Skylanders Imaginators Reviews
Yet another addition to the popular Skylanders series but the twist is you can create your own characters. Colourful, creative and great for kids
Overall, Skylanders Imaginators on the Switch is a solid game and as good place to jump into the franchise as any if you haven't to this point. That said, the only real advantage to the Switch version over say the PS4 or Xbox One version is the portability, but even that might not be that important to you. Additionally, the PS4 or Xbox One versions are cheaper than this release, and both of those offer a higher fidelity presentation. Still, if you're looking for a fun, kid-to-adult friendly game, Skylanders is an excellent choice.
Race mode also has been slightly reworked, feeling more responsive. Some real fun can be had, with up to four players competing online in head-to-head races. It channels a decent Mario Kart vibe.
A great step for the franchise which finally lets you create your very own Skylander!
Nothing says we're living in the darkest timeline more than Skylanders: Imaginators.
A whimsical evolution of the beat ‘em up
One of the best Skylanders games to date thanks to the deep character creation tool.
Using the new Creation Crystal figures, you can make your own Skylander using a deep set of customization options. Making characters is a joyous, hysterical experience, as the charm and levity of the series is nestled into every element of the creation tool. You can pick out all sorts of body parts, fine-tune their powers, pick out a catchphrase and a voice, and even add theme music. It’s a character creator that basically takes all of the best parts of creator tools over the years and puts them all into one. I generally don’t care much for in-depth character creation, but I loved making Skylanders here. Unfortunately, the creator often runs slow, hampering the neat experience.
'Skylanders Imaginators - Crash Bandicoot Edition' is the rare special edition worth seeking out, at least for fans of 'Crash' and for the hardcore 'Skylanders' fans and families. The core game is a triumph of what can be done with a character creator that plays out in how the characters play as well as look and sound. I'd expect for anyone to want more Creation Crystals, but getting to share the game with the rest of the family is well worth the few rough spots.
Activision and Toys for Bob have once more delivered a highly entertaining adventure, filled with hidden goodies galore, and an amusing script, on top of an extremely solid platforming escapade. Newcomers may grow frustrated at the amount of content locked behind 'pay walls' ('toy' walls?) but the core story has enough meat to keep early Nintendo Switch adopters satiated; as for long-term fans with a large toy collection, this is superb.
All in all, Skylanders Imaginators is yet another well-made adventure filled with charming characters and amusing gameplay. The Switch version is hampered a little bit by the system's portability and the loss of compatibility with some previous figures is a shame, but it's still a fine way to play, especially if you long for the days of the Skylanders 3DS games. This is a good time, even if it doesn't match the highs of past entries in the series.
This is easily the best Skylanders title to date, although Crash alone makes it that! There is some fantastically entertaining stages and solid gameplay, along with plenty of originality to keep the series fresh. It's always a risk with toys-to-life titles that it will rely too much on extra purchases, but that is not the case here, as Skylanders Imaginators contains enough content and replayability to make it feel value for money without having to resort to buying more toys. Hopefully, the adventure packs will prove to be just as good value.
As it stands, this is the superior way to experience Imaginators on any platform, and it's highly recommended that Switch owners give the title a whirl!
All in all, Skylanders: Imaginators offers a ton of content, regardless of how many accessories players choose to purchase. At its worst, the title can sometimes exemplify the greediest excesses of the toys-to-life craze, but long-time fans will still find plenty to offer, as well. Toys-to-life fans and those who love creating custom characters will find a lot to enjoy, but newcomers on a fixed budget may want to look elsewhere.
Skylanders: Imaginators fun, accessible and easily played by gamers of any age. It doesn't break the mold, and the highlight of the game is in creating your own character. The core gameplay will feel very familiar and perhaps too safe. The ability to create your own Skylander means there's a lot of potential fun for the younger set — though it can be a hit to the wallet for parents! Players who are aging out of or burning out on Skylanders might not see much of a boost from it.
Skylanders Imaginators finds a new way to expand the gameplay and executes it well, by including character customization, combat classes, and other RPG inspired elements. That combined with an already strong foundation continues the franchise's forward momentum.
Skylanders Imaginators delivers the most purposeful innovation to the wondrous toys-to-life series, but, beyond that, presents a gameplay experience that perhaps treads a little too closely to what has come before. That doesn’t mean that it is any less entertaining, but, somewhat ironically, the developers need to tap into their imagination to make the adventure more surprising to stand out.
Skylanders Imaginators feels tired. A game that either needs a significant break or possible retirement, it's difficult to recommend to anyone but younger gamers - and parents would probably prefer to avoid it due to the additional character cost. There are plenty of other games more worthy of your cash, and if you desperately must have this game, buy it on another system where the starter pack will be cheaper.
If you’re a diehard Skylanders fan, or really love Crash Bandicoot, or have young children who love Skylanders, Imaginators is a no-brainer. If your kids are older, if you want to play with them, or if you don’t have kids at all, consider Disney Infinity 3.0 or LEGO Dimensions to save your sanity.