Skylanders Imaginators is the sixth entry in the Skylanders series from Toys For Bob and Activision. This year Kaos is back again with a new evil scheme. He’s discovered an ancient power called Mind Magic which he is using to create an army of Doomlanders. Naturally it’s your job to stop him with the help of your Skylanders collection.
Each game has focused on a new gimmick to keep players coming back including giant Skylanders, trap crystals to capture villains and last year it was SuperCharger vehicles. As always the game is fully backwards compatible with all previous Skylanders figures.
This year the focus is on players using their imagination to design their own Skylanders. The Skylanders Imaginators starter kit comes with a creation crystal. This can be used to store one player created Skylander for use in the game. Players can design their Skylander by choosing their class, body parts, weapons, catchphrase, voice and more. Once created you can name your Skylander and even customise their appearance further by choosing their colour schemes.
When you place your creation crystal on the portal of power it lights up and pulses with life which is a nice touch. You can also go back and make changes to your character as you unlock new parts and items for them through playing the game. Sadly one thing you cannot go back and change is the Skylander class. If you want to create different classes of Imaginators then you need to purchase more crystals. These cost £8.99 for one or £19.99 for a pack of three.
Watch the Skylanders Imaginators launch trailer below:
[brid video=”78251″ player=”531″ title=”Official Skylanders Imaginators Launch Gameplay Trailer”]
Characters that you create can also be exported into the Skylanders Creator mobile app. Here you can use the app to customise your Imaginators collection on the go. A really cool feature is that you can actually buy custom t-shirts (£24.99), Imaginator cards (£14.99) and even 3D print (£49.99) your character.
The Skylanders Imaginators starter kit also includes two of the new Sensei Skylanders – Master King Pen and Golden Queen. Like the other Skylanders the Senseis are associated with specific elements. Sensei Skylanders act as trainers for your Imaginators and can be used to play the game. Each has their own upgrade paths and super powerful attacks. There are also certain areas of the game that can only be accessed by using the Senseis.
As usual the game can be played solo or co-op. The main campaign is a lot of fun and very entertaining for all ages. The game will keep players busy for hours and hours as there is so much to do and discover. Collecting all the new loot items will take a very long time. There’s a fantastic variety to the gameplay which keeps throwing different things at you.
The combat is simple enough for young players who will get by from mashing buttons but with enough depth to keep older players happy as well. The Doomlander encounters can be a bit challenging but if you have at least a few Skylanders figures then they won’t give you much trouble. Most of the puzzles seem very simple but it’s fun to watch younger players figure them out. In addition to the main campaign is also a return of the racing mode. Here you can use in-game vehicles or your own SuperChargers if you bought the game last year.
View some Skylanders Imaginators screenshots in our gallery below:
Graphically the game looks better than ever with bright colourful environments. The various stages are full of detail and really well designed. The cutscenes are brilliant and the quality is on par with the new Skylanders Academy Netflix show.
One thing I really wasn’t keen on was the introduction of microtransactions. In addition to winning loot chests in the game you can purchase them with real money. These are completely optional but they feel a bit out of place in a game that already costs a fair bit more than most. It’s definitely something parents should be aware of so they can make sure that the accounts are correctly set up and that kids aren’t free to run up charges.
Skylanders Imaginators is one of the best Skylanders games yet and with Christmas just weeks away it’s sure to be on many kids wishlists. Creating your own Skylanders is great fun and it will be interesting to see where the series will go next. Players of all ages will find plenty to entertain them and it’s another essential purchase for fans of the series.
Skylanders Imaginators was reviewed using a retail copy supplied by Activision.
Developer: Toys For Bob Publisher: Activision Release Date: October 14, 2016 Reviewed On: Xbox One Also Available On: PS4
