Disney Infinity 3.0: Starter Pack
Developer: Avalanche Software, Ninja Theory
Publisher: Disney
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 (Reviewed), PS3, Wii U, PC
Release Date: September 3rd (AU) | August 30th (US)
Price: AU$99.95 – Available Here | US$65.99 – Available Here

Overview

For the past three years, kids (and kits at heart) all across the globe have been putting figures down onto bases, loading up games and letting their imagination run wild on their TV screens. Thanks to Disney Infinity we have been able to have Mr. Incredible and Spider-Man team up against Davy Jones and Loki, or Mike Wazowski frightening Nick Fury. Well it was bound to happen sooner or later, and now Disney have added characters from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away to the mix. Disney Infinity is here and in addition to all of the new vehicles, characters and lightsabers, the entire game has been reworked and kicked up to 11 to provide the most fluid, exciting and downright fun Disney Infinity experience to date.

Note: Since the game is sold as both a bundle, and a digital-only stand alone game, we have broken the review into several parts. The part you are reading now is focused on the Starter Pack and Toy Box components that everyone will have access to at launch. For the rest of our reviews, click through below:

Star Wars: Twilight of the Republic Play Set | Star Wars: Rebels Figures

Disney Originals Figures | Toy Box Takeover Expansion Game

Gameplay

Disney Infinity 3.0 may look like it is all about Star Wars, but really it is about being bigger and better than ever before. All of those features you loved in the previous games have been taken to new levels.

In previous games there was always a pre-built Toy Box for you to kind of run around in and learn the ropes of the game, but there was really not all that much to it. Now, Avalanche have taken it up several notches with the Toy Box Hub. Now not only do you have a pre-built world to explore, but with tutorials, challenges and access to the game’s online, the Hub is definitely the place to be.

Heading into Flynn’s Arcade through the Toy Box Hub will put you in an online lobby where you are able to face off against three random players in competitive challenges.  The downside is that you need four players or else the game wont start. That sadly means that with so few people playing before launch, I didn’t really get to experience too much of this aspect of the game. Although what did happen a lot is that when I went to one of the arcade machines to select which game mode I wanted to play, the game would deposit me into somebody’s world where more often than not, they would be none too happy to find a level twenty Darth Vader suddenly standing in the center of their INterior. That being said, this kind of random dropping made for some absolutely hilarious encounters.

Another of the new additions to the Toy Box is the new farming and sidekicks mechanics. Taking inspiration from the 2.0 Toy Box Games sidekicks and amping it up to 11, the new sidekicks provide a fun addition to the Toy Box experience. You can unlock gear for your sidekicks by playing through certain missions (although most of my gear was found in the Toy Box Takeover game) which allows them to help you out in the Toy Box. Weapons, armor and creative tools are found in abundance, but the real treasure comes from the new farming mechanic.

You can equip your sidekicks with a hoe and watering can, which allows them to grow food. This food in turn is used to feed your sidekick so that their skills will improve. There is a kind of Pokémon-esq vibe to the whole thing where you train a select group of sidekicks to best help you out (my team of sidekicks were Dipper and Mabel Pines, Darkwing Duck, Scrooge McDuck, The Mad Hatter and Rapunzel). Growing food is largely a waiting game as your minions rush about the land planting and watering thewir crops. Each time you harvest a fully grown crop you will be awarded with a hat for your sidekicks to wear which increases the chance of finding more of that crop. I found that if you plant more of the crop you just found, you will move up the rarity chain, starting at things like Carrot and Sunflowers until you are growing things like Pumba’s Grubs and Mickey’s Ice Pops. It is an exciting experience to see a surprise new crop type in amongst what you have planted, and then waiting for it to grow so you can harvest it. As I’m writing this, I realise that Disney have tricked me into playing Farmville on my PS4… damn…

Disney Infinity is a franchise that despite its colourful exterior has always really been about the combat. You fight enemy characters, you fight bosses, you fight other players! So it has always been a shame that the combat, while fun, has always been a little on the clunky side. Well thanks to Ninja Theory, all of that is a thing of the past. The combat engine has been completely reworked and the results are clear from the moment you start playing. While simple button press combos are still present, the developers have added a new combo system where if you press your attack buttons in specific strings, you will unleash devastating, flourished combos that can absolutely obliterate anything in your path. These combos are relatively easy to learn too, especially because they are accompanied by a visual cue – when your lightsaber flares (or other equipped weapon sparkles), hit the attack button again to continue the combo. Mastering these combos takes a little more time but is very doable, and once you do you will feel like a real Jedi Master.

