Tearaway Unfolded is a platforming title the PS4 has been missing. It’s a beautiful, happy and colourful adventure that really should be experienced and showcases the consoles ability to entertain all ages of gamers. Tearaway, which originally released on the PlayStation Vita, utilised the touchscreens and cameras to its advantage and gameplay-wise really made the most of the touchscreen and back-panel. Some may have found it gimmicky and admittedly it is just that, but that doesn’t take it away from being an excellent platformer and is probably the best title available for the PS Vita at this moment in time. Tearaway Unfolded is the same game, but no longer uses touchscreen as its primary gaming mechanic, this time around the DualShock 4 comes into play. Media Molecule have done an impressive job utilising the DualShock 4 and it literally “shines a light” in the adventure.
Tearaway Unfolded has you play as your own little messenger as you travel across an engaging papery world fulfilled with beautiful colours, platforming and puzzles. The game has a lot of the charm and the characters in the world that you meet during your adventure add to the magical experience that Tearaway has to offer. The in-game camera option allows you take photos of the immersive colourful surroundings. The messenger is your own and you have the ability to customise your messenger as you see fit.
The DualShock 4’s touchpad comes into play and offers you the ability to create shapes and drawings, the touchpad isn’t very big however, but it offers enough to not be an issue. Whether it being used to design a crown for a Squirrel or to create snowflakes, the world comes alive in real-time to your creation. Even though it’s not as in-depth as some may hope, but it’s still a creative experience that a papery world like Tearaway really showcases. As well as being used as a drawing device, the touchpad can be used on certain objects in the game such as drums, and gives you the ability to play the drums via the touchpad. The touch pad is also used to bounce on certain objects later in the game, giving you that higher boost to reach places that wouldn’t be possible without the touchpad. The DualShock 4’s back-light is used to shine your way into the world with the use of motion controls. The light is also used like a weapon and can hypnotise enemies. Talk about interaction!
There’s always something new to experience, I don’t want to spoil what else the motion controls or the DualShock 4 is used for, because there’s so much in Tearaway Unfolded that you need to experience for yourself. I will mention however a feature that I was interested to use and that was the use of the PlayStation App on your mobile device, which allows other players to add photos or use created crafts in the game. This is a nice use of a companion app.
The one downside I have to say about Tearaway Unfolded is the same issue I had with Tearaway on the PS Vita. When you approach the end of the game, it feels like the end is coming more than once, but then it continues on a little more than you might expect. You think the end is coming each time, but it’s not, it kind of plays with you a bit and keeps continuing which results in the game feeling a little anti-climatic. This is not really much of an issue and it may sound silly complaining, but it is frustrating how many times it climaxes before the game is actually over. This is just something I felt and experienced, but because the game is bursting with so much greatness it really doesn’t matter all that much.
The later chapters in the game do become a bit tedious however and sadly the ending of the game is its biggest downfall. Towards the end it witches back to traditional platforming with a dodgy camera angle that will caused more frustration than enjoyment, which is a real shame especially as you get closer to the end, your experience can be a little bit tarnished. The creativity starts to lack towards the end and like I mentioned above, it results in an anti-climatic finish.
The small amount of negatives aside, Tearaway Unfolded is the platforming title you must own on your PlayStation 4. The enhanced graphics, 1080p and 60fps really do this game justice and it looks glorious on the PS4. It’s the kind of platforming title anyone can pick up and play. Some may think the use of the DualShock 4’s motion and touchpad abilities may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s nice to break away from traditional platforming with the use of the buttons and to use a creative and very fluid DualShock 4. If you’re after a quality platforming exclusive, whether you’re new to Tearaway and a returning fan, Unfolded is a game unleashes your creative inner-self.