In an industry chock full of toys-to-life games, (Disney Infinity, Super Smash Bros. and the soon to be released LEGO Dimensions) is there any room left for the one that started it all?
Well, yes.
Skylanders Superchargers, the fifth game in Activision’s yearly series, allows players to equip their favorite Skylanders with land, sea and air vehicles for the first time. Players place theIn an industry chock full of toys-to-life games, (Disney Infinity, Super Smash Bros. and the soon to be released LEGO Dimensions) is there any room left for the one that started it all?
Well, yes.
Skylanders Superchargers, the fifth game in Activision’s yearly series, allows players to equip their favorite Skylanders with land, sea and air vehicles for the first time. Players place the figures and vehicles on the “Portal of Power,” bringing them to life in-game.
The game’s main campaign sets players on a cut-and-dry rescue mission through the Skylands, or what’s left of them after titular bad guy Kaos shakes things up.
For kids, this campaign is sure to be a blast. For the parents, well, it’s not much better than an animated film in the realm of The Bee Movie.
But it’s fun, and it looks absolutely stunning. Almost Pixar-like visuals grace each of the game’s many levels. This is where Skylanders really sets itself apart of the competition.
Not one level looks recycled or reused, and each piece of the world seems to be living and breathing.
Sheep graze in the backdrop, clouds chat it up in the sky and each character has a distinct set of facial expressions.
It makes sense, though, since the brand is competing with the likes of Super Mario, Pokemon, Marvel and Star Wars. Not to mention the Wii U, Wii and 3DS version of the game are exclusively compatible with special edition Donkey Kong and Bowser Skylanders.
Superchargers also features 20 new Skylanders (in addition to 20 vehicles) for parents to spend money on, but each offers a unique and dynamic twist on the gameplay.
Each character also has its own skill tree to fill out by leveling up, adding depth to a title otherwise very one-dimensional.
And this goes for the vehicles too. Players collect gears throughout the game’s main quest, which can be played single player or cooperatively locally or online, and can trick out their rides.
Each vehicle has a Skylander figurine (sold separately) that when paired up makes it “supercharged,” which usually involves making it stronger, faster and look way cooler. Figures are priced at $13, while the vehicles are $15. Bundles are also available.
If the co-op isn’t enough, the game also sports a local and online multiplayer racing mode. While it may seem like a store-brand version of Mario Kart or N64 classic Diddy Kong Racing, it’s just another thing to make the package well worth its entry price.
For those already neck deep in the Skylanders world, all of the previous games’ figures are compatible with Superchargers, and a digital version of the game is available for those who already own a Portal of Power.
- Nicholas Friedman, Denton Record-Chronicle… Expand