This improvement to combat could not have come at a better time, because frankly Jedi need to feel like elegant dancers in how they move and fight, and the developers have managed to pull off this feeling perfectly. Even just watching some of the Jedi’s combos will have you awestruck at just how impressive they look. Characters move like they do in the films (or animated shows) and

No matter which game you had or which platform it was on, Disney Infinity is a franchise that has always been riddled with performance issues. It is no surprise considering the incredible scope of the games themselves, but none the less they have been a consistant burden in players everywhere. Well, I am oh so happy to report that like most other parts of the game, the performance has undergone a serious improvement. Loading times have been cut by more than half compared to 2.0 and the random glitches, bugs, lag and framerate issues have largely been done away with. Now that isn’t to say that the game runs perfectly as is; there are still more than a couple of bugs that players are likely to encounter but they are minor and far more infrequent than previous titles.

Visuals & Audio

Disney Infinity has an art style that is unique unto itself, managing to blend the unique properties of all of its included franchises, mix it with a bit of its own and cover it with a splash of cartoony colour that manages to hold the whole package together perfectly.

While I was playing, someone commented to me that they felt the visuals of this game were not up to par with what you would expect from a current-generation console game. Now from a technical standpoint I can see that it would be nearly impossible for the game to run higher-resolution textures than it does. The sheer scope of the game means that it would likely crumble under its own weight if it did so (compare this to Minecraft which runs low-resolution visuals for a similar reason) However, on a purely subjective note; I like the art style of Disney Infinity, I always have. The bright cartoony colours, the fact that every character and every represented franchise has its unique and defining traits maintained while all still feeling uniform; to me it all just works.

Sadly though, the visuals are not perfect. On more than one occasion, several textures would flicker and disappear completely. These are minor in the grand scheme of things, but they also can’t be overlooked

Overall

The Disney Infinity franchise has always been about recreating that feeling of free play you had when you were a child. When you had your Lego Minifigs battling against your Iron Man action figure. It didn’t need to make sense back then because it was just imaginative fun. Well, after playing these games for three years, I feel that the intended spirit has finally been captured and honestly I did feel like a kid again, having Obi-Wan Kenobi standing side by side with Captain America or Buzz Lightyear going toe-to-toe with Darth Vader – it really is the type of experience that you can’t get anywhere else in video gaming.

While the theme of Disney Infinity 3.0 is Star Wars, it could also be called Disney Infinity 3.0: Bigger and Better, because that’s what it is. Elements and mechanics that were introduced in previous games have been expanded upon to incredible levels, and the nagging technical issues that plagued the game have been largely done away with. Slick combat, more advanced building tools and a new Toy Box hub that makes world creation feel a bit less daunting all combine to create the best Disney Infinity experience to date.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars – Twilight of the Republic
Developer: Avalanche Software, Ninja Theory
Publisher: Disney
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 (Reviewed), PS3, Wii U, PC
Release Date: September 3rd (AU) | August 30th (US)
Price: AU$39.95 – Available Here | US$39.99 – Available Here

Overview

Those who purchase the physical edition of the Disney Infinity 3.0 Starter Set will get this Play Set and its two included figures; Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano as part of the bundle. It can also be purchased individually for those who opted for the digital edition of the game. With its combination of ground based action/adventure/brawler combat and spaceship dogfighting, Twilight of the Republic is easily the best Play Set of the entire Disney Infinity franchise.

Story

When a droid production factory on Geonosis is mysteriously switched back online, the Jedi forces make their way to the desert planet to see what the Separatists are up to. There they discover that the Separatists were not the ones responsible for the factory being reestablished, and the true plot is much more sinister.

One great thing about the Clone Wars era of Star Wars is that there is so much that they still haven’t shown us. We haven’t seen every battle, every encounter, every major player in the war and that leaves writers a lot of breathing room when it comes to crafting stories set in this time period. With that in mind, Avalanche have created a story that fits cohesively with the rest of the Clone Wars animated series and in fact feels like it could just as easily be a “lost episode” to accompany it. The tone of the campaign, as well as the delivery of the voice cast are spot on and players will be able to find themselves just enjoying the experience for that factor alone.

Gameplay

Twilight of the Republic is at its core an action/adventure game. You take control of one of four Jedi characters; Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi or Yoda, and battle through waves of enemies as you make your way through the Play Sets several distinct locations.

With Disney Infinity 3.0’s updated combat engine, Twilight of the Republic feels like an honest-to-goodness action title. The way your characters can string combos together is a thing of absolute beauty and it makes facing hordes of Battle Droids no big deal. Juggling an enemy into the air, following up with a combo and then blasting them away with the force all before landing back on the ground and using a finisher on the rest of the droids around you just makes you feel powerful. This sense of power is something that I believe was missing from previous Disney Infinity games and it is a great feeling now that it is included.

