Skylanders: Swap Force
Swap Force introduces swappable character halves and jumping to the series.
Skylanders: Swap Force is a 2013 platform game developed by Vicarious Visions and Beenox and published by Activision. It is the third main game in the Skylanders franchise, following Skylanders: Giants. The game introduced swappable character figures and a new jumping ability.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Vicarious Visions
- Beenox
- n-Space (3DS)
- Publisher
- Activision
- Director
- Jeremy Russo
- Producer
- Eric Carter
- Nick Ruepp
- Chris Wilson
- Dawn Pinkney
- Designer
- Mike Stout
- Artist
- Steven Olds
- Dave E. Phillips
- Lee Harker
- Composer
- Lorne Balfe
- Engine
- Vicarious Visions Alchemy
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Gameplay builds on the previous two Skylanders games, with the new ability to jump without a bounce pad. Players use a Portal of Power that can handle up to 16 figures at once, an increase from the previous limit of 4. This change accommodates the Swap Force characters, whose top and bottom halves can be separated and recombined, yielding 256 possible combinations. The bottom halves provide eight movement types—Rocket, Spin, Dig, Stealth, Teleportation, Bounce, Speed, and Climb—needed for Swap Zone Challenges.
Plot
The Swap Force once protected the volcano that replenishes Skylands' magic every hundred years. After a battle, they were caught in an eruption, blasted apart, sent to Earth, and gained the ability to swap powers. The Skylanders must prevent the Elementals from being evilized, stop Kaos, and save the Skylands. Every 100 years, the Elementals—Flashfin, Terrasquid, Frost Hound, and Tree Spirit—unite to replenish magic through Mount Cloudbreak. During the last eruption, Kaos' mother Kaossandra tried to destroy the volcano, but Skylanders defended it. The eruption sent them to Earth and gave them swapping abilities. One hundred years later, Captain Flynn finds a girl named Tessa pursued by Greebles; he helps her with the Skylanders, but his ship is damaged. They reach her village Woodburrow, meet crier Rufus, and learn the chieftess has been captured. Kaos has created the Evilizer, which uses Petrified Darkness to turn others into stronger crystal versions.
Development
Swap Force was the first home console game in the series led by Vicarious Visions, replacing Toys for Bob. Visual development director Brent Gibson said work began while Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure was still being completed, drawing on the studio's earlier Nintendo 3DS version of that game, the Wii U version of Skylanders: Giants, and mobile titles Cloud Patrol, Battlegrounds, and Lost Islands. The concept originated after the cancellation of a Guitar Hero project in early 2011. Engineers worked on interchangeable figure halves while designers explored the mechanic; an early prototype used clay joined by an audio jack. The idea was proven with a magnet-jointed figure of Spyro's head, Prism Break's torso, and Voodood's legs. Two-part characters were settled roughly a quarter through development. Game director Jermey Russo noted that jumping quickly became a top improvement. The team tested jump distance and height with children, placing demanding platforming in optional areas. The Wii U version uses the GamePad for stats, objectives, and a leaderboard, and supports off-television play. The Wii version was developed by Beenox.
Reception
Skylanders: Swap Force received generally favorable reviews on most platforms according to Metacritic, with the Nintendo 3DS version receiving mixed or average reviews. The Metacritic scores were the highest of the series on most platforms. Quarter to Three gave the Wii U and Xbox 360 versions a perfect 5/5. Gaming Age gave the PlayStation 3 version an A grade. The game was nominated for Family Game of the Year at the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
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