Sackboy: A Big Adventure is better than it seems

When the PS5 released and I miracled my way into grabbing one, there was a small, yet solid launch lineup. Astro’s Playroom is a joy and comes bundled with the unit, then you have games like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales to really seal the deal.

But Sackboy: A Big Adventure also came out, and compared to everything else on offer it felt like an ok at best co-op platformer.

Playing through the first few levels was fine, but not particularly exciting. Perhaps especially after the mind blowing little touches in Astro’s Playroom. When friends came over to check out the new console, Sackboy was the game they fell off the fastest. We were all a little underwhelmed.

I’ve come back to it recently, and I need everyone to know, it’s much better than it seems.

Little sewing joke in there for you.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure’s biggest sin is that it just starts off a bit slow. The first few levels don’t do much to get you excited for what’s to come. They’re a bit easy and simple. It feels like a game made for very young kids.

So stepping back into Sackboy and actually getting further into the world was quite a surprise. Craftworld really ramps up.

Levels not only get more difficult, but also just more interesting. New enemies and abilities are added that end up providing a lot more depth. I really didn’t expect it after the relatively shallow start.

Not only do some levels give you cool equipment like jetpacks and boomerangs, but there are full levels very cleverly synced to surprisingly popular music. The stage based on Britney Spears Toxic is a particular stand out, and not just because the song is a banger.

As the stages get a bit more difficult, the slapstick fun of previous Little Big Planet games also comes out in stronger force. Throwing my partner around to try to get extra collectibles or in an attempt to cheese a difficult section is almost always funny, especially when I miss.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a barrel of laughs. It’s fun and quirkily clever. It even gets damn challenging if you want to test the power of your sack. But the first few levels really don’t do it justice. Sure, they’re an ease in for younger or less experienced players, but if you fell off it like I did give it another go. Especially with your favourite player 2.