Last week Sony shipped a whole new console, the PlayStation 4. Today they’ve calmed down a bit with their latest release, a handheld game called Tearaway that’s available exclusively for the PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) system. Tearaway was developed by Media Molecule, best known for their work on the LittleBigPlanet franchise. In Tearaway, the game’s tactile world comes to life in the form of a 3D platformer built completely out of paper.
But don’t call it Paper Mario minus the Mario.
Tearaway is a “buddy-movie” style handheld adventure that takes players on a journey through a world inspired by classic folklore with a courageous papercraft messenger who has a unique message to deliver that’s locked away inside their head. The paper world of Tearaway unfolds in the player’s hands, allowing them to reach into the game with their god-like powers and help their messenger complete this special delivery, making the player the co-star of the game.
Tearaway’s exclusive game engine creates a 3D animated world from sheets of paper to capture the real physics of paper material that will tear, fold, or crumple, especially when the player reaches out and touches part of the world.
Built from the ground up for the PS Vita system, Tearaway takes full advantage of the hardware’s signature controls, including the camera, microphone, and tilt-sensors to deliver a more immersive and unique gameplay experience. The tactile world of Tearaway further comes to life through printable papercraft projects. As players journey through the game, they will be rewarded with real papercraft models from the game to print out and construct in their homes, making the title an interactive experience for the whole family.
Continuing the model that Media Molecule started with LittleBigPlanet, Tearaway has extensive social and community features. The game encourages players to share photos of their gameplay adventures using the in-game camera and collectable photo lenses, and posting them to the Tearaway community site.
Tearaway is available exclusively for the PS Vita for $39.99. It’s available starting today at retailers nationwide or as a digital download from the PlayStation Store.