Reviews// Tearaway Unfolded

Tearaway Unfolded is a very, very special game. When I feel run down and the weight of the world feels like it is lying across my shoulders I load Tearaway Unfolded up and all of my problems just melt away.

From the geniuses behind LittleBigPlanet at Media Molecule, Tearaway Unfolded is as much a remaster as it is a remake of the PSVita game. This time around is makes full use of the Playstation 4’s Dualshock 4 controller (as well as the camera peripheral if you have one) and for once none of its little tricks feel like gimmicks, which is a problem with most games when they try to use methods different to the norm for controls.

You play as Iota (or Atoi) a literal messenger in the form of an envelope that has paper-crafted arms and legs and facial features. This messenger has something for you, the player, and a mission to close a hole in the sky... A hole that you can actually see your own face through if you have the camera set up.

Whilst catching glimpses of your own child-like glee can be a bit off-putting, the hole also serves as the game's narrative hook as this is also where the game's primary adversary comes from. The Scraps are mischievous little critters that turn the bright paper-crafted world in to something resembling a Fish and Chip shop nightmare - dull news print covers everything and drains the joy out of the residents of Iota’s world.

So you start off on a journey to close the hole, deliver your message and along the way defeat the Scraps in any way you can. This usually involves manipulating the environment in myriad clever ways. Everything in the world is made of paper and so can be squashed, curled, bent and torn. The touch pad can be used with a lot of these puzzle pieces and, at least in the early game, is your only way of jumping.

No, you can’t jump right from the get-go. Everything is steadily unlocked as you progress from one charming location to another, and to be honest I never really noticed these restrictions because I was too busy getting caught up in the beauty of Tearaway's world.

There aren’t the right words in the English language to truly do the art direction of this game justice. Calling it ‘pretty’ and ‘charming’ feel like doing it a disservice, it can induce smiles that will make your face ache, especially whilst playing around with the in-game camera your character is given (which is almost as mechanically complex as a real world camera with different lenses, filters, fine tuned focus and zoom).

The paper landscapes fold and uncurl around you as you move through the world, endlessly satisfying as papercraft comes alive around you. The world is full of funny and charming characters that help move the story along without bogging you down. These characters give you what would feel like busywork in other games, but here it feels like an extra reason to linger in each location, exploring it to the fullest.

You can even collect instructions on how to create real-world papercraft that you can print out through your account on the game's website. There is also in-game paper-crafting that involves making items to stick on the background or even other characters. Early on you are tasked with making a new crown for the King of Squirrels. It can be as simple or as complex as you like – It is all done using a finger on the touchpad so you can get some really fine detail into your creations... or be as silly and childish as you wish.

Tearaway also features a soundtrack that won’t surprise anyone who has played a Media Molecule game before. If there is such a thing as ‘too happy’, then the music in this game probably comes close. It will get stuck in your head and, at least in my case, keep you feeling light on your toes and a bit perkier than usual.

I’m sat here trying to think of something to balance out the glowing words above, something that may turn some off from this game because no game is perfect. Except I can’t think of anything. Whenever I think about this game I just get a warm feeling in my chest, there are things here for adults, children and whole families to enjoy.

If you’re a child and want to help your parents better understand videogames and show that they aren’t all shooting and murdering then show them this. If you’re an adult with the weight of the world on your shoulders and need something to bring out that inner child, to help you feel simple joy again, then I cannot recommend this enough.

I suppose my one true complaint is that there isn’t more of it. Media Molecule are masters at creating tactile happiness and I cannot wait for their next game, but for now Tearaway will keep me smiling.

Pros:
+ Gorgeous papercraft world
+ Simple but addictive gameplay
+ Silly characters that ooze charm
+ Suitable for everyone ages 5 to 105

Cons:
- The journey has an ending and there is little point in going back unless you’re platinum hunting.

SPOnG Score 9/10