This post will be updated periodically so check back for more thoughts :) (pics below)

October 15, 2008 - As some of you may be aware (because I made an older thread about it before), my local retailer here in the Philippines where I'm currently living has acquired LBP a week earlier than release. I bought it today to couple with my new 720p-capable TV from my dad - his early christmas gift (which ends my grumbling) and all thoughts of it being fake, hacked, or in any way illegitimate are quashed. They just got a hundred or so advance copies for some unknown reason.

Well anyway, about fifteen people (according to the lady) have purchased it already. In the beginning I thought I had received a bum copy, because it couldn't go online. However, I quickly realized that the LBP servers aren't up yet - obviously, because the game isn't supposed to be out yet anyway. So for now, I'm limited to simply playing the single player story missions and creating levels. I actually told my boss that I have a broken leg in order to skip work to play this game. Yes, that's how easy it is...

The best thing about more story levels is that the large bulk of the media molecule created stuff are available to be acquired through playing the missions, which makes the level editor even more powerful than the beta (I played the beta), but other than that its the same old unbelievably powerful thing that makes Spore look like a kindergardener's game. My sackboy now just acquired a lion costume look, complete with the orange mane and fangs :D

And yes, it doesn't scale to 1080 (but i don't care about that anymore :P).

To anyone who hasn't played the beta and hasn't read any of the ratings, I can say without any bias whatsoever that this game is an absolute dream. It would be perfect if it wasn't for the odd deceleration/acceleration physics that sackboy sometimes experiences but this can be conquered with a little practice, though it can get a tad frustrating sometimes.

All in all, however, it really does deliver every platformer's dream. My suggestion: buy it, and play the hell out of it. Its one of those games that will never get old because of the user generated content (I sold my GTA4, but I will never sell this game).

I'll keep updating this post for more thoughts and achievements as I get more hours to play that may be of some interest to some people until the game is finally released. Do ask questions on whatever you want me to find out for you. I'd like as many people to be informed as possible :)

Final rating: 9.5/10

UPDATE: I've finished creating my first level! two weeks of work lol.. its a ninja-themed level with lots of shurikens and flaming floors!

UPDATE: I'm prolly going to bring the thing back to the retailer... I hope I don't have to give it back.. It's grown on me, you see.

UPDATE: The story levels, I just want to say, are absolutely-fabulous. No bones about it, they are just totally freaking well designed. I don't want to spoil anything, but I can say that everyone who plays them will be pleasantly surprised. There are so many hidden items and areas in each level that they will keep you playing through over and over again without getting sick of it.

UPDATE: Well the Z axis is proving more of a nuisance than I originally anticipated. Its a wee bit annoying trying to jump from the foreground to the back at times, though its not that big of an issue that can be solved with practice. Still, I can't help but think it could've been polished more. Doesn't hurt the score though :)

UPDATE: Well I've succeeded in making a human dying sound that closely resembles the moaning of the old man that is forced by Kratos to read that book in God of War 2. The sound mixer is really rather enormous if one tinkers with it with a high degree of effort. EAGHH! On a side note, the creation tools are really awesome although i can't seem to get over how that dude in the beta made a calculator...

UPDATE: PICS! (i know i look like an idiot)

UPDATE: One of the most overlooked things so far about this game (from what I've read on other reviews) is the sound and music creator, which is really well done and quite addictive to hear. It seems to have a lot of huge implications.. can it become like a mini-recording booth/turntable by itself? It seems like it can create virtually any sound.. dunno though, I'm by no means a good sound mixer.

UPDATE: zomg a cool zebra costume complete with a headpiece :D lol i'm easily excited.

(EDIT: do you think I can get into any legal trouble for having this a week early?)

(EDIT EDIT: does anyone know how to upload pictures from a phone camera?)

(EDIT EDIT EDIT: pics done. how do i look? lol)

Prove you have it and Picture would be nice Edit: I missed last bit sorry

w00t.

"I actually told my boss that I have a broken leg in order to skip work to play this game. Yes, that's how easy it is..."

Won't that be hard to explain though when you go back into work sometime soon and you don't actually have a broken leg/cast? They usually take a few weeks to heal right?

That's what I intend to do by tomorrow. I'll keep you fellas posted.

well.. she was pressuring me for an excuse, and i said i got hit by a car and my leg is hurt. lol. so well.. maybe i'll just say that it wasn't so serious and the doctor told me it didn't need a cast :P

i dunno, lol, i'll figure it out.. i'm probably going to miss the rest of the week playing this anyway.

the broken leg story is crazy (see smbu2000's post)

Despite lacking it's biggest feature (online), you think LBP deserves a 9.5/10?

I don't doubt that LBP deserves somewhere along those lines, but I think you're showing bias because of what you believe might happen, who knows, people may not latch onto the great potential the online component has and it may fall flat, which'd mean you paid X amount of dollars for a 5 hour game (according to most review sites) with a level editor.

Ah, but if you've heard of the beta, there were hundreds of quality levels created already. And that was just the beta. Its a foregone conclusion that it will have a massive community support. Why? because:

A.) all the beta levels are going to be present in the final game. that means even if no one else makes another level (which is impossible) there are already hundreds of existing ones available for play.

B.) the game is being marketed to hell and reviewers love it to death. only a few thousand people got to play the beta, and who knows how many people are going to buy the full game - a lot more obviously.

i don't need to guess if the LBP community will respond to the user created content.

i know for a fact that they will coz they already did.

Your so lucky!!! I really can't wait until I finally get the game