Skylanders Imaginators Crash Limited Edition (PS4) Review

This October has seen the brand new game release from Skylanders - Imaginators. A disc and toy-based game available for all major consoles, Imaginators allows players to create their own unique characters, as well as playing using the characters which have accompanying figures. We are especially lucky because we have been sent the Playstation 4 Crash Limited Edition Starter Pack for review.

The Crash Starter Pack arrives with:
Video Game Disc
Skylanders Portal Of Power
4 Sensei Figures - Crash Bandicoot, Dr Neo Cortex, Master King Pen, Golden Queen.
1 Imaginite Creation Crystal
Collection Poster
Sticker Sheet
Plus a level unlock (the Crash Bandicoot Skylanders figure opens the Thumpin' Wumpa Islands level)

 

We also have a bit of a boost, because before Imaginators was released, we were sent a teaser preview box to get my boys excited, and that contained an extra character - Tae Kwon Crow, and a pack of 3 Creation Crystals - Tech, Undead and Magic.

My 6 and 8 year old boys are no strangers to Skylanders, so they were very excited about the release - and in fact completed the Story Mode in 2 days of gaming. Even though they've worked through the story to the end, this only gave them 22% game completion, so they have absolutely tons more gameplay to keep them going for a long while.

The game story is that the Skylanders ever present enemy Kaos has yet again to be defeated. He's used Mind Magic to create special minions called Doomlanders, who need to be beaten in order to save Skyland and the characters living there. In order to get rid of Kaos, the Skylanders hatch a very complex and unlikely plot involving collecting the ingredients necessary to create a giant cake...

There's tongue-in-cheek humour throughout, and bizarre quests and challenges. Racing, missions, meeting strange characters in arcades, Skylanders has got it all.

The control system is intuitive, and exchanging characters on the Portal Of Power works well. You can play alone or 2-player co-op with someone in the same house, so it's a great family game. You can also play against other people online (if you are older and sensible enough).

There are what seems like millions of different items to collect as you play, to upgrade your armour, give you special powers and boosts, new weapons and extra kit.

My 6 and 8 years olds love Skylanders Imaginators just as much as we'd hoped. The school holiday has seen them return to the Playstation 4 whenever they have screen time - which I'll admit we didn't limit too much while they were on first play through of the story mode because they worked together so nicely!

Skylanders is a great game for children. It's safe and fun, they can play together as a team to defeat the bad guys. No-one gets killed, cake gets made, and there's plenty of smiling. There is thinking, there is a lot of logic involved, and the game doesn't penalise you too much for making errors.

Skylanders Imaginators is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 - prices vary. The rrp varies depending on the set, but a basic Starter Pack costs around £49.99 - £59.99 and the Crash Limited Edition Pack with 2 extra characters and other bonuses costs £69.99. Available now instore and online including Amazon.

Competition!

On Friday 21st October Skylanders Imaginators and Activision Publishing, Inc. announced the hunt for the UK’s most imaginative child to become the official Skylanders Chief Imagination Officer. 

Activision has partnered with PopJam to launch the search for the UK’s most imaginative child. Over the next three weeks, PopJam will host the exclusive competition offering one lucky winner and their family the trip of a lifetime to San Francisco, California, where they will visit the Toys For Bob studio in Novato, to get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the latest Skylanders game and have the opportunity to gain insight into character design, level inspiration and gameplay mechanics with the creative team.
Fans are encouraged to get inspired and create the most inventive and innovative Skylander they can imagine via PopJam’s creative tools.* The most creative competition entries will be considered by Activision’s Imaginators Panel (featuring YouTube gaming star Stampy Cat, TV and Radio presenter Sara Cox, and Toys for Bob Co-Founder and Studio Head, Paul Reiche), with one winning child set to claim the title and that unbelievable prize.