Skylanders Trap Team vs Disney Infinity 2.0

Disney Infinity and Skylanders go head-to-head again

There’s two
brand new toys-to-life games out for the new-generation consoles, just
in time to be put on children’s Christmas lists for Santa – Disney Infinity 2.0 and Skylanders Trap Team.

When they were first released in October, both games retailed for around the £50 mark, but thanks to pre-Christmas price incentives the two games are now available for £40 – making them much more affordable for kids (and big kids) this Christmas.

If
you haven’t bought a Disney Infinity or Skylanders game for your
children yet it’s worth knowing what the differences between the two are
before you make that initial investment. You’ll want your
kids to love the game and play for it for months to come.

What’s great about both games is that once you’ve made that initial investment, you can then add more functionality to the games by buying a single new toy.

We’ve
put together a quick guide that should help you make your Disney
Infinity 2.0 vs Skylanders Trap Team decision, including the differences
between the toys themselves, the base, the investment required and of
course theactual games.

Don’t forget to read the full Skylanders Trap Team and Disney Infinity 2.0 reviews for our verdicts on both games too.

How much will it actually cost you?

The most important thing for parents is to work out how much Skylanders Trap Team and Disney Infinity 2.0 will cost you in the long run.

First you need to buy the base game. For Disney Infinity 2.0 you currently have the choice of the Marvel Super Heroes Starter Pack or the Toy Box Combo Pack, which retail for anywhere between £42 and £47 depending on the platform.

The individual toys for Disney Infinity 2.0 cost £9.50 each, but you can also buy playsets with a pair of toys in and a special playset token for unique missions.

As for Skylanders Trap Team, the prices for the base game have dropped considerably from the RRP of £50 to around £35 for all platforms.

With Trap Team, it’s a bit more complicated. You can buy individual Trap Masters for £13.50, which will unlock new areas of the game. You can also buy the traps for £6 a pop, which will let you trap different types of monsters to play with.

Overall, Skylanders is working out a little cheaper, but there is more stuff to buy with the Activision game. Disney Infinity 2.0 has the recognisable characters on its side though. 

Disney Infinity 2.0 vs Skylanders Trap Team – Basic Premise

On
the surface level, Disney Infinity 2.0 and Skylanders Trap Team offer a
similar experience for gamers. Each come in a starter pack offering a
couple of toy figurines that can be placed on the bundled base to
transport the characters into the game.

The in-game characters
can be levelled up and players can hone their skills for a personalised
play style. Away from the game, you get well-made toys for the children
to use in their imaginary play. Bonus.

But aside from the toys
themselves, there are additional bits of kit that you’ll need to use to
fully utilise both Disney Infinity 2.0 and Skylanders Trap Team. Both
Starter Packs give you a taste of all the necessary gear, but you’ll
need to be prepared for additional purchases when your children decide
they need additional characters, traps, discs or playsets to get more
out of each game.

Skylanders Trap Team requires you to obtain
Elemental Traps. These coloured plastic sword-like pieces allow you to
trap enemies within the storyline, which can then become playable
characters. There’s a special hexagonal slot in the Trap Team base that
these fit into – more on which a little later.

Each colour
corresponds to a different element – water, life, tech, earth and so on –
so your child will need to work out, which traps they need for each
baddie. You get two with the Starter Pack: one life trap and one water
trap.

For Disney Infinity 2.0, beyond the well-known characters
themselves there are plastic discs that unlock Toy Box mini-games and
there are special costume discs that kit your characters out with unique
outfits that supercharge them.

Disney Infinity 2.0 vs Skylanders Trap Team – Characters

For
Disney Infinity 2.0, there’s the allure of the Marvel Super Heroes
Starter Pack, which comes with Thor, Iron Man and Black Widow figurines.
You also get a pair of Toy Box mini game discs and the Marvel Super
Heroes Playset statue, which you’ll need to put on the base to start the
game.

Beyond the Marvel Super Heroes Starter Pack, Disney
Infinity 2.0 is also getting a Toy Box Starter Pack early next month.
This comes with Merida from Brave and Stitch toys, two different mini
game discs and the appropriate playset statue. Don’t get conned into
buying both Starter Packs though because you will be buying the console
game twice. Pick the stater pack with the characters your kids prefer
and then just buy other figurines seperately.

