Tearaway Reviews
Rustle brand.
Tearaway is a joy. Whether it was a riding a pig towards the sunset or playing basketball with a super-powered accordion, it never failed to make me smile. It sincerely believes that imagination really is the most important faculty, and in turn, succeeded in transporting me back to a time of crayons and card. It does this by using every aspect of the Vita, crafting an experience that I can’t imagine being realised elsewhere. It might be short but it’s very special. Please come back soon, Iota.
A charming vindication of the PS Vita, that uses the console’s many abilities to the fullest – even if that does mean you’re left wanting more.
Tearaway really is the game Vita has been crying out for. It feels like a bridge between indie and traditional, super-polished AAA game design, something reinforced by both the length of the story and the price. There’s genuine charm and ingenuity here, and my only real criticism is that I want more of it. So will you, when you put yourself in the centre of Tearaway’s magical world.
I can’t remember the last time I was so completely and utterly charmed by a game
Tearaway's blend of the real and virtual worlds makes it a rare and charming treat.
Tearaway is fresh, inviting and intricate
Tearaway connects you to the game's world in a delightful, fourth-wall-breaking way that also takes great advantage of the Vita platform.
Media Molecule makes a strong case for the Vita, with a deeply charming game that thoughtfully uses everything the hardware has to offer.
Tearaway has squirrels. Fat, papercraft squirrels who are periodically rather cruel to passing gophers. It also has charm, cleverness and enough heart to make up for five Call of Duty iterations. Tearaway is a 3D platformer mashed together with a creative craft class for adult kids, an adventure that is as close to sandbox-y as a non-sandbox game can get.
That said, Tearaway has every right to be a playful, buoyant romp through a paper candyland, and few titles, if any, have integrated the Vita's features as well as it does. Though Tearaway could have extended its final levels to explore creation and identity, its depth isn't paper-thin, and the originality of its presentation alone is unique enough that Vita owners should consider ripping through the game once... but no more than that, or you might give the game its walking papers.
Everything just works so well in unison. The soundtrack is delightful and odd, at times reminiscent of Paprika’s parade fanfare with its lively horns. The world, put together in paper scraps, is unbelievable in its artistry and function. Tearaway’s paper water and ripples as you walk through it are more impressive than any realistic water graphics I’ve ever seen. The level of unique detail in the world is staggering. Every moment spent immersed in it is heartwarming. Fittingly, it feels positively handcrafted.
Tearaway is the kind of game that the PS Vita has demanded since launch, something crafted and tailored to its form and its capabilities, but rather than feeling forced, creating an easy sense of wonder fun and inventiveness. Continuing Media Molecule’s push to unleashing our creativity, it also features a story, a world and creations which delight at every turn, no matter how old you are.
For the entire duration of my time with Tearaway, I was beaming from ear-to-ear at the magnificence taking place in the palm of my hands. It has taken quite a while, but at long last the Vita has an original IP that it can truly call a killer app. Apparently, we’re currently ushering in a new generation of home consoles, at the moment, but I was too busy revelling in the breathtaking world of Tearaway to take notice.
One of, if not the, best games on the Vita, and one of 2013’s most unforgettable adventures.
Tearaway packs charm and ingenuity into every pixelated pulp. You’ll bounce along to its perky soundtrack, fall in love with the way its ocean waves — as rolls of white paper — break on the shores, and smile when you see just how personal the ending is.
Media Molecule's latest is a profoundly innovative platformer that empowers players to make real papercraft models of most everything they see in the game.
The papercraft world of Tearaway is full of beautiful landscapes, charming characters, and creative gameplay, but it also seamlessly melds with the “real” world in unprecedented fashion. Upon completion, it will feel like your own story, different from anyone else’s. The conclusion is simple: no PlayStation Vita game collection is complete without this title.
Is Media Molecule's Tearaway an art project worthy of the refrigerator door, or is it just one long paper cut after another? Read our review to find out.
It is so rare to see a virtual world realised with such brio and charm that it’s hard to hold the game’s old-fashioned mechanics against it.