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This thread has been linked to the game 'Skylanders: Spyros Adventure'.
It's strange how fads can take over an individual. Starting off as a kid you absolutely just had to collect the next big thing, whether it’s something as simple as Premier League stickers, POGS or even marbles. As we aged our tastes would become more complex and expensive. iPods, iPads, the Nintendo Wii, Kindles... people just had to have the next technological marvel. So you can understand why I’m so shocked that a guy of 23 years has found himself so addicted to collecting small figures for a game probably more aimed at casual players or kids. I thought I was over this sort of thing!
Apparently not...
A strange darkness has appeared over the world of Skylands and its not looking good. However you are the portal master and what this means is that you are in control of a race of beings known as Skylanders. These while alive and moving in their world become like statues in ours (hence the figures) and under your power and control you must use them to save Skylands and defeat the evil darkness.
Right from the start you can tell this isn't your typical Spyro game but rather something different. Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure doesn’t do anything new to break the mould gameplay wise offering a fairly basic adventure with simplistic controls. The game has the usual central hub with chapters splitting off into other worlds and environments where you’ll manoeuvre and battle your way through swarms of enemies both small and large. You can’t actually jump in the game (which does feel odd at first) while abilities are handled with two buttons and can be upgraded as you collect more treasure. Ranging from things like projectile flames to swinging your tail these moves are your basic arsenal you’ll be relying on for most of the game. You’ll find yourself often clearing rooms of enemies, grabbing a key and then moving on with the odd mix of puzzles here and there too. Overall everything feels light with no massive depth. And don’t read that to be necessarily a bad thing as you’ll still have a good time venturing pirate islands or volcanoes and raising your little Skylander’s skill. It’s simple fun.
What sets Skylanders apart from so many other family friendly titles out there is its extensive use of the ‘Portal of Power’ device and small collectable figurines. What this entails is plugging into your console a small glowing platform where placing any figure on top will result in them appearing on your television screen ready to play seconds later. It’s a simple premise but thanks to some excellent scanning technology one that is effective and fun. Each Skylander has its own save function so any progress (whether it be money, abilities or levelling up) will be specific to that figure. What this means is if you get to level six with Prism Break, you can take this to another players game and continue right from where you left off. A cool little feature indeed.
Every Skylander has its own unique skill set, environmental type and stats. Spyro for example is a magic type complete with fire breathing and a charge move that can be upgraded to flying and more. This is just one of the thirty two characters (not including variations) that you can collect and train up spanning several elemental forms. You’ll find fire, water, rock and more each allowing you access to newer areas. Find a wall with a flame symbol on it? Switch to a fire type Skylander and instantly this section is yours to explore. Every time you find one of said areas you’ll want to switch between any character you have at your disposal via the portal. It’s amazingly quick and while one could argue this is a gimmick that could have been simplified to an on-screen menu, it isn’t nearly as fun nor as clever in terms of marketability. With eight types in total you may find yourself wanting to grab one element of each. However this comes at a cost. A very costly cost. The game itself will set you back around £50 which comes with the ‘Portal of Power’ and three set figures. If you want to buy more, then these will cost you a further £7 each while stage packs come in at a steep £20. Even if you wanted just a handful of these guys and a few stages that’s still going into triple digits which believe it or not seems a bit ridiculous for a game.
Visually things are bright and colourful with some rough edges here and there, but characters animate pretty well and environments offer enough detail to keep you interested. The music too is catchy and a delight to listen to and voice acting (which features the funny and excellent Patrick Warburton) ranges from enjoyable to irritating. The game offers a lengthy story with replayable chapters offering individual challenges and rankings. Furthermore you can also tackle character specific missions that offer perhaps the biggest challenges in the game. These are your typical searching or battling quests over a short time limit. Of course all of this can be played in two player local co-op which heightens the fun even more. Sadly three or four player is not an option. Finally you have the battle option that sees you facing each other on a handful of stages. Its fun for a while but you’ll find yourself wanting to head straight back into the main adventure.
