Tearaway Unfolded is a remastered and expanded version of the original Tearaway released on the PlayStation Vita. Developed by Media Molecule, the creators of LittleBigPlanet, Tearaway Unfolded brings a visually stunning, creative, and immersive world to life. The game takes full advantage of the PlayStation 4’s hardware, utilizing the DualShock 4 controller in unique and exciting ways. Throughout the game, players follow the journey of a messenger, either Iota (male) or Atoi (female), as they deliver an important message to “You,” the player.
Each chapter in Tearaway Unfolded has its own unique feel, environments, challenges, and gameplay elements. This review will go in-depth into each chapter, focusing on the storytelling, gameplay mechanics, and overall experience as players make their way through this delightful world of paper.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Between the Pages
The game opens with a surreal introduction, immediately breaking the fourth wall as you, the player, are introduced to the concept of the game: guiding Iota or Atoi on their journey to deliver a message to you. The world is crafted entirely out of paper, creating a distinct and charming aesthetic. The visual style is immediately captivating, resembling a moving papercraft diorama.
This chapter serves as a tutorial, introducing the basic mechanics of the game. You learn how to guide the messenger, control the camera, and interact with various environmental elements using the DualShock 4’s motion controls and touchpad. The world reacts to your actions in a way that’s rarely seen in other games. For example, the light bar on the controller is used to shine light into the game world, helping the messenger navigate dark environments or manipulate objects.
The narrative at this stage is simple but effective, immediately drawing players into the whimsical and charming world of Tearaway Unfolded. The first chapter is fairly linear, allowing players to get comfortable with the mechanics, and it sets the stage for the grand adventure to come.
Chapter 2: The Standing Stones
In Chapter 2, the game begins to introduce more complex platforming challenges. The world opens up a bit, giving players more freedom to explore and experiment with the unique mechanics introduced in the tutorial. The DualShock 4’s touchpad becomes more important, allowing you to move platforms or interact with the world in creative ways. For instance, swiping the touchpad sends gusts of wind into the game, moving objects or enemies out of the way.
The Standing Stones introduces enemies known as “Scraps,” which are paper-like creatures that try to stop the messenger from delivering the message. Combat in Tearaway Unfolded is not overly complex but feels satisfying due to the use of environmental interactions and the innovative controls.
Visually, this chapter is stunning. The papercraft aesthetic continues to impress, with new environments featuring towering stone structures, rolling hills, and winding paths made from folded paper. The world feels alive, and players are constantly encouraged to explore and take in the details.
Chapter 3: Gibbet Hill
Gibbet Hill marks a significant shift in the game, both in terms of gameplay and storytelling. The environment becomes darker and more foreboding, with storm clouds looming overhead and scraps appearing more frequently. The sense of urgency increases, and the messenger’s journey becomes more perilous.
The gameplay mechanics introduced in this chapter build upon what players have learned in previous sections. The light bar on the DualShock 4 continues to be a key feature, used to dispel darkness and interact with light-sensitive objects. Additionally, the motion controls become more prominent, as players are required to tilt and rotate the controller to navigate through certain sections.
One standout moment in this chapter is the introduction of the messenger’s ability to glide using a paper plane. This mechanic adds a new layer of depth to the platforming, allowing players to soar across gaps and reach previously inaccessible areas. The gliding sequences are exhilarating, offering a sense of freedom and fluidity that contrasts with the more grounded platforming from earlier chapters.
Chapter 4: The Barn
The Barn introduces a more rural setting, with fields of paper crops, wooden fences, and farm animals, all crafted from folded paper. This chapter continues to push the creative boundaries of Tearaway Unfolded, offering new gameplay challenges and puzzles that require players to think outside the box.
One of the key features of this chapter is the introduction of the paper deer, which players can ride to traverse large sections of the environment. Riding the deer is a fun and fast-paced experience, as you charge through enemies and obstacles. The deer-riding sequences are a highlight of this chapter, offering a nice change of pace from the more methodical platforming sections.
In addition to the deer, this chapter also introduces more complex environmental puzzles. Players will need to use the DualShock 4’s touchpad and motion controls to manipulate objects, create pathways, and solve puzzles. The game’s clever use of the controller’s features makes these puzzles feel fresh and engaging, never feeling repetitive or tedious.
Chapter 5: The Harbour
The Harbour brings players to a coastal setting, with paper boats, lighthouses, and waves crashing against the shore. The world continues to feel alive and dynamic, with the wind and water adding a sense of movement to the environment.
One of the key mechanics introduced in this chapter is the ability to throw objects using the DualShock 4’s touchpad. Players can pick up scraps and other items and toss them at enemies or into environmental puzzles. This adds a new layer of interaction, allowing players to engage with the world in more creative ways.
The Harbour also features more combat-focused sections, with scraps appearing in larger numbers. However, the combat remains light and accessible, never becoming overly difficult or frustrating. The focus is always on exploration and creativity, with combat serving as a way to break up the platforming and puzzle-solving.
Chapter 6: The Lab
The Lab introduces a more industrial setting, with mechanical contraptions, conveyor belts, and gears made from paper. This chapter feels like a departure from the more natural environments of previous chapters, offering a new visual style that is equally as impressive.
The Lab features some of the most complex puzzles in the game, requiring players to use all of the mechanics they’ve learned so far. The touchpad, motion controls, and light bar are all used in creative ways to solve puzzles and navigate the environment. The Lab feels like a culmination of everything the game has taught you up to this point, offering a satisfying challenge that rewards players for their mastery of the mechanics.
One of the standout moments in this chapter is a sequence where players must guide the messenger through a series of moving platforms and conveyor belts. The fast-paced platforming and puzzle-solving create a sense of urgency, but the game never feels overwhelming. The difficulty is well-balanced, offering a satisfying challenge without becoming frustrating.
