Platform: Playstation 3
Developer: Disney Interactive
ESRB rating: E (Everyone)
Release Date: August 18, 2013
Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars
I have to admit, I have never played “Skylanders” ever. Now, I know the idea behind it having seen the numerous characters available for purchase in stores everywhere. I just never really had an interest in the characters. When I heard though that Disney was releasing basically their task on “Skylanders” with “Disney Infinity”, I was blown away. The universe that Disney has in terms of characters is unbelievable. They have an enormous pool of characters to dip into, I guess that is where the name infinity comes from. The idea of the game is basic but the possibilities are endless. You get the the freedom to play with as of your favorite Disney and Disney/Pixar characters in their respective worlds but like never before. This is not your typical platform game at all. There are several modes to explore starting with my favorite the “Toy Box” mode, which gives you complete customization in the game (more on that below). There are also various play sets to explore including “Monsters University”, “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Incredibles”, which are included and “Cars” and “The Lone Rangers”, which are sold separately. I am sure that this is only going to be expanded as Disney releases new characters in the coming months.
So to get started with the game you are three three character figures to start with including Sulley from “Monsters University”, Captain Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean” and Mr. Incredible, from “The Incredibles”. You also receive a play set for each of these characters to play in. You cannot unfortunately cross-over other characters into other play sets, so for example Sulley from “Monsters University” cannot play in the world of “Pirates of the Caribbean”. If you want to use your imagination and do that then that would be where the toy box would come in handy (I promise more on that below). Like “Skylanders” (and smart for Disney), you can purchase additional character figures. From “Cars” you can purchase Mater, Lightning McQueen, Holly Shiftwell and Francesco. If you like “Pirates of the Caribbean”, you can get Captain Barbossa and Davy Jones. “The Incredibles” fans can get Dash, Violet, Mrs. Incredible and Syndrome. If you enjoyed “The Lone Ranger”, you can purchase him and Tonto. Lastly, if you liked “Monsters University”, you can get Mike Waszowski and Randall. But like I said that is only the beginning, Disney hasn’t even started tapping into their wealth of characters. See below for future plans for expansion.
“Disney Infinity” is not only ever expanding with its characters but also its content. Literally the more you play, the more you can unlock ranging from in-game toys to online content. In the game, you can battle enemies, solve puzzles, overcome obstacles and complete a tons of unique quests. Let’s get to the Toy Box now, during playing the game you will find that you will unlock tons of virtual toys from each play set including characters, buildings, weapons, gadgets and more. You are able to utilize these items and let your imagination go in your own custom toy box. If you want to mix run around in The Grid from “TRON” mixed with “Sugar Rush” from “Wreck-It Ralph”, that is completely possible. There are no rules and you can create any adventure you want. If you want to create sports-themed games such as football games and street races…yep, that is possible. You want to put Buzz Lightyear and Davy Jones face-to-face…yep that is also possible. This is a feature that I have only started to tap into since it is literally a game in its own. This to be is an entirely different world and you can easily spend hours, days, months just lost in the possibilities.
Have you had enough yet? Well, we are not close to being done. “Disney Infinity” also has ability to upgrade your characters in game with the purchase of “Power Discs”. They comes in either Circular or Hexagonal power discs that fit right on the Disney Infinity base under your characters and play sets and it unlocks special powers, classic Disney gadgets, themes and vehicles. The Circular power discs are used to grant special power ups that can be used in both Play Set and Toy Box modes. The Hexagonal power discs unlock special gadgets, vehicles and themes and are use only within Toy Box mode though. You are able to stack up to two Circular power discs or up to three Hexagonal power discs to take advantage of this extra features. There are also disc combos that will give you additional upgrades when combined. They are available for $4.99 for each pack with two disc included per pack. These are also fun to trade to friends in order to collect all 20 of them. It actually become quite additive in order to get them all. I found myself obsessed with getting the rare disc but let me tell you they are really worth it. Being able to fly around your toy box on Dumbo from Disney Parks is such a cool feature and a whole lot of fun.
Check out below for a list of all the power discs that you can currently own and remember this is only for series one of three. Disney hasn’t announced a release date for the other series but if you go into your Hall of Heroes in the game you will be able to get a sneak peak at what power discs are in the works in the near future. Did I mention TRON? Oops, I couldn’t help it. I can’t wait to be able to customize my toy box using these great power-ups.
Circular Discs
Bolt’s Super Strength – Character that you’re playing with does 10% more damage
Fix It Felix’s Repair Power – Character you’re playing with has 20% more health
C.H.R.O.M.E’s Armor Shield – In-game character receives -10% less damage
Pieces of Eight – In-game character gains 10% more loot
Hexagonal Discs
Mickey’s Car – Drive Mickey’s Jalopy
Cinderella’s Coach – Drive Cinderella’s Carriage
Kahn– Ride Kahn the Horse from “Mulan”
Stitch’s Blaster – In-game character gets Stitch’s blaster from “Lilo and Stitch”
Carl Fredericksen’s Cane – In-game character gets Carl’s cane from “Up”
King Candy’s Dessert Toppings Texture Set– Adds a “Sugar Rush” theme from “Wreck-it-Ralph”
Sugar Rush Sky Skydome – Adds a “Sugar Rush” theme from “Wreck-it-Ralph”
Alice’s Wonderland Texture Set – Adds an “Alice in Wonderland” terrain
Tulgey Wood Skydome – Adds an “Alice in Wonderland” sky
Marlin’s Reef Texture Set– Adds a “Finding Nemo” terrain
Nemo’s Seascape Skydome – Adds a “Finding Nemo” sky
Rapunzel’s Kingdom Texture Set – Adds a “Tangled” terrain
Rapunzel’s Birthday Sky Skydome – Adds a “Tangled” sky
Rare Hexagonal Discs
Dumbo the Flying Elephant – Adds the Dumbo ride from the Parks
Abu the Elephant – Adds the elephant version of Abu
Astro Blasters Space Cruiser – Adds the Astro Blaster vehicle from the Buzz Lightyear attraction
Let’s get into the actual gameplay a bit now. I have to admit, since this game is aimed for a younger audience I wasn’t expecting a perfect game, but I was blown away by how much fun it is even for a big kid like myself. There are a few bugs still within the game. You will find yourself ghosting in the wall of some plays et and toy boxes but that is also due to the endless customization of the game. There are literally no boundaries…literally. There are also no lives or continues needed for this game, which I enjoyed but it might turn off hardcore gamer who looks for that extra challenge. If you fall off a cliff or get “killed”, you just re-spawn and continue where you left off, which was good enough for me. The controls are pretty solid I found expect for the driving, which to me just seems a little too fast. I would like the option to turn down the speed just a notch. Perhaps in a upcoming patch Disney?
So if you are a Disney fan in any aspect, this game is literally a must own. I cannot even imagine how much they are going to expand this universe. I can easily see myself playing this game for years to come without EVER getting bored. There is so much to do and Disney has really scored a major hit here. Also just after this game was released, Disney has already announced some new sets and figures including a Toy Story in Space Play Set, featuring Buzz, Jessie and Woody, which is scheduled to be released in October. Also the next wave of individual figures include Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey, Rapunzel from “Tangled”, as well as characters from “Wreck-It Ralph”, “Frozen”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Phineas and Ferb”, which are being rolled out beginning this October also through 2014. So stay tuned because we are only just getting started here.
