Sackboy: A Big Adventure

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Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a single player and multiplayer platformer game. It was developed by Sumo Digital and was released on November 12, 2020. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

Buy Sackboy: A Big Adventure for PS4 and PS5. Take Sackboy on an epic 3D platforming adventure with your friends.

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,451 reviews

music232 positive mentions

optimization51 negative mentions

Charming and visually stunning 3D platformer with detailed handcrafted aesthetics and vibrant, imaginative levels.
Enjoyable cooperative multiplayer supporting up to four players locally or online, enhancing fun and teamwork.
Fantastic soundtrack featuring a mix of original scores and well-adapted popular songs, often synced with gameplay, enriching the experience.

Lacks the creation tools and community features that defined previous LittleBigPlanet games, resulting in less replayability and customization.
Technical issues including occasional crashes, stuttering on PC, and problematic controller support particularly on Steam Deck.
Requires an Epic Games account for online multiplayer which complicates accessibility and detracts from the user experience.

music
435 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The music in this game is widely praised for its dynamic, catchy, and well-integrated soundtrack, often syncing seamlessly with gameplay and featuring a mix of original compositions and popular licensed songs. Many reviewers highlight the music-themed levels as standout experiences, with rhythm-based gameplay that enhances immersion and fun. While most find the soundtrack vibrant and charming, some users feel certain licensed tracks or repetitive music detract from the experience, but overall the music is considered a major strength and core part of the game’s identity.
- “The utter cheerfulness of the game actually almost made me cry, it's very heartwarming and I adore it to utter bits. The way the music progresses and changes during the level is very satisfying; each first run of every level will leave you in awe with the soundtrack alone. I was anticipating how the music would shift and change as I played through the levels, and not once have I ever felt not satisfied with how the levels and soundtrack progressed throughout. For that very reason the game deserves a 10/10 for me, but that's not all, the gameplay itself is also really enjoyable, each level feels like it was crafted with such love and creativity by the wonderful and talented people behind the game.”
- “The way music syncs with gameplay—especially in rhythm-based levels—is one of the game's highlights, transforming stages into playable musical experiences that are as surprising as they are delightful.”
- “The music integration is a standout feature, with memorable tunes like Bruno Mars’ "Uptown Funk" cleverly embedded into the gameplay, making each beat and rhythm feel integral to your actions.”
- “Dull and painfully slow platforming, poor licensed music selection, very clear creative drought.”
- “My biggest issue is that the music is absolutely terrible.”
- “Also, instead of the enchanting music, you get pop songs.”
gameplay
279 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
Gameplay in Sackboy: A Big Adventure offers a charming and accessible 3D platforming experience with smooth controls, creative level design, and strong cooperative elements that make it fun solo or with friends. While praised for its music integration, varied mechanics, and polished visuals, some reviewers find the gameplay repetitive, lacking depth, and less innovative compared to genre leaders, with occasional control and difficulty frustrations. Overall, it is a delightful, family-friendly platformer that excels in presentation and multiplayer fun, though it may feel too simple or repetitive for seasoned players.
- “Sackboy’s moveset is tactile and responsive, allowing you to roll, jump, and slap your way through levels that are constantly introducing new mechanics.”
- “Each level introduces a fresh mechanic or theme, keeping the pace brisk and preventing the experience from feeling repetitive.”
- “The gameplay feels tight and responsive, with Sackboy’s moveset including jumping, rolling, grabbing, and even a satisfying slap. These mechanics are simple yet versatile, allowing for a surprising amount of depth as you navigate the game’s increasingly complex levels.”
- “The environment is sparse and the mechanic is uninspired.”
- “There is no direction in the level designs, in the rewards (endless and infinite cosmetics), in the introduction of new mechanics (none).”
- “It's just level after level of the same few mechanics recycled endlessly.”
graphics
277 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The game boasts charming, vibrant, and well-crafted graphics with a unique handcrafted aesthetic that delights players across platforms, including PC and Steam Deck. While its visuals are widely praised for their color, detail, and creativity—often compared favorably to other top platformers—some users report performance issues like stuttering on certain hardware, although extensive graphics options allow for good scalability. Overall, the graphics are a standout aspect, enhancing the game's playful and inviting atmosphere.
- “The visuals burst with personality, turning every frame into a work of art that’s as endearing as it is exhilarating.”
- “Graphics are charming, a lot of nice and vibrant well designed levels.”
- “The game looks colorful and sharp on the deck’s screen, and the art style really shines in portable mode.”
- “I can play Cyberpunk and other recent graphically intense games with no issue in 4K, but this game stutters so much it’s unplayable – in FHD.”
