Robot vs. Wizards’ Paper Monsters looks a lot like Little Big Planet. So much so, you have to question the vision and scope of the project. Is Paper Monsters a cash-in bereft of its own unique cadence, style, and tone? Or is it its own game? I followed up with the studio after our original posting, hoping that I could get some answers to you.
After talking with a representative of the project, I feel like it’s safe to say that Paper Monsters is its own deal. Media Molecule’s 2.5D side-scrolling platform title has had a huge impact on the project — that’s clear. But, Robots vs. Wizards is looking to create its own game within the whimsical, familiar aesthetic.
“I initially started wanting to bring something like LBP to iOS. I guess that shows,” a representative for Robots vs. Wizards told me via e-mail. “However, while it does look like LBP, it plays and feels a lot more like a Mario game.”
Then they told me you can jump on bad guys’ heads.
“[Paper Monsters] is a lot less “floaty” and physics-based, and you can blast bad guys with fire balls, so that makes it a little more action based,” he continued. “So far you can swim or turn into a dragon. There are also flying levels with the ladybug Box-coptor.”
“I think once more and more levels are shown it will look less like LBP — which could be good or bad, I guess.”
If there’s one thing LBP doesn’t do well, it’s action. Media Molecule’s game is about content creation, so the focus is on the tools as opposed to the “game” part. If Robot vs. Wizards succeeds in its execution on Paper Monsters, it’ll be providing an experience that surpasses what even Media Molecule offers.
“We are putting TONS of effort into making Paper Monsters feel original,” the rep told us. And I believe it.
No release date or price has been set yet, but we do know now that that game will be an Universal iPad and will feature “graphic enhancements” for iPad 2 owners. It’ll also ship Game Center and all the functionality that comes with the service.
