of Sackboy: A Big Adventure, a platformer that has its action all over the place!
Iconic PlayStation hero Sackboy bursts back into breathtaking action with a huge, fun and frantic 3D multiplayer platforming adventure – and a whole new edgy sackitude!
And here’s what’s going down:
The dastardly Vex (a near-mythical being born of chaos and fear, no less) kidnaps Sackboy’s friends and forces them to build his Topsy Turver. This most deadly diabolical device will transform Craftworld from a fantastical land of pure imagination and innocent dreams… into a torrid, barren eyesore of nightmares. Ooh the fiend!
But legend tells of a prophecy from deep within the ancient order of the Knitted Knights, Craftworld’s legendary protectors. For only the brave, fearless, chivalrous and, yes, gallant can save the day in an almost too dramatic for words race against time stuffed with danger and peril. So much peril.
Set off alone or with your bravest friends on a whirlwind of capers across the snowiest mountains, the leafiest jungles, the wettest underwater realms and the, uh, spaciest of space colonies. Take down Vex. Save the sack-folk. Save the day. It’s time to fulfill your destiny, Sackboy. From woolly wonderkid and hessian hero… rise our Knitted Knight.
Sackboy is basically a trigger for sensory overload and there is literally something to do everywhere you look on the screen. I still haven’t decided whether or not I like this aspect of the game because there is literally so much to do. I would go as far as calling it a completionist’s wet dream or worst nightmare!
Let’s start with the beginning, Sackboy has so many outfits, so many themed ones that it almost made me cry thinking about collecting all of them. Don’t get me wrong this part of the game is amazing, it is just overwhelming how many are available. Another fun fact is that all of these outfits and cosmetics transfer into cut scenes, which I personally loved!
My personal favorite includes a Chinese dragon head, Red Riding Hoods’ cape anthem disco boots, all to give an example of how elaborate this part of the game already is. Some are hidden in the game, others have to be bought with in-game currency. Just to be clear, no microtransactions, just stuff you collect in the levels and then spend in the in-game store.
As the game is a 3D platformer, you basically know what to expect and Sackboy does it right. Starting off real easy but finishing on a rather harsh difficulty. Don’t worry though, the developers have introduced an “infinite lives“ option for the youngest of us or to just get through a difficult level, I appreciate this option a lot.
What I would like to also point out is how the hub world is very well polished. Needing a certain amount of orbs in order to advance to the final boss fight with Vex, really works out well. Despite not showing what type of level you will have in front of you, it does at least show you how many targets there will be prior to starting the level.
The levels themselves are incredibly bright and cheerful yet so busy that you will get a few moments that you just want to sit back and take a breath. I cannot stress enough how busy this game is and at the same time how some parts can be distracting. I guess this makes the game more challenging for completionists?
Quite possibly the most impressive part of Sackboy is its musical levels. In the first hub world, the entire level is moving to the rhythm of the beat and that beat was made by none other than Bruno Mars. When I showed a clip of this to one of my friends, he immediately bought the game as well. Those musical levels are what takes this game from a good platformer to a great platformer. I can only wonder what a game like this would be if it was filled only with musical levels like that. Maybe it would be a rhythm game?
Now the hardest part, the so-called elephant in the room, how does it compare to other platformers, and for a PS5 launch lineup game, will it be memorable enough to stand the test of time? Personally speaking, I think Sackboy offer a great platformer but I do not think it will be memorable just a few years down the line when other games have made it to the PlayStation 5 console. This is by no means a negative comment, this is just my personal opinion right now. I do like Sackboy a lot and I do think it’s a great game. But sadly I do not think it will be memorable enough down the line.
I will be updating this review a little bit after I play it on the PS5, just to give a small impression of what the updated graphics will look like. For the loading times, I expect the usual, that they are faster on PS5 and admittedly I have had just that little bit of impatience when loading a new level. I also think it’s safe to assume the PS5 will not have these issues, but keep your eyes on this page for an updated addition to this review.
In conclusion, Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a special game, way too busy at times but glorious at others. From what I have seen, this might be the best launch lineup game for PS5, the main question being is if its legacy will stand the test of time? But rest assured, Sackboy is a really good game and platform game lovers should buy it in my humble opinion.
8.5/10
Tested on Playstation 4
And recently , I’ve also been able to play sackboy on the PlayStation 5. Aside from the typical comments like how pretty it looks and how incredibly sharp the picture has become, what interested me most personally is whether or not the game would play any different .
With this I obviously mean the introduction of the dual sense controller. While there are some additions to the gameplay, like how the shoulder buttons have added depth to them , mostly noticeable when you are carrying someone or something to a basket, this will make sense when you play the game, they do feel a little bit more sturdy.
But when you see how Astro introduced the full 3D approach of the new controller , you can only feel disappointed in the experience On PlayStation 5 for sackboy. I am not dissing the game because the game is awesome, I am purely commenting on any added bonus aside from the graphics. Sure the rumble is a little bit more precise but after playing a random level without the sound on, I cannot help but get the impression that this was a missed opportunity.
The very soft sound effects from the controller speaker give very little added value to the short game and I wonder if I had more fun in my first playthrough on PS4 rather than my second one on PS5?
Sure, the graphics are the main appeal of the game especially on PlayStation 5 Anne I cannot stress enough how amazing this game looks now. In between my review on PS4 and this addition through the article, I did buy one of the best LG oleds on the market and this game looks damn near perfect visually. I just wish they had done more with the controller , I did read the article on how it is not that easy to implement but for a 5 hour game, death should maybe not be an excuse?
