S&S; Review: LittleBigPlanet Karting

Title: LittleBigPlanet Karting
Format: PS3
Release Date: November 6, 2012
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: United Front Games, Media Molecule
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: E

LittleBigPlanet Karting comes to us from United Front Games and the creators of LittleBigPlanet, Media Molecule.  It was only a matter of time before Sackboy received his own kart racing game, and it turns out, that he's a great and worthy racer.  
Story and Presentation:I've always enjoyed the LittleBigPlanet and Modnation games, although their respective stories have never been spectacular, the game's always found a way to hook me from the beginning.  LBP Karting is no different in that respect, you're sent back into the previously visited worlds of LittleBigPlanet where you must regain all the collectibles the Hoarders took from the crafted world.  United Front Games really recreated the world of LBP beautifully, even though this game is a mashup of two games, LBP really shines brighter than Modnation.  Back to the story, you're still given a charming tale, narrated once again by Stephen Fry.  The guy delivers his best narrated story, in all of the games that he's been featured in, this is his best.  There isn't any other voice acting in the game, but any LBP fan has come to expect that.  There are a lot of familiar sounds and music in the game, from the subtle Garden tunes in the opening stages, the soundtrack is still stellar.  I would have liked some new music, but you can't really complain with the classic tunes from previous games.  The game looks really good, it captures the aesthetic we've all come to love.  All the textures and in game objects are smooth and extremely polished.  The LBP 2 engine does a great job of recreating every graphical component from the original LittleBigPlanet games.  The race tracks themselves are great to look at, and with some great vistas overlooking the pavement, the visuals definitely shine in the heat of the action.  Even though you've seen these environments before, seeing these from the perspective on the race track, brings a new element to the game.  The game's presentation is spectacular, basically every visual element in the game is polished, and some great music to boot.  
Core Gameplay and Multiplayer:Even though the visual style is completely reminiscent of LittleBigPlanet, the racing mechanics come straight from Modnation Racers.  I was a huge fan of Modnation, the racing was smooth, and easy to learn.  LBP Karting is no different, its very simple to get into the action and start winning races.  This is one of the best kart racers I've played in awhile, the great drifting mechanics make a return from Modnation, and its better than ever.  Drifting is imperative in winning races, but once you finish the opening tutorials, drifting will become second nature pretty quickly.  You're still customizing your Sackboy and your Kart, and there are a lot different options for you to change up your vehicle and Sackboy.  Your Pod makes a return, where you access all the modes and options for your game, just like every other LBP game.  Most of the DLC you've purchased from previous games will be available for download, while the rest of the downloadable content will be available down the road.  The story mode is setup just like you would expect, you move from one area to the other.  The big difference is that, instead of jumping over obstacles, you're drifting in your kart.  Each race is fast and frenetic, and with the added ability to play with friends, makes the game that much better(Split-screen or Online).  You can choose to progress through each of the main races that are connected, or you can go off onto the smaller races, where the races are more varied than the main races.  The controls are tight, but simple, and they give you different options for controlling and accelerating your kart.  You collect your prize packs and collectibles on the track, as well your weapon pickups.  The game can definitely be tough, but its not as cheap as the recent Mario Kart Games.  If you're in last place, you're just not handed the right weapons to automatically get boosted up to the front.  If you have the right weapons in your arsenal, you have the ability to counteract any projectiles coming your way.  There are cool swing spots scattered throughout certain maps where you have to use the grappler from LBP 2 to make the seemingly impossible jump.  If you want something different, the game's battle mode gives hardcore fans of kart racers a great diversion to the story mode.  Paint guns and homing missiles are just a few of the weapons you can use, there are a ton of other varied weapons at your disposal as well.  Online is pretty lag free, and the load times are so much better than Modnation, which would take forever to load.  The loading times aren't a problem anymore, and the online gameplay is smooth and a blast.  
Final Thoughts:
LittleBigPlanet Karting is easily the best karting game on the PS3, and the fact that it has the LittleBigPlanet name and universe, it makes it all the better.  The game's visuals are impressive, and the soundtrack is splendid.  The Modnation mechanics are still great, making the gameplay easy to pickup and fun to play.
S&S Rating: 8/10 @whatsPlay