While there is a certain focus on the ground-based combat and exploration, it isn’t the only focus of the Play Set. Since this is a Star Wars game, space-based combat is an important component and when you jump into your star ship and blast into space, you will encounter enemies in an almost Star Fox/Lylat Wars style space shooter. With the mixture of ground-based action/adventure gameplay and aerial battles as you travel from one location to another; I am reminded strongly of the Star Fox Adventures game for GameCube, which although it copped its fair share of flack, I personally liked and being able to revisit that style of gameplay but with Star Wars characters is incredibly awesome.

Taking a cue from Disney Infinity 2.0, the Play Set is also littered with Champion Coins (formerly known as Crossover Tokens). These collectibles, once found will allow their corresponding Star Wars character to be used in the Play Set. Unlike 2.0, there is only one token for each character and most of them are pretty easy to find along your journey.

Visuals & Audio

Right off the bat I will say that it is phenomenal to hear the cast of Clone Wars back together again. For many people, the Clone Wars animated series versions of the characters are the definitive versions, so seeing Avalanche put so much effort into keeping it as close in feel to the show is outstanding and should be applauded.

Overall

For those who feel that the Clone Wars was cut short before its time, you now have one final storyline to enjoy! Twilight of the Republic manages to capture everything about that show and brings it to life in Disney Infinity. When looking back at all of the Play Sets for the DI series (Incredibles, Monsters Inc, Pirates of the Caribbean, Avengers, Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy) I honestly think that the gameplay and story of Twilight of the Republic make it the best of the bunch.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Disney Infinity 3.0: Toy Box Takeover
Developer: Avalanche Software, Ninja Theory
Publisher: Disney
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 (Reviewed), PS3, Wii U, PC
Release Date: October, 2015
Price: AU$24.95 – Not Yet Available

Overview

One of Disney Infinity’s most lingering criticisms is the fact that there has been no way to play as all of the figures together in a structured environment, instead you can only have Aladdin meet Groot in the Toy Box. Well, with such a repeated criticism, Avalanche have finally answered it with the brand new Toy Box Expansion Games. These games serve a similar role to the Play Sets and allow you to take on their challenge as any of the Disney Infinity roster. Toy Box Takeover is the first of these Expansion Games and has you making your way through a Diablo-styled dungeon crawler in search of foes to vanquish, treasures to loot and more.

Story

Syndrome has managed to swoop in and capture the Toy Box Magic Wand (the item you use to move things around in the Toy Box) from Mickey Mouse and with it plans to unleash all kinds of chaos in his bid to control the world. It is up to the other Toy Box characters to step up to the plate, and traverse Syndrome’s four worlds, defeating his allies in the process in order to return peave and tranquility to the Toy Box.

Admittedly, this is a pretty light story but it serves its purpose well enough. In a game like this, you really don’t want to be bogged down by unnecessary exposition, especially if your kids are the ones playing the game. Not only that but the cut-scenes that bookend the game are actually pretty funny, and well worth the watch.

Gameplay

Ever since Disney Infinity 1.0, each Play Set and Toy Box Game has felt like it was inspired by a different game-series or genre. Well the same is true here, as Toy Box Takeover feels heavily inspired by Diablo and other similar dungeon crawling RPGs. With you, your sidekick and up to three other players (if playing online), you will traverse the game’s five worlds, defeating enemies, discovering hidden passageways and of course; collecting loot.

Toy Box Takeover has one of those 45-degree angled isometric viewpoints which really adds to the Diablo-esq feeling of the game. In addition, since each character plays somewhat differently to one another, they each feel like a separate class, allowing for some really cool interactions and team-ups. The fact that every character is available for use, and that they all feel and play differently in this structured environment really makes Toy Box Takeover an experience that you can’t really have anywhere else in DI.

I will say though that Toy Box Takeover is not very long. Playing at medium difficulty you will likely shred through the game in a couple of hours. There is a bit of an incentive to replayability, with more loot being unlockable if you do so but I personally am not a fan of this type of “replayability,” where you just do the same stuff over again to grind for better loot. Amping up the difficulty is another feature available to you, with Extreme difficulty feeling like a completely different game to Medium, one in which will pose a challenge to even the most seasoned gamer.

