‘Skylanders’ shows there’s still life in toy formula
With the May announcement declaring the end of the Disney Infinity line, the future of the toys-to-life genre appeared uncertain. If Mickey and company couldn’t find enough success with the category, it didn’t bode well for others.
But despite the demise of a rival, Toys for Bob had no reason to worry. One way to keep a genre going is to innovate and tackle it from a new angle. The Novato-based studio does both with “Skylanders Imaginators,” the sixth incarnation of this toys-to-life franchise. The team changes the old formula by flipping the script.
Instead of gamers playing with developer-crafted characters, Toys for Bob puts the hero-creation tool in the player’s hands. Now, those fans who dream up their own Skylanders can actually make them by using building-block pieces provided by the team. If they want to build a
knight who happens to be part skeleton and part robot, they can do that. If they want a cowboy who has been turned into a vampire ninja, they can travel that route. Fittingly called Imaginators, these heroes offer nearly limitless possibilities in terms of both their aesthetics and personalities.
On the gameplay side, the Imaginators’ fighting style and powers are determined by the type of Creation Crystal they’re tied to and the Battle Class chosen by the player. Gamers can choose from 10 hero archetypes, including swashbuckler, brawler and sorcerer, with each class having its own way of defeating adversaries. Some do damage up close, while others have weapons that allow attacks from a distance. Combine these abilities with those of the 10 types of Creation Crystals, and players can design a hero that’s unique. That robust customization is the magic of “Skylanders Imaginators.”
The game does a great job of making players feel invested with the heroes they’ve made. During the quest to stop Kaos from taking over Skylands, players will earn treasure chests filled with loot. The rewards may be new body pieces for revamping the Imaginator on the fly or gear that gives them stat boosts. In addition, the treasure offers an incen- tive to explore levels or dabble in minigames such as Creation Clash with Imaginator or Sensei. The whole process makes for an addictive gameplay loop reminiscent of “Diablo.” Players will come across plenty of underwhelming treasure, but once in a while, they’ll get a weapon or armor piece that makes the grind worth it.
Aside from the Imaginators, players can use Senseis from the latest line of items from Toys for Bob. Those Senseis boost the level cap of Imaginators, giving them the potential to get stronger. The Senseis also unlock new gear and Battle Class moves for player-made heroes.
Although the core gameplay is solid, the campaign is too rote for a great children’s game. The Saturday-morning-cartoon vibe is fun, but the level design mostly has players battling hordes of monsters while doing the occasional puzzle. And the narrative is predictable as it drags on toward the finale.
The smart character-creation concept, however, definitely moves the genre forward, and Toys for Bob takes things even further with the “Skylanders Creators” app for iOS and Android devices. This app enables players to transfer the Imaginator from the console game to a mobile device, using an inventive sound-based technology from Chirp. It’s reminiscent of old dial-up modems, but a lot more pleasant. Once the Imaginator is in the app, players can customize it further — and even use the app to turn the Imaginator into a unique playing card or a 3-D printed toy.
That concept brings “Skylanders” full circle: An idea that has been brought to life though a video game can be transformed into a physical object that players can hold in their hand. Through the app, fans can upload their characters to the Shapeways 3-D printing service to get a figurine that they can use with the game.
The figurine is a custom toy the player has had a hand in making. It hints at a bright future for the toys-to-life genre — playthings made to order, as imagined by the player.