The Therapist Gamer

Tearaway was the darling of the PS Vita is the early days because it utilized all of the special features of the Vita, the paper-crafted environments looked awesome, and it was a big fat exclusive game for a struggling console.  I played it a few years after release and have to admit that I didn't like it as much as the critics did.  

 

The game itself is undeniably creative.  You play as a little boy or girl whose head is an envelope.  You're told to deliver the message inside and that's the main driving force of the game (although it's only really mentioned at the beginning and end of the game).  The whole world is made to look like it's made of paper of it's an impressive effect that I haven't seen before or since.  Amazingly, everything in the game can be created in the real world with paper - you can collect and print out instructions for how to recreate your favorite characters and objects.  

 

There's a great creation system where you simply use your finger to cut designs in colored scraps of paper and put together anything you want.  You can redesign your character whenever you want, and there are often aspects of the environment you can control.  For example, before climbing a blizzard-y mountain you are asked to design a snowflake; all of the snowflakes you later see are based on the one you designed.  It's a fun dynamic that would be cool to have in more games.

 

The are surfaces covered in the PlayStation symbols where, if you put your fingers on the back of the Vita, you fingers will poke through!  You use your fingers to push objects around and to defeat enemies.  There are similar surfaces where, if you tap the back of the Vita, the surface reverberates and can launch your character into the air.  They're cool ideas for game mechanics but there isn't actually too much you can do with them, and since the Vita registers the slightest touch I often bounced when I didn't want to.

 

Each stage has a number of collectibles - scraps of paper, presents, side quests, and craft designs.  Scraps of paper are kind of like coins in Mario but you can use them to unlock additional items to decorate your character.  Presents don't really do anything, but they are generally hidden in obscure places.  Side quests aren't really hidden, but they of course require you to do something a little extra.  You'll occasionally come across an object that is completely white - if you take a picture of it, it's color will return and you unlock the design for how to make that object in real life.  The collectibles mostly seem to be in the game to add something to do.

 

And this highlights my biggest problem with the game - it's kind of boring.  The environments are pretty and the paper effect is awesome, but the gameplay is mostly to advance through the levels with simple obstacles in the way.  There are enemies in the game, but they are very easily defeated.  Some of the later environments are difficult to navigate, but most of the game is easy.  In fact, if the whole game was the same as the last 15% it would be pretty awesome, but sadly I found the majority of the game to be a slog.  And that's obviously a big problem.  It's like the game designers came up with a fun, paper-crafted world with lots of design tools, but didn't really know how to make a good game out of it.

 

I think there's a lot to like about Tearaway and it's so unique that serious gamers should probably give it a look, but be aware that the gameplay is basic and you'll probably find it to be very easy.  Perhaps if you know that going in then you might have a better time playing it than I did.