Tearaway Unfolded Is a Papercraft Dreamland
As soon as I saw that Tearaway Unfolded was free on Playstation Plus a big smile was crafted into my face. The game on the Playstation Vita was just awe-inspiring, it was such a unique little adventure that managed to showcase everything the Vita had to offer.
It the Vita was capable of doing it then Tearaway took advantage of it and brought it to its full glory. I never had the chance to play the Playstation 4s version of Tearaway Unfolded but now I have the option and am more than ready to dive right in!
The World Is a Story Book and You Get to Turn the Pages
In Tearaway Unfolded you start with a simple objective after a relaxing opening, to get a message to the moon. Seems like a simple task until you realize you’ve got a big and crazy world to get through.
After a bit of exploring we come to a doorway and a cutscene stops us in our tracks. Turns out the world is just a tad to peaceful and it’s time for a nasty twist.
The moon opens up and a horde of scraps come bursting in Lumos world, thankfully we as the player have got the tools to bring them down. The villagers may run in fear but we’ve got the guiding light to help put an end to the scraps.
In this first area, we get to open a little house that scraps covered up to save some villagers. Throw some scraps down a well and crush some of the last of them with a nice big seesaw log.
Tearaway Unfolded Has Presents and Wants You to Open All of Them
In the next area, we get to relax a bit and shot some hoops. In the process, we learn that presents are scattered throughout the world; there are red and blue presents.
The red presents are opened by just getting next to them and hitting the touchpad button on the Dual Shock 4 controller, the blue ones are a tad more tricky. These are opened by completing secret tasks in a given area, in this first area it’s as easy as making all the baskets.
I also like how you can use the guiding light to take away the scraps that have plagued the world. I have no idea if this accomplishes anything or if there is some bigger goal but it is cathartic and makes you feel good. After dropping down to a new area we give some squirrels an apple and retrieve another blue present.
Must Collect All the Things
I spend the entirety of this next area collecting everything that isn’t nailed down. It’s nice and relaxing you just go through this soothing world and collect, destroy scraps, and move forward at your own pace.
Nothings rushing you, nothings nagging you to get something done, it’s going at the pace you set. Paper crunches under your feet, legs open up so you can cross, everyone says high to you it’s so nice.
Customizing Iota Is Just Charming
Iotas face is your canvas in Tearaway Unfolded, the game pauses to tell you to make him your changes. I sort of making a nice little headband using the stickers from past games I’ve played.
It’s cool that those are there, I’d imagine it’s scanning my Playstation saves and unlocking them based on that. I like to think the X is a scar so I place an eye over that and give little Iota a mouth. You know for practical reasons. The little things collected throughout the world are used to unlock more stickers to place on Iota. Also, there are costumes to choose from but those are to boilerplate for my liking.
Setting the Stage for the Rest of the Game
To cap off this episode we come to a stage show but they’re missing a light source for the main star. Luckily we have a guiding light that fits the bill and the show manages to go on.
It’s a nice little set piece, charming, cheerful, and brimming with personality. But oh no the star of the show can’t go on because he doesn’t have a crown. We get a cool little section where we are tasked with creating a crown for him. I take a stab at it but using the touchpad on the Dual Shock 4 is just awful, there’s no fluidity and I just screw it all up.
But dammit If I didn’t try and the star sure seems happy about his sweet new crown. We clear the stage of scraps, take a couple of selfies with the star and call this an episode.
Let’s move onto meeting the squirrel king!