skylanders xbox360

skylanders xbox360

Few titles can break free from their console shackles and transcend their gaming origins. 

But where Skylanders succeeds is with its ability to smoothly integrate the virtual world with the physical - creating a relationship never before seen in video games.

Buzz off: Swarm is one of the Giants, but is almost too powerful for many foes

For those new to the Skylanders games, it's a simple yet ingenious mechanism where Skylanders toys are placed on a 'Portal Of Power' connected to your console. This then brings them to life in-game.

There are loads of different characters, each one attuned to a different elemental power. 

They range from Earth, Life, Magic, Undead, Fire and Tech. Thankfully in Skylanders Giants, all of your characters from the previous game can be used, too.

Gameplay involves running around levels collecting points to level-up your character in the same way as you would in an RPG.

Each character has different abilities, and some areas of the level are only accessible to creatures from specific worlds.

Although a clear marketing ploy to encourage buying more Skylanders toys, the models are so wonderfully detailed and packed with character, that it is money well spent.

Some enemies, too, are dealt with better by certain Skylanders, adding as a further incentive to build a Skylanders army. 

Colourful: Skylanders may not be a graphical showcase, but it is artistically sound

Each model contains the saved data from your game, so it’s possible to use your ‘levelled-up’ Skylanders on different consoles.

Given the high levels of creativity manifested in most of the Skylanders' designs, it's a shame that their dialogue is slightly mundane. 

There's an attempt at humour, and although likely amusing for the younger generation, it lacks the creativity to impress an older audience.

Thankfully, what it lacks in fantastic scripting it makes up for with its cleverly-designed environments.

Although not particularly strong aesthetically (especially on the Wii) each level has lots of areas to explore, caves to search and hidden passages.

They are designed in a way to encourage playing with different Skylanders, too, which adds a tactical element to proceedings. 

Unfortunately, the skill goes out the window when controlling the Giants.
Although Tree Rex, for example, is great fun to control, there's little depth to the Giants' gameplay. 

Bright: The game offers many varieties of enemy - each with their own weakness

You're often reduced to hammering buttons to unleash the same combo over and over again.

They're often so powerful that hordes of enemies are vanquished in a matter of seconds, which can take away from the already modest challenge.

Thankfully, the new competitive two-player mode is a welcome addition - even though it does feel a bit tacked-on. 

Here, you can pit your Skylanders against each other in Pokemon-esque battles.

Indeed, like the aforementioned, this is a game that is phenomenally successful with younger gamers, and has amassed a growing adult following, too. 

And on this evidence, it’s not hard to see why.