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REVIEW
INFO
FORMAT PS4 ALSO ON PS3 ETA OUT NOW
PUB DISNEY INTERACTIVE DEV AVALANCHE SOFTWARE
INFO
FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW
PUB EA DEV EA CANADA
INFO
FORMAT PS4 ALSO ON PS3 ETA OUT NOW
PUB ACTIVISION DEV TOYS FOR BOB
DISNEY INFINITY
2.0 EDITION
No need to stop and Marvel
With one cutesy instalment under its
belt, the Skylanders rival is back –
and this time it’s packing a Marvelshaped
trump card. With comics scribe
Brian Michael Bendis on writing duties, the
2.0 Edition’s story is split up into three six
hour yarns set across the Marvel ‘verse. 1
For anyone who’s new to this whole
games with toys malarkey, Disney Infinity 2.0
is an open-world platformer coupled with a
vast creation suite for colourful comic worldbuilding.
The pantheon of Disney favourites
from the last game were by no means a
boring bunch, but there’s something about
hurtling through the clouds as Thor that’s
far more empowering than boring old Sulley.
Oh, did I mention some characters can
fly? Honestly, it’s so satisfying. And for those
without such skyward powers there are
plenty of vehicles to call upon when you’re
itching for speed. Heroes (including those
from the first game) have bespoke skill trees
that unlock nifty new abilities as you level up.
The Minecraft-aping Toy Box mode returns
and once again offers a ton of creative
options. It’s the real star gracing Infinity’s
bumper package, and the addition of Marvel
shows just how far the concept has come
since its inception in the Toy Story 3 game.
It’s just a shame that the gameplay at the
heart of its Story content hasn’t pushed on.
Missions cycle between the same ‘protect
this/beat them up’ template, 2 while starring
city Manhattan is lacking meaningful
side-activities. So while the Marvel factor
makes Toy Box mode more fun
than ever, it fails to provide the
impetus needed to move the
series forward on all fronts.
Dom Reseigh-Lincoln
NHL 15
This one can puck right off
What makes this absolute misfire
of a hockey game all the more
frustrating is that the on-ice
gameplay in NHL 15 is the best it’s been for
years. The Ignite collision physics engine
combines with EA Canada’s own physics
and AI overhauls from recent years and
produces the most authentic and enjoyable
games the series has seen – after tweaking
a few sliders, at least. Still more agonisingly,
it’s quite a looker. Animations are top notch,
and from certain angles it’s genuinely
capable of fooling you into thinking you’re
looking at the real thing for a split second. 1
All that scintillating rinkside quality
makes the gaping holes in NHL 15’s bigger
picture that much more disappointing. The
dev put its hands up prior to release and
forewarned that online team play and EASHL
modes would be nixed due to developmental
hurdles, but that doesn’t tell the full story –
with even Be A Pro mode stripped back to
a minimum and the lack of even a fantasy
draft when starting GM mode, NHL 15 is
astonishingly barebones. 2
There’s a worse problem still. Currently
the game runs at an unplayable stutter when
connected to EA’s online servers. This can
only be remedied by taking your PS4 offline
entirely, whereupon the game runs perfectly
again. What a mess.
Nothing about NHL 15 suggests it was
ready to be released, or had a clear mission
for this year’s annual addition. As a hockey
fan I’d gladly have waited a second year to
see the new-gen potential maximised by
worthwhile modes. Instead I’m
met with a game that screams
‘contractual agreement’ rather
than ‘passionate creative
endeavour.’ Phil Iwaniuk
SKYLANDERS
TRAP TEAM
Same game… Now with added debt
This year’s unit-shifting gimmick comes
double-stacked: first up the new
Traptanium Portal has a speaker and
a slot for a crystal-like Trap (a new physical
collectible alongside the new premium Trap
Masters and regular Skylander toys). The
gameplay is all about catching the new
roster of baddies and using them as playable
characters. Simply beat up said dastardly
villain, plug in a Trap that matches its
elemental type and Bob’s your auntie – the
bagged foe is zapped in Ghostbusters-style
(complete with catchphrases that spout
from the speaker). Then simply hit p to
swap in your newly subjugated foil.
It’s a fun little concept at first glance, but
it comes at one helluva price: there are over
40 trappable antagonists in the game split
between eight elemental types (nine if you
count Kaos’ solitary club). 1 So that means
you’re going to have fork out for another
seven crystals (at least) if you pick up the
Starter Pack, or face the prospect of not
nabbing most of the heels you encounter.
The whole spending money spiel should
be of no surprise to anyone, but basing a
key selling point of your game on another
physical item that needs to be bought
separately is a backward step for the series.
As for the actual game? It’s pretty much
what you’ve played before, with all the fitinducing
colour and cuteness you’d expect
from ‘Landers. 2 The lack of Swap Force and
Giants-related content will be frustrating for
fans with a sizable collection of old models,
while the single-minded focus
on the new Trap Masters in the
Story mode will leave you with
little reason to use any other
character. Dom Reseigh-Lincoln
083
FOOTNOTES 1 The Starter Pack comes with The Avengers Play
Set – Spider-Man and Guardians ones cost an extra £30 each.
2 Seriously, how many times do I need to defend a generator?
FOOTNOTES 1 Particularly impressive is the Goal Cam, mounted
behind the goalie to show off flops, catches and the occasional
goal line pile-up. 2 There’s barely even a soundtrack to speak of.
FOOTNOTES 1 In fact, a number of mysterious gates in the game
suggest there’s another elemental type yet to be revealed. 2 It’s still
a robust little platformer, but those paywalls are too big to ignore.