Title: LittleBigPlanet Karting
Developer: United Front, Media Molecule
Publisher: SCEE
It’s funny how trends tend to repeat themselves so reliably. At the moment, and consistently for the last five years or so, the MMO has been the genre of choice for many a game developer. Maybe it’s the prospect of making fantastical fictional universes that can grow and expand at the whim of their creators. Maybe it’s the notion of a collected, dedicated community falling in love with their creations. It could also be the possibility of a continuous cashflow even once the game has been bought through subscriptions fees, microtransactions and/or advertising. It doesn’t really matter what it is though, as not a single one of the thousands of MMOs available at present have managed to put a dent in World of Warcrafts deathgrip on the genre, not to mention the many who have fallen while trying.
Rewind another half a decade and we can observe the exact same situation with the Karting genre. Not only did Nintendo basically invent the genre with the original Mario Kart, they maintained their position as its rightful rulers, some would say even to this day. Many have tried and nearly all have failed. All except one; Crash Team Racing. Sonys first foray into the karting genre was an instant classic, one that remains loved even now years after its release. It was curious then that Sony never tried to make that lightning strike twice. Maybe, after losing the rights to Crash Bandicoot, they were waiting for the right mascot to attach it to. 
And what better mascot than Sackboy? He has been, after all, a poster-boy for accessibility and critical success, two elements which grace each others paths so rarely they might as well live on different planets. Thankfully they can both be found in sackworld and LBP has been one of Sonys most consistent franchises since the first installment. A karting came might look like a last minute afterthought cash in, but once you start playing, it quickly becomes apparent just how logical a progression this was.
There’s not really an awful lot to talk about in terms of gameplay. If you’re familiar with the karting genre at all you’ll know the score. You race, you drift, you use weapons to hinder your opponents, they use weapons to hinder you, you win some, you lose more yada yada yada. Admittedly, LBPKarting is a little more difficult than most of its counterparts, possibly in an attempt to keep the hardcore gamers interested, but ultimately this is the same kind of karting you’re probably already familiar with.
Where LBPKarting really does shine is in its presentation. Karts made of tuna cans, wheels made of sushi rolls and buttons, levels made of cardboard boxes and ice cream cake, sackworld is still as charming as its ever been. It’s a shame most of the design will probably pass you by as you zip through each track. Rest assured that if you take the time to slow down and look around, you’ll find something to make you smile.
After a lacklustre single-player campaign, the multiplayer, both online and local, is where LBPKarting finds its feet. Kart games have always been brilliant friend fodder and Sackboys entry into the genre is no exception. The lunacy of each race did at times get a bit much for my internet connection and on more than one occasion I was destroyed by a phantom weapon, rendered invisible and unavoidable by lag. That said, response time was generally fine and I enjoyed my time with both its multiplayer modes.
Unfortunately, the creation tools are probably the most obtuse and inaccessible they’ve ever been. In my first attempt to create a track, I struggled to find my way around the UI for almost ten minutes before I got going. Even then I quickly gave up, mostly because I just wasn’t having fun. The create portion of LBPKarting feels more like a tedious administrative procedure than the click-and-go loveliness of the previous games.
LBPKarting is, without a shadow of a doubt, the culmination of Sonys experience with the recent and almost universally mediocre ModNation Racers games. While ModNation was originally revealed to the world as another torch-bearer for Sonys ‘Play.Create.Share’ campaign, its core idea always seemed like it was lifted straight from the pages of LBPs dev diary. Its presentation was never even nearly as charming and the games generally just weren’t that good. By removing the metaphorical middle man and just putting Sackboy in charge of proceedings, Sony may just have gotten that Crash Team lightning to strike again.
Good Points:
– Great fun with friends
– Charming presentation
Bad Points:
– Doesn’t really add much to the genre
– unnecessarily obtuse creation tools
Rating: 7/10
