‘Force Awakens’: the game from Disney
Game lets players remix ‘Force Awakens’ any number of ways
Pretend, for a brief moment, that new “StarWars: The Force Awakens” villain Kylo Ren isn’t so bad. Perhaps he’s good after all.
Welcome to the world of “Disney Infinity,” where fans and players can remix the “The Force Awakens” to suit their imagination.
J.J. Abrams’ “StarWars” vision isn’t confined to movie theaters. Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm released a “Force Awakens” addition for the popular kids- and family-focused game “Disney Infinity.” It adheres to the guidelines set up by the film — to a point.
Fly the Millennium Falcon on the war-torn desert planet of Jakku, or engage in a blaster battle on a lush forest green planet. Or maybe make that a lightsaber battle. Like previous iterations of “Infinity,” the game will twist and turn depending on which character is used. That means Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren can be re-imagined as a hero, or Daisy Ridley’s hardscrabble Rey can participate in scenes in which her character wasn’t present for the film.
And even those characters who aren’t in the film — hello again, Yoda — can visit the universe of “The Force Awakens.”
Although this is par for the course in the toys-to-life game “Disney Infinity,” it represents a relative recent shift for licensed interactive entertainment, where film and video game properties are increasingly treated as separate entities that don’t always have to reflect the needs of the other.
“We talked a lot about not making strictly the game about the movie,” says Lucasfilm senior executive Ada Duan. “People have seen the movie. We want there to be some freedom and creativity where people can play. What was important for us was making sure we got certain key cinematics that accurately reflect the film so it’s familiar. But then it’s really about freedom and having agency within the game world itself to just explore - to fly the Millennium Falcon, to explore Jakku.”
To experience “The Force Awakens” on “Disney Infinity,” which is available for all major video game consoles, isn’t cheap. Players first will need a $64.99 “Disney Infinity” starter pack, which comes bundled with a game inspired by the prequel and animated “CloneWars”-era “StarWars” worlds. Then expect to spend about $35 for “The Force Awakens” playset. Included are figures based on Ridley’s Rey and John Boyega’s Finn (the cast of “The Force Awakens” lent their voice talents to the game).
When the figures are placed on a plastic disc, they spring to action in the game. Additional toys, such as Kylo Ren, are available for about $14. Players at various points during the game will gain abilities that allow them to use past and present “StarWars” heroes and villains with “The Force Awakens” playset, allowing for the narrative to be altered or remixed at will.
“‘Infinity’ has more than 100 characters across the entire company,” says John Vignocchi, vice president of production for Disney Infinity. “They’re all toy versions. No one is confused that this is Yoda from ‘The Phantom Menace.’ That’s the ‘Disney Infinity’ Yoda. It looks like a toy, acts like a toy, breaks apart like a toy.”