Skylanders Swap Force

Give in to that inner-child and enjoy what is a terrific, entertaining game that absolutely anyone will love, because this is easily the best Skylanders game to date.

Swap Force is a brilliant, imaginative game for kids of all ages. That shouldn’t be such an anomaly, but outside Nintendo no one is making games for a younger audience that are as polished, as thoughtful and as substantial as this. It’s a genuine delight.

The series evolves in the right direction, enhancing the possibilities and creating a coherent gameplay, where the protagonists –both the physical and the virtual ones– are more important than ever.

The fact may dismay parents but this is an excellent sequel that goes to considerable effort to inject new ideas and fix earlier problems – making it one of the best kids games available today.

Skylanders: Swap Force is a somewhat-fresh take on the franchise with a really satisfying new element of mixing and matching character halves, but let's not pretend that it's going to take the series' fans by surprise.

Skylanders Swap Force is fun from start to finish, and outclasses its predecessors in depth and breadth of content.

SWAP Force marks the point at which Skylanders really finds its groove; it’s still super approachable for all levels of gamer (the hard difficulty will challenge even the very best out there, believe me) and finally worthwhile for those of us that like something with a bit of meat on it.

Glorious. [Christmas 2013, p.78]

Skylanders Swap Force brings back a very familiar game with a few upgrades and a slug of new characters. Those that are huge fans of the franchise will be comfortable with this familiarity, while those that are just getting into the game for the first time will find a very fun and additive title.

Swap force is a nice game, perfect for the target to which it's addressed, exciting and enjoyable also for those who are already a little older. If you have a child, or a younger brother to share the experience with, this game will be just amazing.

This one beats, without a doubt, Disney Infinity and this one is even better than the previous two Skylander games. There's a new a idea of combining body parts. So you can mix characters and it's awesome.

Aside from over 150 characters, easy to get into gameplay and pretty, varied levels, Skylanders Swap force has one excellent new element: dismantling the toys and combining them into new characters.

Activision managed to successfully renovate its franchise, keeping it fresh with small but significant changes. One of the most recommended games for kids, especially if you’re planning to play with them, this holiday season.

A great action adventure game plenty of fun, possibilities and toys to play with. A dream come true for kids... and perhaps a wider audience.

Skylanders SWAP Force is at the cusp of feeling like series fatigue, but is also the best in the series to date. Even if you might be feeling a little burnt out on the genre, it only took one level before I was sucked back in. Once again I am lost in the world of Skylanders, and it remains the toy-to-game series to beat.

If you were thinking that this was going to be an Activision cash grab, think again. So much heart and soul is consistently poured into the Skylanders franchise time and time again, and Swap Force is no exception. In fact, it's the best one yet.

I don’t think there are any weaknesses in the story or its delivery – the plot is fairly simple, as is the combat. I think Vicarious Visions does this series proud in carrying out a new and challenging role – take a genre-defining product and bring some freshness to it while maintaining the consistency and imagination of new characters balanced with the old.

I feared of franchise fatigue going into this review, but this installment shows us that a few great ideas can keep this action figure-based experience alive and well.

Skylanders Swap Force definitely takes this franchise to the next level up that we had a ball playing. It may not be as refined as Disney Infinity (I guess it does help when you have the Disney vault of characters available) but in terms of local and online play, there's something quite enjoyable about seeing your action figures come alive in the virtual world.

Skylanders Swap Force is the best Skylanders game yet. Graphically it’s seen some major improvements, it’s quite varied and the amount of content can keep kids busy for countless hours. Its still leaves a bad taste in your mouth though, because you’ll have to spend a lot of money if you want to get the most out of it.

I particularly like the way the writers build on the epilogue of the previous game.

New approach to the figures allowed the game to open up and bring larger and more complex areas to the game. The selling point remains with the new figures themselves, though – and won’t let you sleep until you’ve got as many of them as your budget allows. [Issue#237]

The best Skylanders game to date and a must for all fans of the franchise, young and maybe old - apologies to the parents out there.

Skylanders: Swap Force is a game packed with a variety of content for people of all ages.

Skylanders Swap Force is at its core a fun filled kids game with a penchant for clever in-game marketing. It would be nice to be able to experience 100% of the game right out of the box, but where is the money in that? Instead you will probably get a thoroughly enjoyable 60-70% of the game and if you decide to call it a day at that point you will have still had plenty of fun.

Skylanders: Swap Force innovates the franchise with new characters, new mechanics, new levels and new way for your children to spend money. Anyway, do not make the error to thinks it's just a “childish game”, since it can be be enjoyed by the grown ups too.

And while the previous Skylander titles no doubt drew plenty of inspiration from these legendary releases (the series has its roots in the old Spyro the Dragon adventure platformers after all), it is Swap Force that really re-captures the magic.

Most importantly, the game never takes the devotion of these young players for granted, and seeks to reward and challenge them at every turn.

Swap Force's simplistic but addictive gameplay is enjoyable for gamers of any skill level.

Therein lies the beauty of the game – it’s offers players a wealth of choice, from the many variations of Skylander they want to play with to the upgrades they want to add to the secret areas they want to unlock. Most of the toys are, for lack of a better description, really cool looking, which got me thinking very much like a kid: I want them all. You’d almost think Activision planned it this way.

If my daughter’s reactions while playing are any indication it seems safe to say most kids will love this Skylanders adventure at least as much as its predecessors. The new magnetically joined toys are unquestionably cool and there’s more to do within the game and keep them coming back than ever before.

The new twists to the formula — chiefly, the Swap characters — are a welcome addition, and the core gameplay is fast-paced and crammed with variety. If there's an agenda, Swap Force is worth playing despite it.

You can still technically play through the entire adventure with just one Skylander, but to scratch that completist itch you’ll need both a fat wallet and the willingness to hunt down specific physical character figures.

The best game in the series. [Issue#142, p.115]

There's plenty of variety. [Issue#105, p.85]