Skylanders: Giants asks players to do something unusual for a sequel: it adds a whole new cast of figures, a new way to play, and a reason to buy entirely new toys. That ambition is both the game’s greatest strength and its biggest problem.
Trailer, via IGN.
The New Cast
The main addition in Skylanders: Giants is a second set of physical figures, each tied to a new character class and a fresh set of abilities. Players who already owned the original game could pick up a handful of these new figures and see immediate change on screen. That is a clever trick, and it rewards players who want to keep building out their collection rather than starting over.
The game also introduces a new mechanic: figures can now be combined, letting players build temporary characters with mixed abilities. It is a small idea, but it opens up the way fights feel, giving players more room to experiment with which powers work together.
What Works
The core loop remains strong. Players move a small team of figures across a fantasy world, solving puzzles and fighting enemies, all while carrying their physical figures from shelf to TV. That combination still feels fresh, even after the novelty of the original wore off.
The game’s world is larger than the first installment, with more locations to explore and more paths through each stage. Some of those paths branch out, rewarding players who look around instead of rushing straight ahead. The presentation stays bright and easy to follow, which helps carry the game through its slower moments.
Skylanders: Giants also keeps the pacing tight. Levels rarely drag, and the difficulty curve stays fair, giving players a steady sense of progress without demanding too much at once.
What Falls Short
Not everything holds up. The new figures are expensive, and buying a full second set of toys pushes the price far beyond what the first game asked for. Players who already spent money on the original may find the cost of entry hard to justify.
Some of the new classes feel underused. Players get access to several new types of figures, but the game does not always give them enough content to make the investment worthwhile. The combined character feature is a neat trick, but it gets less attention than it deserves.
The game also repeats some of the original’s weaker design choices. Side content is thin in places, and some areas feel like filler rather than genuine additions to the experience. The game leans heavily on its toy tie-in to sell itself, and that reliance shows in places where the content does not quite match the promise.
Ranking the Systems
Here is a rough breakdown of how the game’s systems stack up, ranked by how well they serve the overall experience:
- New figures — the strongest addition, offering fresh classes and deep collections
- Combined characters — a clever idea that gets limited attention
- World size — larger and more branching, but with thinner side content
- Side content — the weakest area, thin and sometimes filler-like
The game also added a multiplayer mode, letting players fight each other with their figures. It is a nice addition, but it does not change the core appeal enough to justify the price of entry on its own.
The Numbers
Here is a rough breakdown of how the game’s systems stack up:
| Feature | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| New figures | Fresh classes, deep collections | High cost, uneven balance |
| Combined characters | Flexible builds, creative fights | Limited content |
| World size | Larger, more branching | Thinner side content |
Where It Lands
Skylanders: Giants succeeds at being bigger in nearly every way, but it fails at being better. The new figures and combined character system are genuinely clever ideas, but the game does not build around them with enough care. The result is a sequel that feels like a step forward in hardware but a step back in polish.
For players who own the original and want to keep playing, the new figures offer real value. For players who have not yet jumped in, the high price of entry makes the package harder to recommend. The game’s best moments come from exploring its larger world and testing out its new classes, but the cost of getting there is a weight the game never fully lifts.
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