Skylanders: Swap Force

Given that I have reviewed no less then three other versions of Skylanders SWAP Force, it was only natural that I be tasked as my final review of 2013 to give my impressions of the Xbox One version.  Given we are a Skylander’s family, as my kids just love it, I actually was looking forward to playing a next-gen version of the game.  So, how did Activision’s game fair in on a next-gen console?

“Vicarious Visions delivers a well-evolved set of ideas for its latest return trip to the Skylanders universe, Skylanders: Swap Force.”

A brilliant, imaginative game for kids of all ages

The swappable characters add a nice new mechanic and jumping is finally in. The PlayStation 4 version looks solid with better textures and resolution. It's fun for the whole family, but can be an expensive investment if your kid wants to unlock every level in the game.

Skylanders Swap Force adds lots of things that are sure to please fans. The swappable Skylanders and new challenges are smart, and the story is as funny and charming as ever. I particularly like the way the writers build on the epilogue of the previous game. More than anything else, Skylanders is just fun – but to get the most out of it, you'll end up paying the price of the game a couple times over.

SWAP Force is in many ways a surprise. It remedies a raft of the series’ biggest issues whilst adding its own twists. Still, if you’re looking for a cost effective time-sink, there are dozens – if not hundreds – of alternatives. With that said, Skylanders was the first to popularise the toy/game hybrid and hopefully, with a little pressure from Disney Infinity, prices will gradually become more competitive.

Sometimes you forget that Activision produce other games besides Call of Duty, and then you remember just how much money Skylanders has raked in during its short time on the market. Ostensibly a game that carried on the Spyro story, the series has become less about the titular purple dragon and more and more about the huge backlog of other characters that stand alongside him. Hidden amongst the bevy of merchandising opportunities is still a very solid kids game but one that seems to have beco...

The constant advertising never stops in this series with SWAP Force going out of its way to remind you to go buy more toys. There are quite a few times where it stops to mention how there are 200+ combinations you can make from the SWAP Force characters and there’s even a chart showcasing all the SWAP Force characters you’ve combined. There are also new dual elemental zones that require you to combine two SWAP Force characters to unlock the door. Don’t have the right elements? Tough luck, go buy the toy. The fact that more than half of the SWAP Force characters aren’t even available for purcha...