Sackboy is back. But honestly, it’s not the Sackboy you remember from the PlayStation 3 era. When Sumo Digital took the reins from Media Molecule to create Sackboy: A Big Adventure, they did something incredibly ballsy. They stripped away the "Create" part of the "Play, Create, Share" mantra that defined the franchise for over a decade. It was a massive gamble. Fans were worried. I was worried. How do you take a mascot built on the foundation of a level editor and turn him into a pure 3D platforming hero?
It turns out, you just make one of the most mechanically tight, charming, and musically brilliant platformers of the last ten years.
Most people looked at this game during the PlayStation 5 launch and thought, "Oh, that’s just a cute kids' game to show off the DualSense." They were wrong. While it looks like a craft-store explosion, under the hood, Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a demanding, precision-heavy experience that rivals the best work from Nintendo’s EAD Tokyo team. It’s a masterclass in game feel.
The Identity Crisis That Actually Worked
For years, LittleBigPlanet was defined by its "floatiness." If you played the original trilogy, you know exactly what I mean. Sackboy felt like he was underwater. His jump was imprecise. His movement was sluggish. That was the price we paid for a physics-based engine that allowed players to build literally anything.
In Sackboy: A Big Adventure, that floatiness is gone. Dead and buried.
Sumo Digital rebuilt the movement from the ground up. Now, Sackboy has a move set that feels snappy and responsive. You’ve got a roll that can be chained into a long jump. You’ve got a flutter kick that buys you an extra half-second of air time. You’ve got a slap that feels weighty. It’s basically a 3D movement kit that allows for speedrunning-level optimization. If you watch high-level play of the "Knitted Knight Trials," you’ll see people moving at a clip that would make Mario sweat.
The level design follows suit. Instead of the 2.5D planes of the past, we get full 3D environments. This change allowed the designers to play with perspective in ways the series never could before. One minute you’re top-down, navigating a neon-soaked factory, and the next you’re in a side-scrolling chase sequence where a giant Yeti is trying to turn you into a rug. It’s relentless. It never lets a mechanic overstay its welcome.
The Music is the Secret Sauce
We need to talk about the licensed soundtrack. Most games use music as background noise. Sackboy: A Big Adventure uses it as a heartbeat.
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There are specific "Music Levels" where every single thing in the environment—from the rhythmic popping of platforms to the dance moves of the enemies—is synced to the beat. Playing through a level set to Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" or Britney Spears' "Toxic" sounds like it might be cringey on paper. In practice? It’s pure dopamine.
It isn't just the big pop hits, either. The original score by composers like Joe Thwaites and Winifred Phillips is spectacular. They even brought in the legendary Nile Rodgers as a music consultant. You can tell. There’s a funky, rhythmic consistency to the whole game that makes it feel alive. Even the incidental music reacts to what you're doing. If you're standing still, the track might strip back to just the bassline. Start sprinting, and the horns kick in. It’s subtle, but it builds an incredible sense of immersion.
The Vex Problem and Narrative Stakes
The story is simple. A nightmare creature named Vex—voiced by the incomparable Richard E. Grant—kidnaps the Sackfolk to build a "Topsy Turver" machine. He wants to turn Craftworld into a wasteland of bad dreams. It’s standard platformer fare.
But Richard E. Grant hammed it up so perfectly that Vex becomes a genuinely memorable villain. He’s theatrical. He’s petty. He shows up via holograms to taunt you throughout the various worlds, from the jungle-themed The Soaring Summit to the underwater depths of The Crableantis.
You aren't just playing for high scores. You're playing to save your friends. This narrative drive is bolstered by Scarlet, an elder Sackperson who acts as your mentor. She’s the one who introduces you to the Knitted Knight Trials. These are the game's "true" challenge. While the main campaign is relatively breezy and accessible for families, these trials are where the game shows its teeth.
The final trial, "The Ripsnorter," is a 10-minute gauntlet of every single obstacle in the game. You have one life. No checkpoints. It is one of the hardest trophies/achievements in modern gaming. It proves that Sackboy: A Big Adventure isn't just "baby’s first platformer." It has a high skill ceiling that rewards players who take the time to master the mechanics.
Why Co-op is Essential (But Not Mandatory)
You can play the whole game solo. I did for my first run. It’s great. But the game was clearly designed as a social experience.