With the
Skylanders Trap Team Standard Pack, you get the Snap Shot and Food Fight
toys and two  traps – one life and one water trap. If you’re purchasing
the Nintendo 3DS version, the Standard Starter Pack is a little
different, as it comes with Gusto and Barkley toys instead.

In
terms of toy quality, we’d say that Disney Infinity 2.0 has the edge.
The toys are made out of hard matte plastic, with a more pliable,
rubbery plastic used for certain elements like Thor’s cape. The colours
are a little muted though and lack the vibrancy of their Skylanders
counterparts.

Of course, the main appeal of the Disney toys is
that they are characters you and your children will know and love. Even
if it’s not the Marvel crew, there are also Guardians of the Galaxy toys
to be had as well as beloved Disney characters like Donald Duck or even
Princess Jasmine.

As for the Skylanders’ toys, they are vivdly
colour, well detailed and have more mischievous expressions than the
Disney lot. Each one has its very own personalised weapon, which it
wields even in figurine form, making them a little more interesting as
toys.

There
are two different types of Skylander Trap Team toys. There’s your basic
Skylander such as Food Fight, then there’s the Trap Masters, which have
crystal weapons like our friend Snap Shot. These crystal weapon clad
monsters are capable of opening up the Elemental Doors scattered
throughout the world, so you’ll need as many of these as possible to
open up the world.

However, we might add that the crystal
weapons are a little on the pointy side. We know that both Skylanders
Trap Team and Disney Infinity 2.0 are aimed at children six and up and
therefore should know how to handle the things. But, those weapons could
definitely scratch a retina or two if you’re not careful, so be aware
of that when dishing Snap Shot out to your children.

One more
thing is that the Disney Infinity 2.0 toys have a much larger base on
them, which is to make sure they fit properly in the game’s base
station. Although this means the light underneath can shine though when
docked in the base, it can distract from their position as toys a
little.

Disney Infinity 2.0 vs Skylanders Trap Team – Base

The
base systems for Disney Infinity 2.0 and Skylanders Trap Team are the
new bits of kit for both games. The Disney Infinity 2.0 base looks
strikingly similar to that of its predecessor, but it has some internal
tweaks that allow the Infinity 2.0 characters to have skill trees, and
to give those skill trees to characters from the original game.

It’s
a slimline but sturdy piece of kit that has the mark of good build
quality. It allows you to have two characters in place at a time (or one
toy and one toy box mini game disc), meaning Disney Infinity 2.0 allows
co-operative play straight out of the box. Behind the holes for the two
characters, there’s also a smaller space where the playset statue is
positioned.

Despite accommodating all three spaces, the Infinity
2.0 base isn’t huge and won’t take up much space. Plus, it lights up in
an array of colours, filling the translucent playset piece with light
and makes the underside of your characters glow – always a welcome
addition, especially for children.

The Skylanders Trap Team base is a marked difference from any of the previous games – Skylanders: Swap Force, Skylanders: Giants and Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventures.
It still has the rounded portion where you need to place the
Skylanders, which glows gently in a range of colours around the
surrounding ring. But, there’s a new extra piece to the base with a
hexagonal hole and a little prison where the speaker hides.

It’s
in that hexagonal hole where the new Traps can be placed and you’ll
hear the trapped baddies being sucked into the little prison as you
capture them. Every so often the trapped monsters will also comment on
the action and call for you to swap them back into the action.

It’s
a nice touch and makes the overall experience feel much more lifelike.
The phrases they call out are also pretty funny and will make both
children and adults chuckle more than once.

Overall, the
Skylanders Trap Team base does lack a little of the finesse of the
Infinity 2.0 base. It’s a little plasticky and quite a bit chunkier than
the Disney version, but we do like the fact that the Skylanders one
makes noises.

Disney Infinity 2.0 vs Skylanders Trap Team – Gameplay

Now
this is where the big differences come in and what will probably define
your purchase if you’re not already sold on one game or the other – the
gameplay.
 
