Kind of a crushing playthrough I’m not going to lie. The art style is definitely very adorable and heartwarming. Some really creative uses for the controller and clever implementation of fourth wall-breaking. Unfortunately though, all of the glitz and glamor wears off very quickly, revealing a mundane, padded out, mediocre game that, to be frank, overstays its welcome.

The art direction is genuinely great. The world feels adorably handmade and it’s really cute that they make you draw certain elements of the world. Making each player’s playthrough visually distinct. I love that that creativity also goes for the characters too, you can make them look however you want them to look.

I really like that as the player you’re guiding the messenger throughout the story and the game establishes that you are not the same entity. You, the player, and the messenger are working together through this journey to reach the end. I like the detail of having the messenger grow to trust you in the beginning of the game leading into the two of you relying on each other by the end.

I feel like there’s a gem buried in here for sure if all of the padding is removed. The game definitely feels longer than it’s supposed to be and it doesn’t help when there are long repetitive sections that don’t really have much going on. The platforming is basic, the pacing is not the best, and it doesn’t help that the back half of the game takes place in bland areas with nothing atmospherically interesting going on for long stretches of time. I feel sorry to say it but I really was having a miserable time in the last 1/3 of the game. I thought it might be just me but through looking at the trophy list, I saw that only 7.4% of players actually finished the game in the 9 years it’s been out. That should tell you everything you need to know.

I will say though that, thankfully, the game wraps up in a very heartfelt and adorable way that ultimately made me not regret going through the journey. I can’t help but think if the Vita version would’ve been infinitely better as it would feel like a much more intimate experience, which is clearly what they were going for. But, alas, Tearaway Unfolded ends up being an alright time I guess.

I didn't play the VIta version first, so the magic might have been dampened a little here. Despite some clumsy Media Molecule floaty platforming, this was mostly charming and enjoyable with the concept of 'The You' executed well and the papercraft world looking tactile and well crafted. I chuckled several times, with a particular highlight of my voice echoing through a level. This was mainly hilarious as I shouted 'TWAT' into my controller. Perhaps I'll play through the Vita version at some point for a nice comparison.

Something about this game is so fresh and amazing to me. I think media molecule went all in with making this game specialised with the consoles it was made for such as the ps vita and ps4.

I played this in 2023 and graphically its still beautiful and the physics of the paper and characters is perfect.

It upsets me how underrated this game is as it has such a beautiful message in the game and it's not only so touching and sometimes serious but also hilarious and fun.

I think this game would've been even more fun had I had a ps camera however it didn't make much difference.

I love the idea of papercrafting and the ability to actually make characters from the game in real life, media molecule really shows how much they love creativity with their titles and I honestly wish there was a sequel.

The gameplay really utilises the ps4 controller and doesn't really get stale with new abilities being unlocked constantly as you go along and special sections with new characters or a way of moving around. The customisation was also fun and creating your own special paper objects to put onto your or other characters in the game.

A very wonderful and lively world with many unique mechanics, for example you use your touchpad to draw all kinds of objects and they appear in the world, or you use it as a drum, the microphone makes you use it as an echo in a world , the motion sensor is very useful by giving light to this world and cleaning it of enemies. Very good soundtrack. As a bonus, if you are passionate about origami, you can make your characters in reality by receiving sketches of how you can make them as easily as possible.

Enjoyment - 7/10
Difficulty - 3/10

A real cinnamon roll of a video game. Tearaway: Unfolded welcomes you into their home and makes you a cup of tea. Great hospitality and pleasant experience.
🏆

A game with 10/10 aesthetics and presentation. Absolutely adored the art style, music, and craft. Unfortunately can't say the same for the entire gameplay expierence as its (ahem) paper thin and too long with not enough ideas for the kind of game it is. If its length was cut in half this would have been a significantly more impactful gem of some of Media Molecules strongest flourishes in creativity that are vividly brought to life on its center stage. A shame Mm spent all this time after the fact on Dreams and never took a swing like this again.

(I hear the Vita version is better but not sure by how much)

Pros: Extremely charming and creative. Visually beautiful, and makes excellent use of the PS4 controller both for game mechanics and as a story element. Drawing things that then show up in the world like butterfly wings and snowflakes gives you a surprisingly potent sense of personal investment, like you've put something of yourself in the game. Phenomenal ending.

