It’s crazy to think that there was a time when Skylanders toys and games were all the rage with kids everywhere. Created by Toys for Bob, this game would branch out into a whole franchise with plenty of sequels and cool new action figures that kids have begged their parents to buy them. In many ways, the Skylanders franchise was a genius marketing tactic. It made a boatload of money at the time for its toys to life concept which became a huge hit with kids everywhere. Now that a decade has passed, can the first-ever Skylanders game titled Spyro’s Adventure capture the imagination and wonder like it did when it was first released?
After the evil Kaos kills off Portal Master Eon and banishes the Skylanders to another world, it’s up to a new Portal Master, (Which is You) to find them and take control of them by putting them on a portal a power and helping the innocent creatures of a fantastical fantasy world called Skylands. In order to rid of Kaos’s evil for good, the Skylanders must find the elemental sources to restore the core of light but they won’t be alone as several new friends meet along the way help to guide the Skylanders and the portal master to complete their mission.
It's funny, for a story that calls itself Spyro's Adventure, Spyro the Dragon whose character was taken from the original games by Insomniac, doesn't have that much importance in the overall narrative. While that may seem disappointing, thankfully there is just enough charm and creativity to go around that makes this experience well worth your time even with our favorite purple dragon not being in the spotlight all that much. The game's dialogue is very cheesy and childish as the game doesn't hide the fact that the style and tone are meant to cater more towards kids than older gamers. However, It's the way the game executes the childish nature that makes it likable in a very cute and entertaining fashion. There's a difference between being childish in a juvenile way and being childish in a charming and delightful way. This game hits just the right balance of being silly but also fun and adventurous. The characters we meet along the way are also the same way with my personal favorites being Patrick Warburton as Flynn who is full of himself but also irresistibly likable and Richard Steven Horvitz as the evil chaos who is best known for playing Zim in Indaver Zim. This game is just fun to experience even if it is made more for kids than adults, but I would much rather have a kid-oriented game that is fun and likable rather than have one that is poor and derivative.
This game ran on a gimmick of the idea that you collect these small action figures and you put them on a portal of power to bring them to life in the game. To an adult, this may not be much of a big deal, but to a kid, it is probably the greatest feeling in the world to bring a cool toy-like action figure to life in a video game. The original Spyro’s Adventure package gives you three Skylanders to start with, but you can get other figures separately with individual purchases. Each Skylander is different and each may come from either one of the four elements Magic, Tech, Water, Life, Undead, Earth, Fire, or Air. Every Skylander has different powers ups, some of which can be upgraded In different ways depending on what path you decide to take. During the course of the game, there will be times when Master Eon will say that a Skylander of a certain element will be stronger in a certain area which encourages you to try different Skylanders that you wouldn't normally try beforehand.
The gameplay Is very simple to understand but it changes things up a bit to make the experience seem different from other 3D Platformers. For one, there is no jump button as you will have to use bounce pads in order to get to higher places. Another thing this game likes to throw at you is puzzle-solving which you will do a lot during the course of the adventure. The puzzle-solving will most likely have you moving blocks or crystal shards in certain positions in order to progress further to reach the end of the level. As for combat, every one of the different Skylanders will have a different method of attack, and the way you execute those moves are very simple but also very effective. Different enemies will attack in different ways and the bosses while not extremely challenging will put your mind to work to figure out how to time your way to get past their patterns of attacking. Aside from the main story, there are also times when you might find different Collectibles that will get you more money for upgrades or hats that can be put on any Skylander to increase either their speed or their elemental power. There are also heroic challenges that definitely live up to their name as they are actually very challenging and will require strategy in order to beat them. Each Skylander has its own heroic challenge but all bought Skylanders are welcome to try any of them. The gameplay is super easy to understand and groundbreaking in some respects for its toy to life method, even if more seasoned players might be looking for more of a challenge aside from the heroic challenges.
The graphics to this very day still hold up even if they do look a little blocky from time to time. The character designs don't hide the fact that they are made to look like toys which understandably works from a marketing perspective. Both the toys and the characters in the game, especially the Skylanders are very creatively designed and have a wide range of emotions just by how they look. The actual setting of Skylands can be very beautiful sometimes as it puts a bit of a twist on the fantasy genre by creating a world where almost every bit of Skylands is floating islands with castles and villages. Sometimes the visuals can look a little rough around the edges, but the visuals capture the imagination enough to satisfy gamers of all ages.
The majority of the music was composed by Lorn Balfe, who does a wonderful job at creating cinematic compositions that you would most likely hear in a Hollywood blockbuster. It is even rumored that the great composer Hans Zimmer wrote the theme for the original Skylanders game Which would make sense because the main theme does have the reminiscence of the composer's well-known musical style made popular from The Lion King and Pirates of the Caribbean. This music is epic but it's also atmospheric as it makes the adventure that we have in Skylands even more of a joy to partake in.
I'm happy to say that after playing through the entire game, I actually quite enjoyed myself. I'm not gonna act like this is a misunderstood masterpiece because it definitely has its issues, but at the same time, I was really impressed by its decent world-building, The craft that went into making the majority of the Skylanders (both toy and character). Even the humor, while childish, can still make the inner kid inside me chuckle. It's definitely a game catered more towards kids, but it has a charming and adventurous story and decent gameplay that are just too irresistible to turn down. If you've never played this game before, I would encourage you to give it a try, but do keep in mind that getting all the Skylanders will require more money out of your wallet if you are that serious about trying each Skylander out.
(Final Grade: B)