First we’ll tackle Disney Infinity 2.0. There’s a
number of things that Infinity 2.0 tackles well and the major thing is
its portrayal of the three heroes bundled with the Marvel Super Heroes
Starter Pack. Black Widow has some neat martial arts skills; Thor can
batter his way though enemies with his hammer; and Iron Man fights with
his fists or his repulsor rays.
 
Thor and Iron Man can fly and
you’ll be to explore the breadth and height of the game’s version of
Manhattan, which comes complete with Avengers tower. Basically, you feel
like you’re playing with a real super hero, which is a key part of the
Marvel Super Heroes playset.
 
For combat, there is an element of
strategy too, as you’ll be able to utilise the special attack gauge to
add another level to the strong fast-flowing combat. The special attacks
are accessed within each characters Skill Tree, which enables you to
level up your hero’s attacks and other abilities. This is something
totally new to Disney Infinity 2.0 and lets you customise your character
with your particular play style. It’s also a great way to mix up the
gameplay a little.
 
 

The
world itself is far, far larger and taller than any worlds included in
previous Disney Infinity playsets from the first game, but sadly, it
lacks some of the personality and finesse found in Skylanders. It would
seriously benefit from some enemy variety or some enhanced environmental
textures.
 
The same can be said about the story campaign itself.
While the characters are fully fleshed and have voices that you’ll
instantly know and love to hear coming out of your TV, the story
missions lack imagination and more importantly variation.
 
You
can play co-op from the off though, if you’ve got two controllers for
your console – something missing from the original Disney Infinity and
Skylanders Trap Team too.
 
However, slightly mundane story aside,
there is more to Disney Infinity 2.0. You do get two mini-games within
the Starter Pack: one Tower Defence style game and another Guardians of
the Galaxy themed mini-game set in the Kyln prison.
 
But, the
real appeal of Disney Infinity 2.0 is the Toy Box 2.0. Although the
premise of the Infinity 2.0 version is still the same – build your own
little world in an open sandbox and even create your own games – it has
been totally revamped in Toy Box 2.0. There’s an easier way to buy
content directly with your in-game currency aka Blue Sparks, rather than
having your prizes randomised.
 
The main new addition though is
the little helpers or builders who can quickly help you build cities,
racing tracks or other content while you watch. It takes a lot of the
hard work off you, but still lets you have a lot of creative control.
You can also now customise the interior of your houses.

Read our complete Disney Infinity 2.0 review for the full ins-and-outs of gameplay
 

Then
we come to Skylanders Trap Team, which lets you play as both the
Skylanders and the baddies in the game. In the box you get two
Skylanders, Snap Shot and Food Fight. The former is your Trap Master and
you’ll need him when you see piles of Traptanium in the Skylands world
to take them down and access new areas of the map. Food Fight is just a
normal Skylander, but he’s got a rather impressive tomato cannon that is
pretty powerful against enemies, especially when you start upgrading
it.
 
What’s great about Skylanders is you don’t know anything
about the characters or the enemies that you also get to play as. Part
of its appeal is learning about the new Skylanders Trap Team cast and
discovering their unique weapons, personalities, sound tracks and
advantages.
 
The enemies themselves can be a great advantage and
you can switch to any you have trapped mid-battle. Just press the left
trigger and the critter you’ve got trapped in your Elemental Trap
currently docked in your base will come flying into battle. Our
particular favourite is Broccoli Guy, who the adults will appreciate for
his dry humour.
 
Enemies aren’t upgradable in the same way as
the Skylanders. Instead of buying upgrades with the in-game coins, each
has a specific redemption mission to play through. By completing each
enemy’s associated redemption mission, you earn a cool upgrade for your
newly-turned baddy.
 

Compared
to Disney Infinity 2.0, Skylanders Trap Team looks much more like a
new-gen Xbox One and PS4 title. It has slick lighting effects, detailed
textures and is looking more and more like a computer generated cartoon
series than ever before. Even as an adult, I was hooked on the game’s
strong storyline and elaborate cutscenes. Your children will be more
than engrossed in the story and especially the fact that the game
involves you as a player in the game.
 