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Up to four players can jump in, either locally or online. Unlike many platformers where additional players feel like an afterthought or a chaotic mess, Sackboy includes specific "Teamwork Levels." These literally cannot be finished alone. You need one person to hold a switch while the other tosses a projectile, or one person to act as a platform for another.
The "slap" mechanic also becomes a tool for griefing your friends in the best way possible. You can pick each other up and throw each other off cliffs. You can compete for the best outfit at the end-of-level photo op. The game tracks who collected the most orbs, turning a cooperative journey into a friendly rivalry.
Interestingly, the game supports cross-generation play between PS4 and PS5. Even years after launch, the community is surprisingly active. You can find a match with a stranger pretty quickly, and the "ping" system allows for communication without needing a headset. It's an elegant solution to the toxicity often found in online gaming.
The PC Port and Technical Performance
For the longest time, Sackboy was a PlayStation prisoner. In late 2022, Sony brought it to PC.
This version is the definitive way to play if you have the hardware. It supports 4K at 120Hz, ultrawide monitors, and ray-traced reflections/shadows. On a high-end rig, the textures of the fabric, wood, and cardboard are so detailed you feel like you could reach out and touch them. The fuzz on Sackboy’s head actually catches the light.
Even on the Steam Deck, it runs like a dream at 60fps with some settings adjusted. This portability breathes new life into the game. Being able to knock out a Knitted Knight Trial while on a train is fantastic.
However, it’s worth noting that the PC version launched with some stuttering issues related to shader compilation. Most of those have been patched out by now, but it’s a reminder that even "Perfect" ports have their growing pains. If you’re playing on PC today, it’s a smooth, buttery experience.
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What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that this is "LittleBigPlanet 4." It isn't.
If you go in expecting a deep creative suite where you can spend 50 hours logic-wiring a functional calculator, you will be disappointed. There is no create mode. This is a linear, level-based platformer.
Another mistake? Thinking the costumes are just cosmetic. Okay, mechanically, they are just cosmetic. They don't give you power-ups. But the costume shop run by Zom Zom is a huge part of the game's soul. You use "Collectbells" to buy pieces of outfits—ranging from a punk rocker to a deep-sea diver to a literal piece of toast.
Mixing and matching these parts allows for a level of self-expression that feels like a nod to the old LBP days. It gives you a reason to explore every nook and cranny of the levels. You aren't just looking for Orbs to progress; you're looking for that one specific pair of goggles to finish your steampunk look.
Real-World Comparisons
When you look at the landscape of 3D platformers, the competition is stiff.
- Super Mario Odyssey: More open, focused on "capture" mechanics.
- Astro’s Playroom: A shorter tech demo, though similar in charm.
- Crash Bandicoot 4: Way more punishing, focused on pixel-perfect lanes.
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart: More of a shooter/spectacle fighter.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure sits right in the middle. It has the polish of Mario but the tactile, "crafted" aesthetic of Yoshi’s Woolly World. It’s more forgiving than Crash, but significantly more complex than Astro. It fills a niche for people who want a substantial, 15-20 hour campaign that they can play with their partner or kids without getting frustrated, but still feel challenged if they go for the 100% completion.
Actionable Steps for New Players
If you're jumping into Craftworld for the first time, don't just rush to the finish line. You'll miss half the fun.
- Master the Roll-Jump: This is the most important movement tech. Tapping the roll button and immediately jumping gives you significantly more horizontal distance than a standard jump. It's essential for the later trials.
- Visit Zom Zom Often: New costume pieces unlock after almost every major milestone. Check back frequently to spend your bells.
- Don't Ignore the Emotes: You can map different expressions to the D-pad. In co-op, this is how you build (or destroy) friendships.
- Check the "Extra" Paths: Every level has a Dream Orb hidden behind a camera-angle trick or a breakable wall. If a path looks suspiciously empty, there's usually a secret there.
- Play the Music Levels with Headphones: Seriously. The spatial audio work on the licensed tracks is incredible. You can hear the instruments shifting around you as the camera moves.
- Complete the Trials as You Go: Don't leave all the Knitted Knight Trials for the end. They teach you movement skills that make the main levels much more enjoyable.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a rare gem. It’s a spin-off that managed to find its own identity while respecting its roots. It’s vibrant, technically impressive, and genuinely joyful. In an industry often obsessed with "dark and gritty" reboots, Sackboy chose to be bright, bouncy, and unashamedly fun. It deserves a spot in your library, whether you're a platforming veteran or just someone looking for a great game to play on the couch with a friend.