This year's Portal of Power -- the USB device that plugs into the PlayStation 4 -- comes with a trap slot that lets you swap out several different types of traps. Each enemy boss can only be trapped if you have the proper element in your arsenal. While you cannot rank up your captured foes, there are plenty of times where switching between them and your on-screen character offers a refreshing change. There are also certain instances in game where you are required to switch between characters in order to progress through the level.
Aside from the ability to trap enemies, the gameplay remains pretty consistent with past releases. Simply place your desired Skylander on the Portal and take on various enemies, complete puzzles and collect coins and gems. Gamers who have sunk boatloads of money into the series already, will be pleased to know that all past Skylander characters work with Trap Team.
I played Trap Team using the starter pack which came with two Skylander action figures and two trap elements (there are five in total). There were numerous times where certain portals were inaccessible to me since I did not have the right Skylander character and there were many moments where I defeated a boss, but could not trap them because I did not have the corresponding trap element. It's moments like these that can get frustrating with Trap Team. What originally starts as a $85 investment can easily balloon up to a $200 or $300 if you start wading into the dangerous waters of collecting the traps and augmenting your roster of Skylander figures.
Throughout the game, you level-up your characters skills and combat abilities. This is actually where one of my main gripes with the game lies. I easily maxed out my characters abilities halfway through game’s story. From this point onwards, it made collecting coins and items completely useless. This is where playing with multiple Skylanders offsets irritant.
The campaign is of pretty good length clocking in around 10 hours. It's a great game for the younger demographic and can be played cooperatively with one other player. Fans of the past series will be pleased to know that for the first time loot is finally shared with your co-op partner.
Most of the same main cast we saw in Swap Force returns in Trap Team. The only difference I noticed is that this year's cut scenes appeared a little rougher around the edges at times. Lip syncing during spoken moments seemed off in a few spots, but overall the game succeeds with its humorous direction. As with past titles in the series, the game’s environments are quite colourful and rich.
After you're done with the game's campaign, there are tons of collectibles to go back for and several other modes including Challenge and Versus. Challenge see you destroy waves and waves of enemies using tower defenses, while Versus pits different Skylanders against one another to battle it out.
Trap Team is easily the best game in the series. If you've invested a good amount of time and money into the franchise, you won’t be disappointed by what Trap Team has to offer.
- Sidd Masand
Follow @jokeman23
The Good:
- Best Skylander Game to Date
- Trapping Enemies is awesome
- Tons to do and explore
The Bad:
- Expensive investment if you want to experience everything the game has to offer
- Ranking up your character is a little too easy and quick
- Some parts of the presentation appear a little rough around the edges.