The levels themselves lack
a little variation, but the focus is on the characters, humour and
storyline rather than the specific locales. There are a few unique
features and some stand out levels, but there’s no really interesting
game mechanics to be seen.
 
The main campaign is complemented by
some new mini-games found within the Skylanders main area. There’s a
little side-scrolling platformer section for example and there’s tonnes
of variation in the redemption missions too, including an Angry
Birds-style destruction level for the enemy known as Sheep Creep.
 
Read our complete Skylanders Trap Team review for the full gameplay details

Disney Infinity 2.0 vs Skylanders Trap Team – Price

Thankfully,
price isn’t going to be one of the deciding factors when it comes to
choosing between Sklanders Trap Team and Disney Infinity 2.0. Both
starter packs come in at around the £50 mark, but it is possible to find
them both a little cheaper if you shop around a bit.

Each of
the Disney Infinity 2.0 playsets give you around 6 – 10 hours of play.
That’s not including the Toy Box or mini games though, which will give
you more to play around with. So you get the Marvel Super Heroes playset
with the Starter Pack and you can then either buy another playset or
just get more characters for your children.

All prices are correct at the time of publishing. You can get all of the above cheaper if you shop around a bit.

When you buy the Skylanders Trap team Starter Pack, you get
the whole game and its various mini games contained on that one disc.
However, to actually get access to the full game, you’ll need to buy at
least seven more Trap Master Skylanders – with their crystal weapons –
to gain access to the Elemental Doors sealing off different areas of the
map and the game’s full potential.

As for the Trap Team
baddies, there are actually 46 that you can trap and play as. Don’t
worry, you won’t need to buy 46 traps in order to capture them all. Just
like the Skylanders, each enemy belongs to one of the elemental groups,
so you’ll need to purchase five more traps beyond the water and life
traps you get with the Starter Pack if you want to trap them all.

Disney Infinity 2.0 vs Skylanders Trap Team – Platforms

Here’s a guide to which consoles support both games. It’s worth noting that for the first time, there’s also a Skylanders Trap Team for Tablet, taking the console Skylanders experience to mobile devices for the first time.

Disney Infinity 2.0 vs Skylanders Trap Team – Backwards compatibility

Now,
if you bought into the last generation of Disney Infinity or any of the
previous Skylanders games, you might want to stick with what you
already know.

All existing toys for both Skylanders and Disney
Infinity are compatible with the new games, meaning any you’ve already
got lying about at home will work with the new bases.

With
Disney Infinity 2.0, older toys will even get the new Skill Trees added
to their customisation options, meaning they get a little extra charm
with the new game.

However, you cannot buy any of the new toys
for either game and expect them to work with any existing bases from
previous Skylander games or Disney Infinity 1.0. They are built with the
newer technology and are therefore only compatible with the latest
base.

Disney Infinity 2.0 vs Skylanders Trap Team – Verdict

If
we were coming to the toys-to-life game market for the first time, we’d
have a tough time deciding between Disney Infinity 2.0 and Skylanders
Trap Team. On the one hand, Disney Infinity 2.0 has a string of
recognisable characters and voice actors that makes collecting the whole
set seem very appealing. It also has a full storyline within the
Starter Pack and comes with three toys rather than the Skylanders’ two.

However,
we don’t like the fact that to get more story out of the game we’d have
to buy another playset, which retails around the £30 mark each time.
But, you do always have the immersive Toy Box to while away the hours
with.

See also: Best games 2014

With Skylanders Trap Team, the characters may not be
recognisable, but they ooze with charm and appeal as soon as you start
playing. Children and adults alike will love the comedic and brilliantly
acted storyline, but may not like the fact you need to buy at least
seven more Skylanders Trap Masters to access the full game.

Each
Trap Master does cost around £12 though, so you could get another
couple of hours play out of each purchase, rather than having to spend
£30 each time as with Disney Infinity 2.0.

There isn’t quite as
much to do in Skylanders, but the strength of the storyline and the
animation quality makes us inclined to spend our money there rather than
the Disney alternative.