Gamescom 2012: Tearaway Announced, Made by the Creators of LittleBigPlanet

Today during Sony’s Gamescom 2012 keynote address, the creators of LittleBigPlanet, Media Molecule, announced their upcoming PlayStation Vita game Tearaway.

This new IP, more specifically, is a 3D platformer populated with puzzles quirkily reminiscent of its cousin, LittleBigPlanet. The trailer above showcases points where players can take advantage of the environment using touch, motion, and voice controls supported by the Vita’s hardware features. Tearaway looks to be one of few games that can truly optimize the Vita’s many additional control schemes.

The focus of the narrative is on iota, a character whose “journey through the vibrant papery landscape” you’ll follow as he attempts to deliver a message to you, the player – a message that Media Molecule says is “unique for each and every player.”

“Tearaway is kind of like a buddy movie,” says Media Molecule’s Alex Evans.

“You and iota will travel afar, taking on enemies and helping those in need. You’ll conquer adversity, and discover magical papery surprises. You directly control iota’s running, jumping, frolicking and more. But with this game, you the player are holding more than just a PS Vita in your hands; you’re holding the paper world itself!”

As much of the world is made of paper, you can expect to alter it similar to how you would actual paper – folding, crumpling and tearing the world at your will.

As you’ll notice in the in-game trailer, you’ll use powers to flip, turn, and shake iota’s world – you can even breathe into the microphone to produce a gust-filled storm. Even more innovative is the ability to poke your fingers through the paper background of the world and affect what happens on-screen.

Tearaway also promises to be deeply customizable, a feature slowly embedding itself in some manner in nearly all modern games:

“Tearaway is still very much an extension of the creative gaming genre, so rest assured you’ll be able to personalise and customise your world to your heart’s content. We’ll have to be secret Susans about that until a later date though!”

Oh, and if you really dig that lovable polka-dotted cow from the trailer, Media Molecule has posted a PDF cutout of his likeness for you to print out, cut, and fold together yourself! It’s like Arts and Crafts class in elementary school, but without all the bullies pouring glue in your ears and shoving popsicle sticks up your nose.

[via Media Molecule]