Spending 60 minutes with the opening of Tearaway, Media Molecule's upcoming papercraft platformer for the Vita, made me happier than pretty much any game I've played all year. From the get-go, Tearaway exudes charm from every single corner of its world. From the whimsical, fourth-wall-breaking banter of the two narrators, to the quick tour through all of the various gameplay elements that utilize each of the Vita's unique features like its camera and motion capabilities, it managed to consistently surprise me.

Media Molecule has created a tactile world in a way that few other games have ever accomplished. Blowing on the Vita screen causes the papercraft shrubbery to sway in a gentle breeze. Tapping on the rear touch screen causes the world to pulsate to your rhythm, allowing you to bounce high off certain tight, drum-like surfaces. And as you guide your bipedal envelope across the massive expanse of the charming world, you'll often find the sky tearing open and the Vita's front camera being used to actually put your face in the game world.

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The world of Tearaway pulls inspiration from various forms of mythology and folklore. For example, an early area has you exploring a world that borrows from the Canadian wilderness and the Yeti myth. Though most of the game seems to be centered around exploring these gorgeous environments, Media Molecule peppers the experience with a variety of interesting diversions and gameplay palate cleansers. Rubbing your finger across the rear touch pad when you're near a particularly thin portion of the world results in your human finger ripping through the ground, allowing you to wreck enemies with no trouble whatsoever. A peek at how the sausage is made reveals that this effect is accomplished via a questionnaire you take at the start of the game which has you revealing your skin tone and hand size, culminating in the digital finger actually looking pretty accurate to my own digit.

Adding to the amazing sense of whimsy is a lovely little soundtrack that pulls influence from a cacophony of sources ranging from circus music to simple guitar riffs. Knowing that the adventure will also take me to locales inspired by English and Aztec mythology has me excited to hear what else Media Molecule in store.

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I love how Media Molecule has the confidence to place me into a large, open area, let go of my hand, and give me the freedom to explore their world. And therein lies on final, strange feeling I felt near the end of my time with Tearaway.

As much as I enjoyed Tearaway's charming first hour, I couldn't help but put down my Vita and feel a tad bit melancholy. Media Molecule's game is a whimsical 3D character platformer that exists about a decade since the genre went into hibernation. Games like Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Jak and Daxter, and Psychonauts helped inform my love of gaming as much as anything else. In a season that's been rightfully bogarted by new consoles which can display severed limbs and shiny cars with new-found fidelity, it's nice to know that some developers like Media Molecule are still making games that remind me of why I fell in love with this wacky pastime in the first place.

Check back at midnight PST for our full review of Tearaway.

Marty Sliva is an Associate Editor at IGN. He thinks Tearaway is one of the better games coming out on November 22, and that's saying something. Follow him on Twitter @McBiggitty and on IGN.