Skylanders: Giants PS3 Review - PAGE 1

Last year Skylanders: Spyro's Adventures came through and whipped youngsters and their parent's wallets into a frenzy. Combining the power of a videogame and collectible figurines, it became a drain on many parents' patience. Released right before the holiday season, it became incredibly tough to find some of the more popular characters due to a shortage, and it quickly became a big hit on the e-bay market as well.

Fast forward a year later, and the series has spawned a new console title -- Skylanders Giants. Using the same concept as before, developer Toys for Bob has added 16 new characters, eight of which are twice the size of standard characters, and reposed many of their first releases. What we have is yet another recipe for disaster, as many parents are already clearing store shelves of the ever popular figurines.

Gameplay

The gameplay closely mirrors the original Skylanders, with a main and secondary attack being the only inputs besides the directional controls. Once again we're forced to use jump pads found throughout the environment to reach higher platforms. This may seem (and feel) like a step backwards for folks who are used to having a dedicated jump button, but my kids didn't even notice.

In this iteration, Toys for Bob has included three difficulty levels, with a fourth available after beating the game. This helps you get a nice return investment on those expensive figures you buy, but with a level cap of 15 it still feels like the game is keeping you on a very tight leash. Unfortunately once you reach the level cap there's very little incentive to continue using the character (unless it's a favorite), and my kids quickly got over using the figs once they reached the level 10 cap on the first Skylanders game. With only a 5 level difference, the first Series will see very little in the way of a rebirth here.

There is a Battle Arena available where two players can pit their characters against each other. This is pretty cool, if you can stand the bickering over who is cheating. Anyone with a more advanced video game skill set is going to dominate here, which is a good place for an older brother or sister to get payback on their younger siblings. Anyone who doesn't understand the arena concept is best off sticking to the main portion of the game.

One major thing I did find annoying about this game and the original are the tokens hidden throughout the levels which act as advertisements. Picking up these tokens unlocks special character movies, and they only drive the kids' desire to collect every damn single Skylander through the roof. I hated the obvious marketing campaign, while my kids ate it up and demanded more. It's not really a flaw so much that I'm absolutely jealous I didn't come up with it first.

The Characters

The series 2 figurines are mostly copies of the first series, just in new poses which come with a higher price. Each series 2 fig also features a new "Wow Pow" upgrade power, as well as having a choice for your upgrade path. Some figures also include what is called a "LightCore", which is nothing more than a clear or colored highlight on the figure which lights up when placed on the portal of power. It's a gimmick, but it works well and the kids really enjoyed the new feature.

The series 1 characters work splendidly in Giants, while the series 2 backwards compatibility is limited to only the re-posed figures. This isn't really a big issue, and I didn't even have to explain it to the kids as they already assumed as much. They also pointed out to me the different colored bottoms between the series, with Series 1 being green and Series 2 being orange. This is very helpful for parents hunting down the toys for their children's Christmas wish list who aren't up on these things.

On top of the redesigned characters, there's also 16 entirely new ones, eight of which are the Giants. While I must admit these guys are pretty damn cool, I can foresee the portal getting crowded pretty quickly if using an expansion or adventure pack. I tried to pick up a couple more to include in my review playthrough, but at $15 a piece, I might as well hold onto them and use them as Christmas gifts.

The characters are once again compatible with all Skylander: Giants versions, whether it be 3DS, Playstation, XBOX, Nintendo, etc. All of your data is saved right on the character (think of it as a memory stick), and you can even take your collectible hats into another person's game. Also owners who already have the portal can pick up just the game and a new Giant Skylander, though still at a pretty penny.

Graphics and Sound

Though the cut scenes have improved a bit, the graphics during gameplay suffers from a lack of polish. Take a peek at any screenshot and you'll notice a blurred effect. This is quite evident throughout the entire game. I'm not sure why they didn't sharpen up the imaging, other than they are using the old engine. Again, it didn't seem to bother the kids one bit, but it did get on my nerves at times. Of course I look at it from a consumer standpoint, whereas my kids are strictly in it for the fun.

The music is just as annoying as the first one, but only because it's very cutesy and gets stuck in your head easily. In reality the charming melodies are perfect for the younger fan base. I don't consider this a drawback at all, and quite enjoy the fact my kids have tunes they can safely hum. Just be ready for it and put in some headphones when they're on your system.

Kids' Reactions

I didn't tell my kids I was getting Skylanders: Giants for review, so they were in complete and utter shock when I opened up the package and gave them a peek at what was inside. All of them proceeded to dance and cheer through the entire house, before a fight began to break out over who would get to go first. After I had them wrestle each other for position (the girls won), we finally settled down to give it a go.

The controls are easy to learn, and perfect for the younger children. The levels are laid out in a very simple way so it's difficult to get lost, while the easy puzzles helped to encourage their creative thinking skills. We all cheered each other on, even when sitting on the sidelines waiting to jump in;  which is made simple with the portal. Unfortunately trying to keep the kids from "Skylander hopping" (changing characters every 30 seconds) was a bit difficult.

One thing I've learned during all of these adventures with my kids is they suck at co-op courtesy. They quickly run and gobble up food even when they have full health, and will do everything in their power to steal your treasure. I also found myself fighting them trying to go in a specific direction, while they ran the opposite way, preventing me from moving any further. To them this was the funniest part of the adventure, and were laughing hysterically at my constant whining about them not playing fair.

As silly as it sounds, my kids' horrible co-op skills really brought back some fond memories of growing up and trying to play co-op with my younger brothers. Sure we were all a bunch of jerks to each other, but it brings a warm smile to my face now as I think back to the "golden days" of gaming.

Final Thoughts

The new poses on the figures, new abilities, and addition of the giants are a bit of a hard sale for folks past their teen years. Unfortunately my kids are 10 and under, and want every single Skylander, because in their mind they're all new. This is in fact a genius marketing scheme, and I can't deny I'm stuck handing fists full of cash to Activision and Toys for Bob.

I've given Skylanders: Giants a score based on the game and its appeal to their core audience, who happen to be pre-teen. However, I would hope to see some radical changes in the next iteration or the games will start to see scores dropping significantly. Then again, what does a perfect 10 matter when you can still make millions recycling the same concept?

No matter how you look at it though, there's no denying Skylanders Giants and the Skylanders series in general gives us a great family game, and a bridge between gaming generations we can all enjoy. Keep an eye out for decent sales to help out with the lean wallet this Holiday season, and don't forget to grab a Skylander or two for yourself.