I was on the fence for quite some time on Skylanders: Giants. I’ve never been a fan of Spyro, but I can spot a quality experience when I see one and I loved Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. The sequel looked very fun and I was very impressed with the original’s utility of portal and figures. The main thing keeping me from taking the plunge was the hefty investment of $60-$75 for a sequel that might be more of a cash-in than anything else.
Activision is bringing the game to an array of game consoles. Skylanders: Giants is playable on the Nintendo Wii U, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and PC. The Nintendo Wii U and Wii versions shine brightest, but the PS3 and Xbox 360 provide excellent experiences as well. The only dud is the PC release. It’s visually disappointing and downright awful in terms of gameplay.
As a big fan of kaiju-themed games and collect-a-thons, I’ve become quite addicted to the Skylanders franchise. Now, for those unsure of which Skylanders to invest in, I’ll be giving my insight and perspectives on the roster for Skylanders: Giants. The best approach for gamers is to secure at least one Skylander from each element.
Gamers that own the original Skylanders for consoles will already have Spyro, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt. If you selected the portable version on the Nintendo 3DS, you’re treated to Dark Spyro, Stealth Elf, and Ignitor. Just like last time, the console version of Skylanders: Giants is an Action RPG with dungeon crawling, epic boss battles, and looting. The gameplay formula hasn’t changed significantly- the only major differences are the higher level cap of fifteen and the introduction of the titular giant Skylanders.
The 3DS version has more of a classic platformer and beats ’em up feel. The best experience is to invest in your home console of choice paired with the 3DS version to maximize the use of your Skylanders. While the 3DS version is clearly running on an enhanced engine from the original portable title, it does control with greater refinement.
Gameplay-wise the Nintendo Wii U version is easily the top contender. The Wii U’s unique control system excellently compliments the Skylander’s experience and the bright visuals are right at home on Nintendo’s new white dream machine. While gamers will have to wait until November to experience it, the Wii U version has been highly praised at events where it’s been shown.
If you aren’t yet investing in a Nintendo Wii U, the Wii version does just fine. Levels in the Wii version are better put together with less of a focus on being graphically impressive and more assets were invested in fun design when compared to the Xbox 360 and PS3. Heroic challenges are less tedious in the Wii version and the game mechanics are more forgiving.
Graphically, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are very impressive- though they pale in comparison to the stunning Wii U. Put simply, the bright, beautiful world of Skylanders: Giants comes to life on the HD consoles. Particle effects and character animations are excellently rendered and the game world appears to live and breathe. The co-op is fantastic regardless of which version you select.
The Skylanders, especially the new Giants, themselves are cleverly designed with both form and function in mind. The figures store progress internally and look great on display. The new Skylanders are looking absolutely great as additions to the already fantastic roster- with only a couple of exceptions. The battle system appears simple but is very deep for a game marketed at kids. The upgrade system keeps you replaying levels for more loot and the varied fighting styles of the large cast of characters will keep things interesting for long-term players.
The only real sour notes that Skylanders hits are in the Heroic Challenges and PVP. The real shame is that both these elements if more heavily polished since the original could have been excellent features. The PVP is decidedly unbalanced and lackluster. There are only a few PVP levels initially- though you can purchase more through the Adventure Packs. It would have helped if the PVP mode allowed for greater strategic play. The introduction of online play is a big plus for returning Portal Masters.
The Heroic Challenges are even more disappointing than PVP. These special, timed levels exist as a method of permanently increasing the stats of your Skylanders. On paper, that’s great. In practice, this means continuously replaying the same challenges for each of your figures. You unlock a new repetitive, overly strict heroic challenge with each Skylander purchase. While the PVP mode and Heroic Challenges do round out the overall package, it would have been nice if they’d seen more improvements since the original in 2011. Nonetheless, it still makes for an amazing game that I highly recommend. If you are still not sure about it then you can try Download Pkv Games Apk Android and see for yourself the amazing gameplay and reviews of this game.