Skylanders is already proving to be a big hit with gamers and kids alike offering a bright and imaginative world complete with that collectable aspect that people can’t help but get involved with. The overall price may be a bit off putting but in terms of the ideal family title or one for your kids to try you won’t find anything better. Even gamers who get a friend over to enjoy the fun (if slightly shallow) adventure may even find themselves getting hooked. You have been warned.
7.5/10
Apparently not...
A strange darkness has appeared over the world of Skylands and its not looking good. However you are the portal master and what this means is that you are in control of a race of beings known as Skylanders. These while alive and moving in their world become like statues in ours (hence the figures) and under your power and control you must use them to save Skylands and defeat the evil darkness.
Right from the start you can tell this isn't your typical Spyro game but rather something different. Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure doesn’t do anything new to break the mould gameplay wise offering a fairly basic adventure with simplistic controls. The game has the usual central hub with chapters splitting off into other worlds and environments where you’ll manoeuvre and battle your way through swarms of enemies both small and large. You can’t actually jump in the game (which does feel odd at first) while abilities are handled with two buttons and can be upgraded as you collect more treasure. Ranging from things like projectile flames to swinging your tail these moves are your basic arsenal you’ll be relying on for most of the game. You’ll find yourself often clearing rooms of enemies, grabbing a key and then moving on with the odd mix of puzzles here and there too. Overall everything feels light with no massive depth. And don’t read that to be necessarily a bad thing as you’ll still have a good time venturing pirate islands or volcanoes and raising your little Skylander’s skill. It’s simple fun.
What sets Skylanders apart from so many other family friendly titles out there is its extensive use of the ‘Portal of Power’ device and small collectable figurines. What this entails is plugging into your console a small glowing platform where placing any figure on top will result in them appearing on your television screen ready to play seconds later. It’s a simple premise but thanks to some excellent scanning technology one that is effective and fun. Each Skylander has its own save function so any progress (whether it be money, abilities or levelling up) will be specific to that figure. What this means is if you get to level six with Prism Break, you can take this to another players game and continue right from where you left off. A cool little feature indeed.
Every Skylander has its own unique skill set, environmental type and stats. Spyro for example is a magic type complete with fire breathing and a charge move that can be upgraded to flying and more. This is just one of the thirty two characters (not including variations) that you can collect and train up spanning several elemental forms. You’ll find fire, water, rock and more each allowing you access to newer areas. Find a wall with a flame symbol on it? Switch to a fire type Skylander and instantly this section is yours to explore. Every time you find one of said areas you’ll want to switch between any character you have at your disposal via the portal. It’s amazingly quick and while one could argue this is a gimmick that could have been simplified to an on-screen menu, it isn’t nearly as fun nor as clever in terms of marketability. With eight types in total you may find yourself wanting to grab one element of each. However this comes at a cost. A very costly cost. The game itself will set you back around £50 which comes with the ‘Portal of Power’ and three set figures. If you want to buy more, then these will cost you a further £7 each while stage packs come in at a steep £20. Even if you wanted just a handful of these guys and a few stages that’s still going into triple digits which believe it or not seems a bit ridiculous for a game.
Visually things are bright and colourful with some rough edges here and there, but characters animate pretty well and environments offer enough detail to keep you interested. The music too is catchy and a delight to listen to and voice acting (which features the funny and excellent Patrick Warburton) ranges from enjoyable to irritating. The game offers a lengthy story with replayable chapters offering individual challenges and rankings. Furthermore you can also tackle character specific missions that offer perhaps the biggest challenges in the game. These are your typical searching or battling quests over a short time limit. Of course all of this can be played in two player local co-op which heightens the fun even more. Sadly three or four player is not an option. Finally you have the battle option that sees you facing each other on a handful of stages. Its fun for a while but you’ll find yourself wanting to head straight back into the main adventure.
Skylanders is already proving to be a big hit with gamers and kids alike offering a bright and imaginative world complete with that collectable aspect that people can’t help but get involved with. The overall price may be a bit off putting but in terms of the ideal family title or one for your kids to try you won’t find anything better. Even gamers who get a friend over to enjoy the fun (if slightly shallow) adventure may even find themselves getting hooked. You have been warned.
