This is the game 2020 sorely needs.
I know, I know. That’s a bold claim, particularly from someone like me – someone who naturally shuns the bright, Day-Glo glory of platformers to shuffle around, scared and confused, in the shadows of horror games. It might be the very antithesis of what I purport to love, but Sackboy: A Big Adventure’s bite-sized dollops of fun and unadulterated loveliness are as irresistible as they are charming, and, quite frankly, it’s exactly what I need right now – maybe even what the world needs right now.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure reviewDeveloper: Sumo DigitalPublisher: Sony Interactive EntertainmentPlatform: Played on PS5Availability: Out now on PS4 and PS5
It won’t be the story that bowls you over, though. While well-written, it’s the usual fare – bad guy (Vex) is trying to take over the world; good guy (you, as Sackboy) is trying to stop him – but it’s an entertaining enough romp, with Dawn French, Richard E. Grant and Simon Greenall (the inimitable Michael from I’m Alan Partridge, although you may know him better as that bloody Meerkat) all lending their voices to sculpt an affable cast of cheeky characters.
Yet it’s one of those games where the journey itself is infinitely more enjoyable than the destination. Yes, there’s a final goal to hop, skip and jump towards, but because there’s no throbbing sense of urgency to get there, you’re free to enjoy the ride – and what a ride it is.