Although user-created content has long appealed to gamers, most are found within the confines of PC games. Now, console owners (at least PS3 owners) can get in on the action with LittleBigPlanet. While the game is considered a platformer, to simply call it that does the game a great injustice. The Story mode is fun, but it’s only one-third of the game. After all, LittleBigPlanet’s catchphrase is “Play. Create. Share.”

The game’s main appeal lies in its emphasis on the ability for you to create your own levels and share them with others on the PlayStation Network. However, unlike other user-created content, LBP doesn’t require you to know Photoshop or C++ programming language. Anyone can pick up this game and, after watching some tutorials and acquiring the tools and materials, create their own level from scratch.

Customization and creativity are key features from the get-go. Your Sackperson avatar is customizable – eyes, costumes, even the cloth material of which he or she is made. You can even control your Sackperson’s facial features and gestures, with cute and comical results. More costumes and Sackperson items are found throughout the levels in Story mode, as well as cool stickers you can use to decorate your own levels, and even pre-existing ones.

Stickers and costumes aren’t the only collectibles found in Story Mode. Materials and items for user-created levels are also scattered throughout, which include trees, explosives, vehicles, triggers, and materials. Finally, there are keys found in some areas, which unlock special levels. They’re much shorter than a typical level and have one specific challenge. For example, in one you have to try and stay on a bucking bull as long as possible.

Although the earlier stages are easy, the sometimes unresponsive controls make it tough and frustrating to pass more difficult stages. For example, at times I found that my Sackgirl wouldn’t jump in time, leading to her slipping into a pit of poisonous fog or some other danger. Other times there would be a tiny delay between moving the left analog stick and my Sackgirl moving on the screen. I also sometimes found it difficult to move between the three layers of space –foreground, background, and middle. For example, if I want to push a foam block sitting in the background and I’m in the middle, I have to push the analog stick back and hit R1 to push. But for some reason sometimes the game doesn’t register this and I stay in the middle, pushing air. It may take a few attempts to move to your layer of choice. However, it’s a minor annoyance.