Chapter 7: Valleyfold
Valleyfold takes players back to a more natural environment, with rolling hills, trees, and rivers all crafted from paper. This chapter feels like a return to the more open and exploratory sections of the game, with plenty of opportunities for players to wander off the beaten path and discover hidden secrets.
One of the key features of Valleyfold is the use of the wind mechanic, which allows players to manipulate the environment by swiping the touchpad. This mechanic is used in creative ways throughout the chapter, from blowing away obstacles to creating pathways for the messenger to follow.
Valleyfold also introduces more opportunities for combat, with scraps appearing in larger numbers. However, the combat remains secondary to the exploration and puzzle-solving, and the game never forces players into long combat sequences. Instead, the focus is always on creativity and exploration, with combat serving as a way to keep the gameplay varied and engaging.
Chapter 8: The Desert
The Desert is one of the most visually striking chapters in the game, with vast expanses of sand, towering dunes, and ancient ruins all made from paper. The papercraft aesthetic continues to impress, with the desert environment feeling both vast and intricate.
The gameplay in this chapter focuses heavily on exploration, with large open areas to traverse and secrets to uncover. The desert environment offers plenty of opportunities for players to use the gliding mechanic, as well as the wind mechanic to navigate through sandstorms and over large gaps.
The Desert also features some of the most challenging platforming sequences in the game, with players needing to carefully time their jumps and glides to avoid falling into the sand. The challenge is balanced, however, and the game never feels unfair. The Desert is a standout chapter, offering both visual and gameplay variety that keeps the experience fresh and engaging.
Chapter 9: The Tear
The Tear is the final chapter of Tearaway Unfolded, and it serves as the climactic conclusion to the messenger’s journey. The environment in this chapter is more abstract, with fragmented pieces of paper floating in the air and the world seemingly unraveling around the messenger. This chapter feels like a culmination of everything the game has built up to, both in terms of narrative and gameplay.
The platforming and puzzle-solving in this chapter are the most challenging in the game, with players needing to use all of the mechanics they’ve learned to navigate through the environment. The Tear features some of the most visually impressive sequences in the game, with the world shifting and changing around the messenger as they move closer to delivering the message.
The final moments of the game are both emotional and satisfying, with the messenger finally reaching their destination and delivering the message to you, the player. The ending is a poignant reminder of the connection between the player and the game world, and it serves as a fitting conclusion to the journey.
Conclusion
Tearaway Unfolded is a masterclass in creativity, storytelling, and interactive gameplay. Each chapter offers something new, whether it’s a fresh environment to explore, new mechanics to master, or puzzles that challenge your problem-solving skills in unique ways. The game’s use of the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller is nothing short of revolutionary, with each chapter pushing the limits of how a player can interact with a game world.
From the introductory chapters that ease players into the whimsical papercraft world, to the climactic conclusion in The Tear, the game maintains a steady balance between platforming, puzzle-solving, and light combat. What makes Tearaway Unfolded stand out is its seamless integration of creativity, both in terms of visual design and interactive gameplay mechanics. Each chapter presents new surprises, keeping the experience fresh and engaging from start to finish.
The progression of chapters builds a natural flow, with the initial focus on exploration and introduction to mechanics growing into more complex puzzles and challenges as the story unfolds. The variety in environments — from the serene beauty of Valleyfold to the abstract fragmentation of The Tear — ensures that players are constantly engaged and excited to see what comes next. The transitions between chapters feel organic, and there’s always a sense of adventure propelling you forward.
One of the key elements that enhances the experience is the world itself. The papercraft aesthetic is not just a visual treat but is deeply intertwined with gameplay. The folding, tearing, and manipulation of paper influence both the physical world and the way the player interacts with it. Each chapter takes full advantage of this concept, immersing players in a dynamic, ever-changing world that feels tactile and alive.
What really shines throughout the game is the sense of agency given to the player. The game actively acknowledges the player’s presence, breaking the fourth wall and inviting you to participate in the story as more than just a passive observer. You’re not only guiding the messenger but are an integral part of their journey, which creates a bond between the player and the character unlike anything in most other platformers.
Furthermore, the design philosophy of Tearaway Unfolded encourages creativity in problem-solving. Instead of brute force or precise platforming, the game asks players to think critically and creatively about how to use the tools provided to them. This makes each chapter feel less like a chore and more like an interactive experience that invites experimentation.
Final Thoughts on the Chapter Structure
While each chapter is distinct in terms of setting and gameplay, they all work cohesively to build a larger narrative that feels satisfying upon completion. The world of Tearaway Unfolded is vibrant and diverse, and the different chapters reflect various moods and thematic shifts, giving the game an excellent sense of pacing.
- Chapters like The Harbour and Gibbet Hill: Offer fast-paced action sequences and creative combat, which break up the more exploration-heavy sections.
- Chapters like Valleyfold and The Desert: Focus more on exploration and puzzle-solving, showcasing the game’s more meditative and scenic side.
- The final chapter, The Tear: Wraps up the narrative beautifully, providing a more abstract and emotionally resonant conclusion that solidifies the bond between the player and the messenger.
In conclusion, Tearaway Unfolded offers a unique chapter-based structure that ensures a well-paced, varied, and endlessly imaginative journey. Each chapter introduces fresh ideas while building on the core gameplay mechanics, ensuring that the game remains engaging from start to finish. It’s a delightful experience for players looking for a creative, heartwarming adventure in a world like no other. Whether you’re soaring through the skies in Gibbet Hill or solving intricate puzzles in The Lab, Tearaway Unfolded guarantees a memorable, immersive journey chapter by chapter.