[gameinfo title=”Game Info” game_name=”Disney Infinity” developers=”Avalanche Studios” publishers=”Disney” platforms=”Wii U/PS3/360/3DS” genres=”” release_date=”Out Now” version_played=”Wii U”]
The stories of Disney Infinity are dependent on their respected play sets. The great thing for Disney fans is that each play set has a uniquely written story that extends on the universe of that given play set. For instance in The Incredibles, players must defeat Syndrome as he tries to take over Metroville once again. In Monsters University, players must beat FearTech in order to be the superior college group.
This is one of the best things about Disney Infinity. The game would’ve been at a huge disadvantage if Avalanache retold the original stories for each respective movie. The story lines are extremely believable and a range of characters are found in each universe with near perfect voice acting.
The presentation in Disney Infinity is incredible. The game is absolutely beautiful and colourful and really brings these Disney worlds to life. Each play set has a slightly varied art style and it completely shows. Whilst the Pirates Of The Caribbean play set is completely dark, the Monsters University play set is full of life and colour.
The character details have received a lot of love and care which really helps this be an amazing game for Disney fans. The sound effects are extremely varied and fit the worlds perfectly.
There are a few downfalls however. The frame rate can dip quite a bit when playing in split screen and the menus seem to be clunkier than they need to be. I played on the Wii U version so thankfully most of the menus were touch capable on the touch pad however the menus are a lot clunkier on the PS3/360 and this is easily the biggest negative with the game. After a few hours with the game you will find yourself getting through these menus quicker however I couldn’t help but feel that it should’ve been much simpler for its target demographic.
Disney Infinity is the type of game that you have to play to understand just how special it is. Upon booting up the game you have two options. Play sets can be described as the ‘storyline’, and are specific to a certain Disney theme and cannot cross over (for example, Woody from Toy Story cannot enter the world of Monsters University, or vice versa).
This is one of the things that really shocked me with this game. A lot of people don’t seem to know this yet however EVERY play set is extremely different in how it plays. All of the play sets have been given a lot of love and care in order to make them play completely different and offer a new experience to the player. For instance the Cars play set is a complete racing game whilst the Lone Ranger is an old school Western shooter and Monsters University involves scaring other monsters. The amount of possibilities is endless due to the infinite number of Disney franchises that Avalanche Software gets to explore.
I found this to be a huge positive as it provides a lot of variety to the game. I don’t think I would’ve been as eager to get to the end of each play set if each character could be used within that play set. This way it always felt that i was playing a true Disney experience that could only be had with this game and that felt incredibly good to me.
Completing missions gives you coins and levels up your character. Both of these things result in unlocking items for both play set use and within the Toy Box. The interesting thing to note is that your level and coins stays with your character so you can take these to your friend’s house whilst retaining your data.
The second part of Disney Infinity is the Toy Box. The Toy Box allows you to create your own Disney World from scratch, or starting out with one of the pre built worlds. This is where your imagination can explore. There are no boundaries or restrictions in the toy box – every single character can enter and interactive with each other.
There are a number of Pre Built Toy Box experiences which really showcase just how much you can create in this mode. To give you some scope these include things such as a football stadium complete with scoreboard, a Mario replicated platformed, a fully customisable cars race track and a complete recreation of Disney Land.
This is just the beginning, There are also a bunch of tools which work to change the perspective to be top down and mess with gravity. You get to choose whether what you build use the law of gravity or not.You can upload your creations to Disney who will then curate the best levels and make them available on the Wii U, PS3 & 360. This is truly something that has never been done before. You can also partake in Online co op with up to 4 players in the Toy Box.
The 3DS version is a completely different game all together. It features a Mario Party type gameplay which sees you going around a board competing in mini games. The figurines and power discs still apply for the gameplay isn’t nearly as appealing as it’s console counterpart. It’s disappointing to see that you can’t buy the game as a standalone version as well.
The last thing to talk about are the Power Discs. These are are discs that can be placed on the Infinity Base along with their characters to add new elements to the game. There are two types – Round and Hexagonal. The circular discs affect in game attributes such as a 20% health boost or 15% more damage to other characters.
The hexagonal discs can only be used in the Toy Box. You can unlock a series of Disney favorites such as the Mickey Mouse car or Cinderella’s Coach. There are also hexagonal power discs, which change the whole world of the Toy Box. For instance the Finding Nemo disc will turn the whole toy box into an under water world. This is extremely cool and something that you have to experience to understand. Watching the world you just created change on the fly is truly special.
Power Discs are also stackable. For instance, you can stack the round discs in order to create special in game combos that can only be experienced be doing so. Similarly hexagonal power discs can be stacked in order to unlock multiple items in the Toy Box at once. The power discs will be sold in blind packs of 2 for $5.95 and will be released in a series of waves. Wave 1 will be available at launch which features 20 discs. Be prepared to open your wallet as you WILL get addicted and collect them all.
Disney Infinity is a must play for anyone young or old. The gameplay is absolutely infectious and it has one of the most spine tingly introductions that i’ve ever experienced in a game. Don’t be put off by the price of the figurines as they’re extremely good quality and each play set lasts anywhere between 6-10 hours. You will sink hours into this game without even noticing.
