Create Your World | Tearaway Unfolded Review

Starting right off the bat, Tearaway Unfolded is a next-gen re-imagining of the 2013 PlayStation Vita title, Tearaway. If you’ve already played the game on the Vita, Tearaway Unfolded follows the same path that the PlayStation Vita game traveled. However, Tearaway Unfolded has added some new content and reworked the control scheme to make this a worth-while experience on the PlayStation 4. One might think, after playing it for the Vita, that its unique use of the Vita hardware would be difficult to translate, especially to a console. While that may be true, the team at Media Molecule did a great job in introducing a whole new audience to a game that they probably never before. We could very well be looking at the next PlayStation mascot.

One of the most striking differences between the PS4 game and the Vita game is the changes to the control scheme. When you look at it, Tearaway did a great job at using the Vita’s control scheme to get you to interact with the world in a way that transcended the traditional button and stick control scheme. The use of touch pads was great and really added something to the game. This time around, things are slightly different since you are using a PlayStation 4 controller in lieu of a PlayStation Vita, however, the game finds a way to involve you in the game beyond the traditional means. The game uses a combination of the touch pad, the light bar and the motion sensor to bring you into the game which follows its predecessors lead and becomes a very immersive game. The controls are great and really goes to great lengths to be intuitive and fun which is all you can ask for in a game like this.

Once you learn the new control scheme and you are into the meat of the game, you’ll be treated to a delightful mix of platforming and puzzles just like the original game. The looks better than it ever has and playing it on a big screen television only makes this game more appealing. The graphics look great, the game oozes charm and the visuals pop in new and interesting ways on the PlayStation 4. The game is a visual masterpiece and the team at Media Molecule really outdid themselves, Tearaway: Unfolded is completely original and certainly worth a look for the visual style alone.

The story of Tearaway isn’t really anything to write home about, but it does a good enough of a job to keep you invested. The voice acting and narration of the game is excellent and carries most of the narrative load so to speak. The story is all about how the Tearaway world and the real world are blending and merging into one entity. That is where all the physical interaction with the game comes into play and creates a unique storytelling experience. The paper-craft visuals and cast of charming and like-able characters places a nice bow on an already fantastic package making this game hard to resist. You just can’t help but smile, laugh and just plain feel good while moving through Tearaway.

Another great part of the game is Tearaway’s encouragement of creativity. At many times throughout the campaign, you’ll be asked to draw or contribute something to the level. Whether you have to make a crown for your character to wear or design your very own snow flake, the game wants and demands your input. Having this creative space only does good things for the replayability of the game and it provides a canvas for the gamers out there that like to make the game their own. Media Molecule had a lot of success with this model with the LittleBigPlanet series of games and some of those ideas bled into Tearaway. While this concept was great on paper, the hardware limitations were more prevalent in the PlayStation 4 version of the game than they were in the Vita version. Drawing intricate designs was difficult, especially with those that have wide fingers, and if you played the Vita version, it made you long for that game. This is certainly not a game-breaking issue, but something that gets in the way. There is a work around to the problem which involves using the companion app for smart phones. It is a fairly simple process to link your phone to the game, but having to incorporate even more hardware to the game feels like something better left to the professionals.

While the game may seem like a port on the exterior, the game itself has been expanded in several different areas. There are several new regions, characters, collectibles and even some changes to the story that make this a familiar, yet unique experience for all gamers. The game feels bigger, not only in scope, but in content which helps to justify buying the game twice for those that already have the Vita version of the game. This game is also more connected to the internet than the original game ever was. You can upload or download designs via the official website which allows you to completely customize your experience and tailor it to the look you want to go for.

Overall, Tearaway: Unfolded does a fantastic job of bringing Tearaway to a new wider audience. Since the Vita just doesn’t reach that many gamers, it is great to see this hidden gem reworked and re-released to the PlayStation 4 platform. The Media Molecule team did a great job in taking advantage of all the features that the Dualshock 4 controller has and making gamers interact with the game in ways they probably never did before. While the accuracy of the Dualshock 4’s touch pad left something to be desired, it was great to explore a world where you creativity and sense of adventure had room to run. Combine all that with a charming and lovely art-style and you have yourself a game that begs you to play it. We highly recommend this title for all gamers out there, so get out there and pick this one up, you won’t be disappointed.

This review is based on a review copy of the PlayStation 4 version of Tearaway: Unfolded developed by Media Molecule published by Sony Computer Entertainment of America