LittleBigPlanet 2

About LittleBigPlanet 2

LittleBigPlanet 2 is a puzzle platformer built around user-generated creativity. Developed by Media Molecule and released on PlayStation 3 in 2011, it expands on the first game's open-ended design by letting players craft levels, puzzles, and even entire games within the Sackboy universe. The story follows Sackboy as he battles the Negativitron, a vacuum-like antagonist, alongside a quirky group called The Alliance. It’s a direct sequel to the 2008 original and the third main entry in the series. The game’s emphasis on creation over rigid gameplay makes it feel more like a “platform for games” than a traditional title. A demo for Sackboy’s Prehistoric Moves is also included, but the real draw is the infinite replayability from player-made content.

Gameplay

In LittleBigPlanet 2, you control Sackboy, a stretchy, cloth-like character who can grapple, swing, and manipulate physics-based environments. Core gameplay revolves around navigating hand-crafted levels filled with traps, floating platforms, and environmental puzzles. The single-player campaign tasks you with rescuing captured Sackpeople while battling Negativitron drones. Multiplayer modes let up to four players tackle co-op challenges or compete in mini-games. The true heart of the game is the level editor, which allows for drag-and-drop construction of custom worlds using tools like magnetic glue, bouncy springs, and destructible walls. Sessions often blend quick puzzle-solving with hours of tinkering in the editor, making it a hybrid of structured challenge and sandbox creativity.

What Players Think

PlayPile community stats show a 90.5/100 average rating, with 166 critics giving it an IGDB score of 88.2. Over 62% of players complete the base game, averaging 18 hours of playtime. Community moods lean “nostalgic” (42%) and “creative” (38%), with users praising the editor’s depth. One review calls it “a masterclass in user-generated content,” while another notes “every level feels like a gift.” Achievements are abundant (45 total), including hidden challenges in user-made levels. The game’s backward compatibility with LittleBigPlanet 1 content has kept its player base engaged over a decade later.

PlayPile's Take

LittleBigPlanet 2 is essential for fans of creative freedom and puzzle-platforming. While its $39.99 price tag might feel steep for a dated PS3 title, the 18-hour average playtime and 45 achievements justify the cost for dedicated builders. It’s less about the linear campaign and more about the infinite possibilities of user-generated content. If you value crafting your own adventures over polished graphics, this game’s legacy holds up. Just be prepared to spend more time building than playing.

Storyline

Players continue Sackboy's journey after the events of the first game and the portable version are brought to an end. An inter-dimensional vacuum cleaner called the Negativitron appears over the skies of LittleBigPlanet and begins to suck up its inhabitants, including Sackboy. Larry Da Vinci (Robbie Stevens), the leader of a semi-secret semi-organised group known as "The Alliance", comes to Sackboy's rescue, saving him from the Negativitron (Jeremy Mayne). The organisation is dedicated to battling with the Negativitron and defeating it before it destroys Craftworld (Alternate name for game's environment). After Sackboy passes the tests in Larry's Hideout, he tells him that they must get to Victoria Von Bathysphere's (Judy Sweeney) Laboratory, since she has built a Sackbot army for the Alliance.