Over my winter break, I was looking to clear out my backlog a little, and I stumbled across Sackboy: A Big Adventure. It had become free at some point through PS Plus, and as I had heard decent things about it when it was new, I snatched it up…only to have it sit, sit, and sit some more. Ah well, such is the way with backlogs. What finally brough this game to the forefront was that I was then in the midst of reinvigorating my platforming spirit with Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and that made for the perfect opportunity to give Sackboy: A Big Adventure a whirl.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure opens with scenes from the bustling town of Loom in Craftworld. There Sackpeople of all sorts work, play, build, and grow. Loom is a very happy place until, one day, a big, bad villain named Vex shows up to wreak havoc across the land. He begins vacuuming up the poor, helpless Sackpeople so that he can make them work on his terrible Topsy-Turvy machine, with which he plans to take over Craftworld. Sackboy, however, avoids Vex’s evil-doings, manages to steal the plans to the Topsy-Turvy machine, and escapes Loom. With the help of a guide named Scarlet, Sackboy begins traveling around Craftworld to stop Vex’s plans by gathering all the extra materials that Vex needs to create his infernal machine before he can get his hands on them.

If you’ve played any of the Little Big Planet games before, the world of Sackboy: A Big Adventure will feel warmly familiar, from the tactile look and feel of the levels to the memorable “popping” sound that accompanies item gathering, to the excellent, emotive soundtrack. Having only played the first LBP game many, many years ago, I was struck by how quickly I felt “welcomed back” into Sackboy: A Big Adventure’s universe. It seemed as though I had just played LBP planet yesterday, as so many memories rushed back at once. Of course, that’s hardly to say that anyone needs to have played the LBP games before trying out this new set of adventures. The game is very friendly no matter one’s level of familiarity with the world of Sackboy.

Of course, one’s mileage with the game’s pleasantries will vary. If there’s one thing I remember quite well from Little Big Planet, it was how challenging the game could be. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is not without its moments of frustration. Navigating the game’s 3D levels comes with the general challenges of…well, navigating 3D levels. Everything from judging distances to proper placement during battles matters in the moment. While lives are somewhat scarce, the game is happily generous with checkpoints within levels, which helps allay the “rage” at failing at the same spot over and over. Or, maybe that’s just me. I’m really bad at being both precise and patient.

Despite my spatial problems, Sackboy: A Big Adventure is, quite possibly, the most creative 3D platformer I’ve ever played. Visually, the game is stunning. Aside from the direct Little Big Planet comparison, it brings to mind the likes of It Takes Two, Yoshi’s Woolly World, and Yoshi’s Crafted World. In these games, environments feel like hand-crafted spaces made from fabric, wood, paper, plastic, glass, and stone. The game’s levels are just brilliant to inhabit, manipulate, and explore. Abundant collectibles – not the least of which are costume pieces for customizing one’s Sackboy – make the levels worth exploring, too. In addition, there are mini-games to complete and optional bonus levels to master, which help keep things interesting. And if you’re not into soloing the game, it offers 2-4 player local or online co-op. Each world does contain a level or two that requires multiplayer, though completing them is not necessary for general progression.

If Sackboy: A Big Adventure happens to be sitting in your PlayStation or Steam backlog, I highly recommend trying it. It’s frantically fun, wonderfully witty, and will put your skills to the test in the most imaginative ways possible.  The game may not be or become as much of a classic as Little Big Planet, but it does offer up a big, warm hug and loads of creative platforming for anyone willing to jump in.

All images, including lede, were captured by author during PS5 gameplay of Sackboy: A Big Adventure (© Sumo Digital).