First off, allow me to extrapolate on the whole “SWAP” ideal. Basically, the new line of figures that will accompany the release of SWAP Force (October 13th on current gen systems, November 15th for PS4, and “November” for Xbox ONE) perform a bit of a real world magic trick. The toys are held together by small magnets that apparently transmit information as well as keep a secure “latch.” This allows players to “mix and match” the figures at any time to create all new characters. So, two SWAP Force Skylanders are actually four. This was the first item of business brought to light by a member of the production team at Activision, Mr. Lou Studdard. Mr. Studdard acted as our guide through this sneak peek and gave great insight into what players can expect this fall.
There are currently 16 “swappable” characters in the works for the new title. Add that with the collection already available from previous installments (which will all be fully functional in SF), and these bring the count to “over 100,” Studdard explained. For nostalgia sake, the first ‘lander shown off was Spyro. The purple hero from the first edition of toys vouched for the work being done with the “veteran” characters. The visual quality and animations looked brand new, and weren’t re-heated assets from game’s past. And while the show of respect to the little dragon was admirable, the demo quickly shifted to the new heroes on the block.
The focus of this exhibit was to pack in as many “swap” examples as possible in the time allowed. The ones on display for us that can pull off the “split” trick included: Rattle Shake, Grilla Drilla, Boom Jet, Hoot Loop, and Magna Charge. One cool aspect the new ‘landers bring to the table is they all belong to an Elemental class (as expected) as well as having a distinct “physical attribute,” for lack of a better term. So, Rattle Shake is of the Undead element and can be listed as a “spring” type. His abilities mirror that of other Undeads, and he bounces on his coils when being moved about. One of my personal favorites was Boom Jet. An Air – Rocket configuration with the design of an old bomber pilot who rides a prop plane engine like a surf board. His ability to float about the map and use projectile attacks was really cool. Another interesting selection is Grilla Drilla. A Life – Dig bruiser who has a littany of attacks. Tap for a short gun blast or hold to plant a mine. Drilla’s secondary weapon is releasing a platoon of monkeys to help keep encroaching baddies at bay.
Let’s say, though, that the attacks of Drilla sound appetizing considering the situation, but a little more movement speed would be ideal. Well, how about creating Grilla Jet! Now, that sweet surf-able engine can be used to drop those monkeys in like paratroopers. Upon the first swap, I asked Mr. Studdard if the “order” of pieces being combined would matter. And indeed (as stated previously) they do. So, switching the order would have made Boom Drilla, with the throw-able bombs of Boom Jet coupled with planted charges by Grilla Drilla. I’m making this sound lame, and I’m sorry. In person, this transformation is a really cool thing, particularly when the artistry is observed. At one point Magna Shake was created from Rattle Shake and Magna Charge (Tech – Speed). Usually, Magna Charge kind of “rolls” along on a series of magnets. The animation designed for this keeps the upper half “stiff” in accordance with the lack of friction with the level’s floor. Transition to the slithery quality of Rattle Shakes lower portion, and the “Magna” part begins to sway to-and-fro in accordance. Mr. Studdard promised thorough efforts like these can be seen from every single character combination possible. And each half upgrades independently, depending on how often they are used.
The game modes I saw in SF seem similar, but the emphasis might have changed, just a bit. Of course, Story is well intact, as this remains the best way to understand the Skylander’s realms and gain quality back story and narrative of characters, places, events, and so on. Additionally, missions act as a great stage to display all those nifty powers on a variety of enemies and provide suitable eye candy for persons of all ages. During the demo, though, it was clear “side missions” will hold player interest the most in SF.
Throughout the level, SWAP Zone Challenges become available. These are the “mini-games” of sort that have been apart of the series since the first game. Medals are rewarded for hitting particular benchmarks, like collecting points or completing the event under a certain time. All the ones shown looked to be real “trial and error” affairs. Trying them the first one or two times will not be cake walks, for someone of any age or “skill level.” Different performance marks grants stars accordingly. The better the showing, the more stars awarded. Collectively, these go into a new system called Portal Master Rank. PMR will act as a progressive leveling structure where players can keep track of how well they’re coming along as Skylanders players. I see this as a replay value asset. Make them return again and again to SWAP Zones to get the starts needed to reach the next rung of Master Rank. This will keep kids engaged well past the Story completion. Additionally, other mini-games will be necessary to activate things within Story chapters, like unlocking a gate by eliminating a batch of enemies instead of just using a key. Upgrade pods will also be scattered about within chapters, so you can use those credits earned in the middle of a mission and not have to wait! And Mr. Studdard announced the Nightmare mode, that he said makes the game “no joke” difficult.
In terms of what I saw and heard, SF was unbelievably impressive, considering the type of game. The voice over work is as strong as ever, with pros like Patrick Warburton (Rules of Engagement, The Venture Bros.) and Richard Steven Horvitz (Invader Zim) reprising their roles as Flynn and Kaos, respectively. The sound effects of the game were also sweet, with every action on screen being accompanied by a forceful, yet appropriate chime. Visually speaking, I was blown away. The game was being run by a PS4 “dev kit.” The look of SF is addictive-ly delightful. Every object on screen, whether it be as important as the ‘lander or as miniscule as a rock on the side of a hill, was beyond polished. To the level that it looked like a “middle of the road” computer animated film. Maybe not the “top of the top” examples, but we are dealing with video games here. The production process can be infinitely more tuned because every aspect is planned without variation. With most things being “active” on screen, there is very little room for the benefit of pre-rendering. Considering this fact, the graphics simply radiate with color, vibrancy, and life. I think the art impressed me the most from the demo.
Before leaving, I asked Mr. Studdard how the transition to next gen hardware was going. What were some of the difficulties or challenges that are being associated with, say, the differences in the PS3 and PS4 internal infrastructure? He told us that, actually, the dev teams are simply eating it up. All the things they’ve wanted to do, but couldn’t on the current machines is now possible. In terms of notable stumbles or learning curves, there just aren’t any to report. Of course, this could be ingested as “PR talk.” But after seeing SWAP Force in this beta stage, and witnessing how incredible it looks, sounds, and plays. And that swapping figure pieces doesn’t jostle the hardware or game at all. And that I can’t remember seeing a single load event once the Story level started. I, for one, can believe it.
Huge thanks to Activision and Step 3 for allowing us this great look behind the curtain. Watch for SWAP Force this holiday season.