Overall

Toy Box Takeover has some problems; it is a bit short and the false sense of replayability is something that irks me, but at the same time the game itself is a lot of fun. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first placed the unlock disc on the Infinity Base, but I was pleasantly surprised. Hopefully as the game gets bigger and bigger, Avalanche can whip up a few more of these that are longer and have a little more depth, but it really is a step in the right direction.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars Rebels Figures
Developer: Avalanche Software, Ninja Theory
Publisher: Disney
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 (Reviewed), PS3, Wii U, PC
Release Date: September 3rd (AU) | August 30th (US)

Set five years prior to the events of A New Hope, Star Wars: Rebels follows the exploits of a motley crew of… well… rebels… as they try their hardest to destabilise the empire, one small bit at a time. Well, instead of just following along their adventures on television, now you can create your own with the range of Star Wars Rebels characters for Disney Infinity 3.0.

While they don’t have a Play Set of their own, the crew of the Ghost can be used in the Toy Box (as well as the Takeover and Speedway Expansion games), and can even cross over into the Star Wars Play Sets once their crossover token has been found.

Each member of the Rebels set is a mixed melee/ranged fighter which gives them excellent versatility. Due to this, they are some of the more well rounded and fun characters in the game.

Sabine Wren
Price: AU$17.95 Available Here | US$14.99 Available Here

A Mandalorian explosives expert with a hatered for the empire and a love of bright colours, the quick-witted Sabine is the artist of the Ghost crew.

While she is no slouch when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, Sabine excels as a ranged fighter. Armed with dual blaster pistols, and with a pocket full of grenades, Sabine can be used to create all kinds of havoc in the Toy Box. What is easily Sabine’s coolest trait is the fact that her aerial combo almost mirrors those that Dante of Devil May Cry fame would do.

Visually, Sabine has some really cool stuff going on. Her paint grenades are filled with all of the colours of the rainbow, and look really awesome as she hurtles them at her foes.

Zeb Orrelios
Price: AU$17.95 Available Here | US$14.99 Available Here

The Ghost’s muscle, Zeb has a tough exterior but a heart of gold Zeb is the last surviving member of his people, the rest of which were brutally slaughtered at the hands of the empire. As such, Zeb harbours no find feelings for the emperor or his regime.

Zeb is easily one of the most versatile characters in the entire Disney Infinity franchise. He has super strength, super jump, wall crawling, brutally strong combo attacks, a blast rifle and is also a tech wiz, allowing him to access control panels and other tech goodies in the Play Sets.

Kanan Jarrus
Price: AU$17.95 Available Here | US$14.99 Available Here

The “cowboy Jedi,” Kanan was a Padawan who survived the Great Jedi Purge and has spent the time since in hiding. While never finishing his Jedi training, he has become quite adept at keeping himself and those around him out of danger

Kanan and his apprentice Ezra are unique among the force-using characters in the game in that they have access to a blaster. This gives them a long range attack, but sacrifices the force dash that the others posess.

even without his force dash, Kanan is fast on his feet, able to charge into battle at a moments notice. His swings are precise and quick, and the fact that his combo string ends with him shooting people might be the coolest thing ever.

Ezra Bridger
Price: AU$17.95 Available Here | US$14.99 Available Here

Ezra is a young, reckless street kid who has only recently learned of his status as a force-sensitive. As a member of the Ghost crew, and under the tutelage of Kanan, Ezra is learning what it is like to be a part of a family as well as a Jedi.

Ezra is perhaps my favourite character to play as in DI3.0, and it is because of the story that the character tells. When you first place Ezra on the Infinity Base, he has no force abilities as these have to be unlocked as he levels up. This perfectly reflects his growth in the actual tv series, from someone who is unaware of their connection to the force, through to a full-fledged apprentice. Not only that, but Ezra’s move set is similar to Kanan’s which emphasises the bond between student and master.

If you’re a big Star Wars: Rebels fan like myself and are wondering where Hera is, she is available as an in-game townsperson once you link your game with your Disney account. Doing also will also grant you access to the rebel’s ship; The Ghost as a playable vehicle (and let me tell you, that bad boy is FAST).

The Star Wars: Rebels line of figures are an excellent addition to the Disney Infinity lineup. They both feel like a cohesive unit and a series of individuals, which is incredibly hard to pull off. Whilst each of these characters are playable in the Star Wars Play Sets, the fact that they don’t have a story of their own to tell in the game holds them back from being really great.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Disney Infinity 3.0: Disney Originals Figures
Developer: Avalanche Software, Ninja Theory
Publisher: Disney
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 (Reviewed), PS3, Wii U, PC
Release Date: September 3rd (AU) | August 30th (US)

Disney Original characters are a huge part of the Disney Infinity experience, but recently they have seemed to be under-utilised in comparison to the licensed characters like the Marvel Super Heroes or those from the Star Wars universe. Thankfully, a wave of Disney Original characters is shipping alongside the release of Disney Infinity 3.0, so you will get to play with some of your favourite brightly coloured mascots from the moment the game launches.