7.5/10
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It's strange how fads can take over an individual. Starting off as a kid you absolutely just had to collect the next big thing, whether it’s something as simple as Premier League stickers, POGS or even marbles. As we aged our tastes would become more complex and expensive. iPods, iPads, the Nintendo Wii, Kindles... people just had to have the next technological marvel. So you can understand why I’m so shocked that a guy of 23 years has found himself so addicted to collecting small figures for a game probably more aimed at casual players or kids. I thought I was over this sort of thing!
Apparently not...
A strange darkness has appeared over the world of Skylands and its not looking good. However you are the portal master and what this means is that you are in control of a race of beings known as Skylanders. These while alive and moving in their world become like statues in ours (hence the figures) and under your power and control you must use them to save Skylands and defeat the evil darkness.
Right from the start you can tell this isn't your typical Spyro game but rather something different. Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure doesn’t do anything new to break the mould gameplay wise offering a fairly basic adventure with simplistic controls. The game has the usual central hub with chapters splitting off into other worlds and environments where you’ll manoeuvre and battle your way through swarms of enemies both small and large. You can’t actually jump in the game (which does feel odd at first) while abilities are handled with two buttons and can be upgraded as you collect more treasure. Ranging from things like projectile flames to swinging your tail these moves are your basic arsenal you’ll be relying on for most of the game. You’ll find yourself often clearing rooms of enemies, grabbing a key and then moving on with the odd mix of puzzles here and there too. Overall everything feels light with no massive depth. And don’t read that to be necessarily a bad thing as you’ll still have a good time venturing pirate islands or volcanoes and raising your little Skylander’s skill. It’s simple fun.
What sets Skylanders apart from so many other family friendly titles out there is its extensive use of the ‘Portal of Power’ device and small collectable figurines. What this entails is plugging into your console a small glowing platform where placing any figure on top will result in them appearing on your television screen ready to play seconds later. It’s a simple premise but thanks to some excellent scanning technology one that is effective and fun. Each Skylander has its own save function so any progress (whether it be money, abilities or levelling up) will be specific to that figure. What this means is if you get to level six with Prism Break, you can take this to another players game and continue right from where you left off. A cool little feature indeed.
Every Skylander has its own unique skill set, environmental type and stats. Spyro for example is a magic type complete with fire breathing and a charge move that can be upgraded to flying and more. This is just one of the thirty two characters (not including variations) that you can collect and train up spanning several elemental forms. You’ll find fire, water, rock and more each allowing you access to newer areas. Find a wall with a flame symbol on it? Switch to a fire type Skylander and instantly this section is yours to explore. Every time you find one of said areas you’ll want to switch between any character you have at your disposal via the portal. It’s amazingly quick and while one could argue this is a gimmick that could have been simplified to an on-screen menu, it isn’t nearly as fun nor as clever in terms of marketability. With eight types in total you may find yourself wanting to grab one element of each. However this comes at a cost. A very costly cost. The game itself will set you back around £50 which comes with the ‘Portal of Power’ and three set figures. If you want to buy more, then these will cost you a further £7 each while stage packs come in at a steep £20. Even if you wanted just a handful of these guys and a few stages that’s still going into triple digits which believe it or not seems a bit ridiculous for a game.
Visually things are bright and colourful with some rough edges here and there, but characters animate pretty well and environments offer enough detail to keep you interested. The music too is catchy and a delight to listen to and voice acting (which features the funny and excellent Patrick Warburton) ranges from enjoyable to irritating. The game offers a lengthy story with replayable chapters offering individual challenges and rankings. Furthermore you can also tackle character specific missions that offer perhaps the biggest challenges in the game. These are your typical searching or battling quests over a short time limit. Of course all of this can be played in two player local co-op which heightens the fun even more. Sadly three or four player is not an option. Finally you have the battle option that sees you facing each other on a handful of stages. Its fun for a while but you’ll find yourself wanting to head straight back into the main adventure.
