Little Big Planet: Metal Gear Level Pack (PS3) Review
Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 01.20.2009
Armando checks in with his review of the latest downloadable pack for LBP.
The first “big” expansion pack for Little Big Planet is here in the form of the Metal Gear Level Pack. The pack contains five full levels inspired by the Metal Gear series, adds more stickers and materials, the “paintanator”, several new trophies and a new skin based on the SVC Soldiers for $5.99 which is a good deal. Many people will complain that it does not add the Metal Gear 4 skins (these are sold separately for $5.99 which is a shame) but there is enough content here to warrant a purchase.
The five levels are all based on Metal Gear and have a silly plotline of their own. The story is that our good friend (or enemy?) Liquid Snake is responsible for the massive amount of “trophy levels” that are showing up in the Little Big Planet created levels section and your mission is to find his “trophy level” factory and destroy it. I loved the silly story because it fits with Little Big Planet and also is a self-parody of sorts. I mean, I bet the developers at Molecule Media never expected so many people to create levels that allowed you to get almost every trophy in the game in 30 seconds.
The levels themselves are fantastic. The first level is confusing, because it is an intro where you follow a military vehicle across the screen and multiple soldiers, Liquid Snake pictures and other things pop up. At first I had no clue of what to do, so I waited until the level ended. Silly me! As it turns out, there is a sticker that works as a switch trigger in the shape of a bullet hole and you use this sticker to “shoot” the targets on-screen to earn points and prices. The entire level was a shooting gallery! This simple level is not representative of the action-packed goodness to follow, but it gave me an idea for a Duck Hunt-style user created level I intend to make.
The rest of the levels incorporate a lot of elements from Metal Gear, besides the cameos from Liquid and Otacon. For example, there is a level that incorporates search lights and places to hide; the object is to avoid the search lights by using the hiding places. If you walk into a search light you will hear the trademark “alert” noise from Metal Gear and the automated gun turrets nearby will start shooting at you. This is a light-hearted take on the stealth elements.
But the game’s biggest addition (worth the six bucks alone) is “The Paintanaitor”. This paintball gun turns the game into “Contra-lite”. The gun is acquired in the levels themselves, placed just like the jetpack. The colors of the paintballs depend on the color you choose in the customize character menu. Enemies have a new “brain” (the things you used to jump on to kill them) that is triggered only when the paintballs hit them. So expect a lot of shooting. Of course, the enemies shoot back and the game incorporates a cover system by taking advantage of the three dimensional planes. Walls can be placed in two of the planes, for example, allowing you to duck behind them to avoid the many bullets (or should I say “colored laser balls of some sort”?) the enemies shoot at you. Besides using it as a weapon, the paintball gun also works for activating switches at a distance. Like I said before, the gun is the game’s biggest addition thus far, since you can use it in the level creator and design your own levels with the gun in them. I expect plenty of Contra clones and to that dude that made the awesome Call of Duty: WOW tank level, dude, better add some on foot action!
The 411:
All said and done, for $6 this level pack is a must-buy for fans of the game. Five full levels that even non-MGS fans will enjoy, a paintball gun and new stickers and materials for the level creator for $6 is true bang for your buck.
Graphics
9.0
The graphics retain the same charming look of LBP, although levels are darker to better fit in the MGS universe. The VR Training level is a true standout.
Gameplay
9.0
The paintanator adds an entire new dimension to the gameplay. The way the levels are designed makes them more frantic than the normal LBP levels, with several sequences in which paintballs are flying in multiple directions as you rapidly shoot and avoid e
Sound
8.5
If you loved Little Big Planet’s sound and you also like MGS you will be in heaven. The sound borrows a lot from MGS and with good reason.
Lasting Appeal
7.5
The levels themselves will take a bit over an hour to beat, but the game encourages you to replay them in order to get all the prizes and trophies. If you enjoy creating levels, the paintanator will revolutionize your world and inspire a lot of great idea
Fun Factor
9.0
The levels are incredibly fun to play and even if you dislike MGS, the paintball gun alone is worth the price of admission. It opens up many possibilities for creating levels and is a blast to use. If you love MGS, you will love the concept of the game an
