Tearaway: PS Vita Review

Tearaway: PS Vita Review

Platform: PS Vita
Released by Media Molecule

There's no denying that LittleBigPlanet is one of my all time favourite games series. I've played and replayed them, wallowing in their cuteness and playability.

So, a new game from those developers, Media Molecule is something to be excited by - and my goodness, is Tearaway an absolute charming blast which has fully embraced the VITA's tech.

But I'm getting ahead of myself a little here - so let's back the reviewing truck up.

In Tearaway, you play either a female or male messenger, made from paper, tasked with getting to the sun to deliver a message. Sort of...You see, the kicker with this one is that the sun is actually you captured via the VITA's camera capabilities - you're like the Teletubbies sun only more realistic. But the You of the game is actually an integral part to what exactly is going on, working in tandem with the messenger, you can use the interactive elements of the game to help throughout.

Tapping the rear touchpad means your fingers come blasting into the messengers' world and can be used to move things around to help your little pal get to where they need to. Or they can be used to help take out the Scraps (little baddies) which infest the game. It's a natural part of the game and never once feels shoehorned in or thrown in just for the sake of it. This organic feel does much to capitalise on the VITA's prowess and does a lot to ensure that you're invested all the way.

But it's not just fingers that do the talking, as it were. Throughout the game, there are characters who need things - be it a squirrel who needs a crown or a plant that's drained of its colour. And this is where the crafting side of Tearaway comes into focus. Using pencil, paper and scissors in the crafting area, you get to create parts of the world and sidebits which are used throughout - deftly done and crisply executed they are little bonuses, littering the game and which have a use later on.

The great thing about Tearaway is just how simple it actually is to play and how engrossingly fun it is to be involved in. Customising your character is done through stickers (does that sound familiar?) and the tech of the VITA has been used so effortlessly throughout, you wonder why it's never been done before. Graphically, the world owes much to a child's papercraft set and is reminiscent of a kindergarten arts and crafts day - but that's where a lot of its charm comes from. Never overtly cute, the game is suffused with more enjoyment than you'd believe possible and offers such feel good fuzzies that it's hard to ignore and fight them.

The best thing about Tearaway is that once again, Media Molecule's shown itself to be a game leader and a game changer. While in theory, the gameplay of Tearaway doesn't exactly rip up and reinvent the template, what it's done for the VITA is to finally bring out a game that fully explores and exploits all of its potential.

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