Skylanders is already proving to be a big hit with gamers and kids alike offering a bright and imaginative world complete with that collectable aspect that people can’t help but get involved with. The overall price may be a bit off putting but in terms of the ideal family title or one for your kids to try you won’t find anything better. Even gamers who get a friend over to enjoy the fun (if slightly shallow) adventure may even find themselves getting hooked. You have been warned.
7.5/10
Apparently not...
A strange darkness has appeared over the world of Skylands and its not looking good. However you are the portal master and what this means is that you are in control of a race of beings known as Skylanders. These while alive and moving in their world become like statues in ours (hence the figures) and under your power and control you must use them to save Skylands and defeat the evil darkness.
Right from the start you can tell this isn't your typical Spyro game but rather something different. Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure doesn’t do anything new to break the mould gameplay wise offering a fairly basic adventure with simplistic controls. The game has the usual central hub with chapters splitting off into other worlds and environments where you’ll manoeuvre and battle your way through swarms of enemies both small and large. You can’t actually jump in the game (which does feel odd at first) while abilities are handled with two buttons and can be upgraded as you collect more treasure. Ranging from things like projectile flames to swinging your tail these moves are your basic arsenal you’ll be relying on for most of the game. You’ll find yourself often clearing rooms of enemies, grabbing a key and then moving on with the odd mix of puzzles here and there too. Overall everything feels light with no massive depth. And don’t read that to be necessarily a bad thing as you’ll still have a good time venturing pirate islands or volcanoes and raising your little Skylander’s skill. It’s simple fun.
What sets Skylanders apart from so many other family friendly titles out there is its extensive use of the ‘Portal of Power’ device and small collectable figurines. What this entails is plugging into your console a small glowing platform where placing any figure on top will result in them appearing on your television screen ready to play seconds later. It’s a simple premise but thanks to some excellent scanning technology one that is effective and fun. Each Skylander has its own save function so any progress (whether it be money, abilities or levelling up) will be specific to that figure. What this means is if you get to level six with Prism Break, you can take this to another players game and continue right from where you left off. A cool little feature indeed.
Every Skylander has its own unique skill set, environmental type and stats. Spyro for example is a magic type complete with fire breathing and a charge move that can be upgraded to flying and more. This is just one of the thirty two characters (not including variations) that you can collect and train up spanning several elemental forms. You’ll find fire, water, rock and more each allowing you access to newer areas. Find a wall with a flame symbol on it? Switch to a fire type Skylander and instantly this section is yours to explore. Every time you find one of said areas you’ll want to switch between any character you have at your disposal via the portal. It’s amazingly quick and while one could argue this is a gimmick that could have been simplified to an on-screen menu, it isn’t nearly as fun nor as clever in terms of marketability. With eight types in total you may find yourself wanting to grab one element of each. However this comes at a cost. A very costly cost. The game itself will set you back around £50 which comes with the ‘Portal of Power’ and three set figures. If you want to buy more, then these will cost you a further £7 each while stage packs come in at a steep £20. Even if you wanted just a handful of these guys and a few stages that’s still going into triple digits which believe it or not seems a bit ridiculous for a game.
Visually things are bright and colourful with some rough edges here and there, but characters animate pretty well and environments offer enough detail to keep you interested. The music too is catchy and a delight to listen to and voice acting (which features the funny and excellent Patrick Warburton) ranges from enjoyable to irritating. The game offers a lengthy story with replayable chapters offering individual challenges and rankings. Furthermore you can also tackle character specific missions that offer perhaps the biggest challenges in the game. These are your typical searching or battling quests over a short time limit. Of course all of this can be played in two player local co-op which heightens the fun even more. Sadly three or four player is not an option. Finally you have the battle option that sees you facing each other on a handful of stages. Its fun for a while but you’ll find yourself wanting to head straight back into the main adventure.
Skylanders is already proving to be a big hit with gamers and kids alike offering a bright and imaginative world complete with that collectable aspect that people can’t help but get involved with. The overall price may be a bit off putting but in terms of the ideal family title or one for your kids to try you won’t find anything better. Even gamers who get a friend over to enjoy the fun (if slightly shallow) adventure may even find themselves getting hooked. You have been warned.
7.5/10