Cons: Beneath the impeccable style and charm is a fairly mediocre 3D platformer in terms of level design and mechanics. Definitely has some good mechanical ideas, but the game's style is really carrying the experience overall.
Controls are slightly less precise than they should be, they aren't a problem 97% of the time, but a 3% problem rate is more than this type of game should have.
Game is a bit too long, feels like it overstays its welcome a bit. Eventually, even the delightful style becomes normal and you're left with just the platforming. I think the game would benefit a lot if it was 20 or 30% shorter.

One of the most creative games I have experienced. The studio was handed a Playstation controller and they went above and beyond to make the gameplay unique. You are able to draw on the touch pad and see your creations in game. Plus, move objects in the world with the pad. You can even use the controller's microphone to give a character a voice - your voice! It was an absolute a joy to play.

For as much consideration they gave the story and gameplay, I wish some of that energy was towards the camera. Really the only negative I had playing the story. Sometimes it would force the camera to look in a direction that was not helpful, making it easy to miss collectibles or die.

Since I had fun playing it, I wanted to platinum it. This is where the frustration set. The enemies were annoying because even if they did die, they may not count. Forcing you to replay a section or an entire level. There's no indication of which enemy you missed, so you'll have to fight everything again.

The misplaced gopher is an NCP that requires you to carry them through half of a level without dying. You'll get into fights and have to avoid falling, getting squished, shot at, etc. without dying. Easier said than done.

Trophies can 100% be challenging but the way this is set up is aggravating. The gopher can be ripped out of your hands by other NCPs only to be chucked off a cliff to their death. Or maybe you were nearly at the end for the gopher, only to slip up and die. Now the game's checkpoint saved over your progress so you get to repeat the entire level again. Damn that gopher to Dante's inferno.

It's like a playable CBeebees program, but a really charming one that actually respects children's intelligence.

It's also an existentialist nightmare dissecting the horrors that comes from mortal beings attempting to play god, after the morals behind an omnipotent being's control over the world they inhabit are questioned. The illusion of free-will has been broken with the players consistent presence within the story as "you", and the game dares to ask that if we were to discover the existence of entities beyond our comprehension controlling the fabric of reality, if it is best that we simply comply, like the protagonist and their companions on the journey, or attempt to fight back and seal our own fates like how the Scraps do, who are the real heroes of the story.

Ultimately, this leads to an insane meta-commentary of the illusion of free-will mentioned earlier; the player having to question the ethics behind their actions and whether they themselves are truly in control of the story, or are simply being puppeted much like Atoi, coming full circle. The Scraps being brainwashed to conforming with the rest of the characters, as the actual player must grapple with the heinous acts they have committed after learning the Scraps true intentions, feeling a further disconnect from the character of "you".

Fed up with the world they're forced to reside in, Atoi manages to escape and is sent to a new reality, where they can build a new world, to make their own stories, using the abilities "you" bestowed upon them to control their own fate, until it dawns on them... they've become just like "you". Atoi goes beyond anything any other character before them has gone before, using their newfound capabilities to create an escape from the actual video-game, slowly crawling their way out and ending the game... no longer in the game. This bullshit reality they was brought into to is no longer to their concern, because it isn't real, it's just a pre-determined hell that you (the player) mindlessly follow along with, controlling Atoi's every whim, under the impression that "you" (the character) is just an extension of yourself and not some depraved entity playing mind games with you, as a way to torment everyone in the world into following "you's" every sociopathic whim. Atoi can truly go and live away from it all, while you must sit with everything that has just happened; Atoi reading you the story of everything you made them do under the orders of "you", leaving you with nothing but regret, you could have stopped at any point... but you didn't... it's all your fault...

It's really cute and it made me smile. :)

Top 50 Favorites: #2

Something special. Media Molecule's finest work as a developer in a career jam-packed with unforgettable gaming experiences. Every pixel of this game radiates the same comfort level as a warm log cabin in December, sitting in a soft chair with a mug of hot cocoa beside the fireplace. Makes your controller feel like a true magic utensil come to life, the gimmicks in this game genuinely made me feel like a kid again - "Ooh"-ing and "Ahh"-ing in giddy excitement with each new twist on the DualShock 4 (and your phone, which I highly recommend also using)'s utility. It really shows just how much Sony underutilized the PS Vita that all its features transferred over without compromise - nay, BETTER - from its original rendition. The sense of imagination here is so red-hot that it feels liable to beam out right off of your screen. Can't express enough how much I love this game, the dictionary definition of adventure. Comparing this to LittleBigPlanet, I feel, would be reductive - since this very much has its own unique identity - but it has more of that same 'energy' than that 2020 Sackboy game imo.