- “Tried many different graphic settings to no avail.”
- “Brilliant game but for me this is a sorry buggy mess - I get continuous micro-stuttering on a 4080 regardless of graphic settings.”
story
192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
64%
5%
The story in "Sackboy: A Big Adventure" is generally described as simple, charming, and suitable for children, featuring a straightforward hero's journey to save Craftworld from the villainous Vex. While some praise its feel-good tone and lighthearted narrative with fun characters and cutscenes, many find it predictable, shallow, and lacking depth or emotional weight, serving mostly as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling standalone experience. Overall, it complements the game's creative visuals and music but is not the main draw, especially for players seeking a rich or complex storyline.
- “The story follows Sackboy on a quest to save Craftworld from the villainous Vex, who threatens to unravel the peaceful land with chaos.”
- “While most LBP fans would have preferred a new mainline entry, such as a remake or LittleBigPlanet 4, Sackboy as a standalone platformer does a great job giving players insight into a fulfilling origin story of our woolly protagonist, with easy to learn controls and levels that progressively get harder as you go.”
- “The soundtrack is awesome, so is the story which is followed by well-made cutscenes, and the game is not rushed which I personally find satisfying.”
- “Story is basic and we skipped every cutscene after the fourth time, because the characters are boring and annoying.”
- “Story, not much to say honestly all the characters are forgettable and don't make an impact like I really wish there was at least one character that had good story but no, basically no backstory, motivation or anything but 'stop bad guy'.”
- “The story is paper thin, but par for the course for similar platformers.”
optimization
113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
35%
45%
Optimization for the game is highly inconsistent; while many players report smooth performance, especially on medium to high settings and modern hardware, a significant number suffer from persistent stuttering, shader compilation delays, and micro-stuttering issues even on high-end PCs. Although frequent patches have alleviated some problems, optimization remains problematic, with issues particularly notable in multiplayer and co-op modes, and variable performance across different platforms and setups. Users recommend checking benchmarks for specific GPUs before purchasing and suggest settings adjustments or launch options to mitigate stuttering.
- “Performance is stable, with smooth framerates on medium-high settings, and load times are short.”
- “On PC, the game shines with smooth performance and crisp visuals, ensuring a magical experience for everyone.”
- “Performance is very impressive; even with ray tracing and ultra settings, I had no trouble running at over 120fps on a 2080 Super (and i7 6700k from 2015).”
- “The game suffers from major stuttering issues that slowly sneak up while playing, bringing the game to the point of feeling like it is running at 10 frames per second.”
- “Sumo Digital did not bother to incorporate any form of shader pre-caching, so this game builds shaders on the fly and literally stutters left and right, which is virtually unacceptable given the asking price.”
- “This game is unplayable because of stuttering.”
stability
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
77%
The game's stability is inconsistent, with many users reporting frequent glitches, crashes, stutters, and freezes, especially in multiplayer and certain levels, making for a frustrating experience. While it runs smoothly at 60fps on various hardware including the Steam Deck and high-end PCs, the presence of bugs and connection issues detracts significantly from overall playability. Some find the port decent despite minor issues, but the consensus points to a buggy and unstable experience.
- “10/10 I have a really bad computer and it still runs great!”
- “Very solid Sony non-exclusive game, been playing it on the Steam Deck and runs great there with medium settings and still getting 60fps.”
- “Also it runs great on my RTX 3080, ray tracing ultra at 90 - 120fps.”
- “Not only was there a long period last year when an update made it impossible to boot up the game on the Steam Deck, now a boss fight later in the game freezes every time it is attempted.”
- “After Off the Rails, I deleted the game because I was sick of the constant glitches.”
- “Overall I cannot recommend the game because the constant glitches are ridiculous, especially since Sumo Digital is a larger company and so many indie developers manage to make better games.”
emotional
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Sackboy: A Big Adventure delivers a heartfelt, wholesome platforming experience filled with charming characters, joyful moments, and nostalgic appeal, though its story is predictable and light on emotional depth. The game excels at creating a fun, visually stunning, and accessible adventure that evokes warmth and happiness for players of all ages, making it a pure celebration of classic platformer joy rather than an emotionally complex narrative.
- “Years later, Sackboy: A Big Adventure feels like a natural and heartfelt step forward for the series.”
- “The utter cheerfulness of the game almost made me cry; it's very heartwarming. I adore it to bits—the way the music progresses and changes during the levels is very satisfying. Each first run of every level leaves you in awe with the soundtrack alone. The gameplay itself is also really enjoyable, with each level crafted with such love and creativity by the talented team behind the game.”
