darkSpyro

The reviews for Skylanders Imaginators have begun to roll in so as usual here's a roundup of them. Most seem very positive with high praise for the customisation that the Imaginators provide but there's a few voicing a dislike towards the permanent locking of a class to the Creation Crystals (although a possible workaround has been discovered in the forums).

Quote: TheHDRoom - 4.8/5

Skylanders Imaginators stands on its own as a pleasurable journey for kids and adults alike as the sixth entry in the Skylanders franchise and fourth from Toys For Bob. It is the quintessential AAA game for kids that adults can equally enjoy if they peel back layers of maturity built up over time and allow themselves some immature fun. Imagine that.

Quote: BioGamer Girl - 9.5/10

Skylanders: Imaginators is once again a visually impressive masterpiece with its bright colors and cinematic cutscenes. The soundtrack manages to work alongside the gameplay perfectly and elevates your mood to just the right level rather it be intense battle or intrinsic puzzle-solving.

Quote: Hardcore Gamer - 4.5/5

While last year’s iteration put a heavy emphasis on racing, Imaginators does an excellent job returning things to the realm of platforming. All of the levels are expertly designed and feature beautiful backgrounds and clever puzzles that feel right at home with the best in the genre.

Quote: Xbox Addict - 9/10

I consider this one of the biggest games in the franchise to date, content wise. Along with custom Skylanders, and the Sensei characters, there is the game itself, and there is A LOT (caps added for emphasis) to do.

Quote: Digital Chumps - 9/10

One thing that I think the game upped itself from previous versions are the boss and enemy battles. While there is always going to be a pattern to these things, mainly because it’s a kid’s game, so you don’t want to frustrate your main audience too much, the game has definitely turned up the challenge to 11, especially during boss battles.

Quote: COG Connected - 88/100

Skylanders Imaginators is a dream for gamers who love to customize, platform, and just blow stuff up. The customization options are both easy to use for beginners and advanced enough to make some truly fantastic creations.

Quote: Financial Post - 8.5/10

The rest of the game is what returning fans would expect. The cartoonish combat feels as good as ever (it’s still miles ahead of the now defunct Disney Infinity games) and makes for terrific couch co-op play.

Quote: PlayStation Nation - 8.5/10

Much like the other Skylanders games on the PlayStation 4, this one’s a beauty. The bright, colorful graphics add to the cartoony wonder of the game. Lighting is actually really good at showing off the dark caves, water, and lightning strikes around the different levels and there isn’t even a hint of the jaggies.

Quote: Gaming Age - B+

The gameplay is tight and better than it’s been in previous games. I appreciate this return to the series roots, but fans of the series that have huge collections of Skylanders from previous titles might be disappointed. Many of the gimmicks from previous games have been greatly neglected.

Quote: Digital Spy - 4/5

Just when you might have expected the original Toys-to-Life franchise to be running out of steam, Activision has brought it back, revitalised and exciting. Imaginators might just be the best Skylanders yet.

Quote: The Sixth Axis - 8/10

Compared to last year’s Superchargers, Imaginators is certainly a step in the right direction. Instead of bolting something onto the existing formula, Toys For Bob have instead gone for reinvention. Being able to construct and share your own Skylanders isn’t a massive game changer, but it feels far more considered than other gimmicks.

Quote: God is a Geek - 8/10

And it all looks so lovely. Skylanders has always been a pretty franchise, but Imaginators is almost relentlessly colourful. The environments themselves are striking enough, but the special attacks light up the screen and the cutscenes are fluid and boldly drawn.

Quote: Gaming Nexus - 8/10

One of the things that I have to keep reminding myself about with the game is the fact that it is designed for kids. Imaginators felt a lot more linear than the previous adventures and while I felt it made things a lot easier for me, it made things a lot more accessible for my daughter.

Quote: Trusted Reviews - 4/5

As the first Skylanders designed for the current consoles, SuperChargers looked amazing, but Imaginators tops it with ease. It helps that the level designs lend themselves to spectacle, but the gorgeous lighting and impressive detail being the visuals pretty close to the quality of a TV CGI cartoon (and better than some).

Quote: iDigitalTimes - 4/5

Overall, Skylanders Imaginators is a great next step in the evolution of the franchise. Being able to create your own Skylander is a big deal and the team got it right with such a deep and rich customization option.

Quote: Nintendo World Report - 7.5/10

A bulk of the issues are technical ones - load times are abundant, graphical hitches occur often - but even the structure of the adventure seems like a step down from last year’s superb SuperChargers.

Quote: GameSpot - 7/10

To its credit, the game doesn't limit your ability to change how your character looks at any point. Imaginators doesn't quite have the same level of customisation depth as say, something like a WWE 2K17 or a Skyrim, but what is there is pretty expansive.

The game is out now in Australia and New Zealand, releases on Friday in Europe, and is available on Sunday in North America.