Sam Flynn + Quorra
Price: AU$17.95 Available Here | US$14.99 Available Here

The Tron duo were originally released as digital-only exclusive figures for the PC/iPad edition of Disney Infinity 2.0. At the time, we reviewed them and mentioned that the characters were simply amazing but that their inclusion as digital-only was a bit of a spit in the face to fans. Well now they have made their way out of the Game Grid and are now physical additions to the Disney Infinity lineup.

If you want to know more about these two characters in detail, check out the 2.0 review here, because most of it holds true even now.

Mickey Mouse
Price: AU$17.95 Available Here | US$14.99 Available Here

The king of the castle has arrived… Again. Did you know that in one way or another a version of Mickey has been released with every Disney a Infinity game so far? Not that that is in any way surprising but it is still a cool bit of trivia none the less.

Unlike his last two appearances, Mickey has this time forgone the red robes and blue hat in favour of a more standard appearance. More of a lover than a fighter, Mickey’s combat prowess is shall we say sub-par. His special move has him summoning versions of his friends in order to help him out (the higher level his special move is, the more friends he will call for).

An interesting note is that Mickey’s ranged attacks are similar to Donald’s where he will toss a pn assortment of items to damage his foes. Mickey’s choice of thrown items are a little more safe than Donald’s such as a brush, a top hat and a newspaper.

Minnie Mouse
Price: AU$17.95 Available Here | US$14.99 Available Here

Growing up, I never much cared for Minnie Mouse. There wasn’t a reason for it either, I was just nonplussed by her. However, you don’t have to be a fan to recognise that she is not only one of the driving forces behind Disney itself, but is a major influence on similar characters in pop culture.

Since she is so important to the whole Disney lineage, I am surprised that it took the developers so long to put her into the DI franchise. Well no matter how long it took, the queen is here and armed with her trusty handbag (which honestly must be filled with bricks or something) is ready to do some damage. Minnie is a far stronger combatant than her male counterpart and once she gets going, is really something to fear.

Olaf
Price: AU$17.95 Available Here | US$14.99 Available Here

Just like everybody else out there, I was stricken down with Frozen Fever in 2013. I saw the movie, I listened to the soundtrack and I had the Disney Infinity figures. Then, just like everybody else, I grew weary of hearing “Let it Go!” everywhere I went and my Fever subsided into a mild cold. With the Frozen sisters being included in the game since the beginning, there has always been one major player who has been missing from the action – Olaf the snowman.

Well fret no more, because Olaf is finally here and he is ready to kick back in the sun! No I’m not even kidding, his special attack has him kicking back on a banana lounge while the blistering rays of the sun destroy his enemies in what is absolutely a comment on global warming (not really). His normal attacks have him using his detached branch arm as a sword and sneezing his carrot nose at enemies for a long-ranged attack. Olaf’s figure manages to capture all the fun of his character which is no lean feat in of itself.

Mulan
Price: AU$17.95 Available Here | US$14.99 Available Here

Mulan is one of those characters that is solidly in a lot of people’s “top Disney characters” lists, and it is easy to see why. Her tenacity and determination helps her serve as a role model to not only girls, but people in general all over the world. It is for that reason that many people have been clammoring for a Mulan figure since the first Disney Infinity game, and constantly wondering why she was absent.

Well I for one am glad that they kept her absent from DI1.0 and 2.0, because the new combat mechanics have made it so that characters like Mulan have finally been done justice. Much like her movie counterpart, Mulan is a fighter and not only that but her skills and techniques rival those of the Jedi figures. In place of a lightsaber she has access to her bo staff which she can use to combo and parry enemies, in addition she can super jump and dash like a force user. In fact, the only thing she can’t do that they can is use the force itself.

Doing the character justice also needed one more vital component; Ming Na-Wen to reprise her role. The current Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star has done just that and given a lot of authenticity to the character.

With a game called Disney Infinity, you would hope that Disney original characters are a key part of the mix. Due to that, it is nice to see some of these faces finally getting the recognition they deserve, especially those like Minnie and Olaf who provide a nice contrast to the “humanness” of the rest of the game.

It isn’t all smiles and sunshine however, as this component of the game still feels lacking in many ways. While there are still the Toy Box Expansion Games, the Disney Originals again don’t have a Play Set of their own to frolick in, and many of these characters have appeared in previous DI games, meaning we are retreading old waters before giving some other key characters their time in the spotlight.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.