- “Not once have I ever played a game that genuinely made me feel so happy; every last second is like a shot of serotonin directly into the brain.”
humor
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in Sackboy: A Big Adventure is generally described as charming, lighthearted, and family-friendly, with funny moments arising from cooperative play, expressive animations, and whimsical costumes. While it may lack the sharper wit and distinctive humor of the earlier LittleBigPlanet titles, it still delivers plenty of joyful, silly interactions that resonate especially well in multiplayer settings. Some players feel the humor doesn't fully capture the franchise's original tone, but overall it adds a warm and playful layer to the enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “The narrative is straightforward and lightly humorous, bolstered by expressive character animations and a delightful sense of innocence.”
- “With Sackboy: A Big Adventure, you’re not merely pressing buttons, you’re taking a delightful leap into a world painted with the brightest hues of creativity, humor, and whimsy.”
- “This co-op platformer whipped up the best of the genre, like the other co-op gems, leaving us with a treasure trove of funny moments and heartwarming memories to savor.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
58%
13%
Replayability is generally praised, especially for players who enjoy mastering levels, collecting hidden items, and completing challenges to achieve 100% completion. While the game offers abundant collectibles, creative level design, and multiplayer/co-op modes that encourage revisiting stages, some note that once main objectives are completed, replay value decreases without additional content like an active online community. Overall, it appeals strongly to completionists and those who enjoy exploring secrets and cosmetic rewards.
- “Levels are packed with imaginative obstacles, playful music, and plenty of collectibles that encourage replayability.”
- “Replay value of the levels is very high, it's fun to revisit them all to collect the things you missed.”
- “Graphically stunning, fun to play alone or with a friend, and the replay value in each level is super high to coax you to obtain 100% completion for all of the possible cosmetic items.”
- “The levels are fun to replay to get gold on, but once you've gotten gold on the levels there isn't much incentive to replay them again, so there are varying degrees of replayability in my opinion.”
- “With no online community levels or any replay value other than cute cosmetics, this game has no longevity past the 25-30 hour mark.”
- “Game has little replayability (I played and beat it on PS4).”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
13%
80%
Grinding in the game is widely seen as tedious, repetitive, and frustrating, often detracting from the overall experience despite an engaging story and enjoyable core gameplay. However, some players find certain grinding achievements rewarding, though the time-consuming nature and difficulty of post-game content and side missions make completion challenging for most. Overall, grinding is considered a major hurdle that impacts player enjoyment and completion motivation.
- “The post-game challenge maps require lots of collectibles to unlock, but there's no grinding because everything is fixed.”
- “Sackboy™: A Big Adventure is a flashy platformer but the gameplay feels bland and repetitive. The side missions, especially the Knitted Knight trials, are lackluster and frustrating to complete. After finishing the main game, the extra world is so difficult and time-consuming that it's nearly impossible for 99.9% of players to complete, making the grinding feel tedious and annoying.”
- “I played this game on PS5 to 100% completion, and unless you avoid buying from the costume shop, you'll be farming currency for hours upon hours. The grinding required is excessive and tedious.”
- “Only downside is that it is a Sony studio game, so trying to 100% complete it is so tedious that I didn't bother trying.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
36%
9%
The game boasts a vibrant, whimsical, and immersive atmosphere enhanced by stunning visuals, charming animations, and a captivating soundtrack. This cozy and magical environment creates a nostalgic yet fresh experience that draws players in and complements the gameplay beautifully. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its warmth, charm, and polish.
- “Lighting and particle effects enhance the magical atmosphere, while the animation gives Sackboy a personality that radiates warmth and curiosity.”
- “The game's stunning visuals, vibrant worlds, and catchy soundtrack create a captivating atmosphere that draws you in from the moment you start playing.”
- “The amazing music complements the visuals perfectly, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
monetization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game features no microtransactions or additional monetization, which reviewers appreciate as it avoids typical cash grab tactics. This absence of in-game purchases enhances the multiplayer and co-op experience without intrusive monetization.
- “No microtransactions, no monetization, no bs.”
- “Fortunately, there are no microtransactions in the game.”
- “I guess I was foolish to assume that a game advertising itself as co-op and multiplayer would be cross-platform.”
- “I loved the Little Big Planet games growing up, and to be honest I thought this was gonna be another cash grab that successful game companies make just for money and they butcher the game.”
- “Microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development features unique designs resembling arts and crafts materials with mechanical elements, but the overly pristine and detailed execution sometimes undermines the intended handcrafted aesthetic.