EGX Hands-On: Tearaway

Media Molecule leave Sackboy behind and do something else.

Media Molecule are the people responsible for bringing us the much loved Little Big Planet series, but they’ve decided to step away from Sackboy and try something new.  Their new game is called Tearaway, and had a relatively lengthy demo on the show floor at the Eurogamer Expo, so we got to spend some quality time with the game.

The first thing that hits you about Tearaway is the graphical style.  All the scenery and characters look like they’ve been made from paper, giving it a very different look to Little Big Planet.  The character doesn’t seem to have Sackboy’s charm, though.

Controls are simple.  You move with the left stick and, as you progress through the game, you gain the ability to jump and defeat enemy critters, who jump at you, dazing themselves in the process.  Once they’re dazed, you can pick them up and throw them away to their death.

Tearaway makes good use of the front and rear touch pads on the Vita.  You can use the front screen to pull two pieces of paper apart by their tabs.  In one part of the demo, you have to design a crown for the Squirrel King in the game, which you will see on his head every time he turns up.  You can also tap the back touch pad to poke your finger through the environment at certain points, or you can use it to hit drum platforms which, when your character is stood on it, launches them into the air like a trampoline.  It’s good to see that the touch controls haven’t been shoehorned in.

Early on in the game, a photo is taken of your face, and you will see it appear in various places throughout the game, such as in the sun or on a portrait somewhere.  It’s a bit odd, but it kind of makes you part of the world in a real sense.  The platforming itself is a lot tighter than Little Big Planet, which means you can be more precise.  And you’ll need to be more precise and have perfect timing in some of the later sections to avoid falling to your doom.

All in all, Tearaway is shaping up quite nicely.  Media Molecule have crafter another charming platformer that plays really well and is a great fit for the Vita platform.  Anyone who likes an interesting looking plafrom game should check this out.

Tearaway is in development for the PlayStation Vita and is due for release on November 22nd in Europe and the US and December 3rd in Japan.