Disney Infinity was finally released last weekend!  I had tried the game at E3, and I’ve been itching to get my hands on it ever since.  I picked up the Starter Pack, which includes the game, the Disney Infinity Base, and three figures (Capt. Jack Sparrow, Sulley and Mr. Incredible).  My preorder with GameStop entitled me to a free figure, so I also picked up Davy Jones.  I also had a figure that I won at E3, which is Violet (the daughter of Mr. Incredible) and I also picked up the Cars Playset AND a Mater figure… so I’m pretty stocked up right now!  I only need a few more figures to complete the first Wave of toys available for this game.

I have to start by saying that I am extremely impressed with the figures.  These Disney Infinity figures are really high quality, they look great and are quite detailed.  Honestly, I would probably pay $15 for these figures to just sit on my shelf, yet they are worth so much more.  Each figure unlocks more content for their particular game.  So even when I finish playing Monsters University with Sulley, I’ll still have to pick up Mike and Randy, because they add more objectives and missions to the game.

On top of all this are the Power Discs, which can be bought for $4.99, and Toys R Us (among other places) are doing lots of great sales right now to help everyone collect as much as they can afford.  There are 30 Power Discs in the first Wave, with 20 more due out in Wave 2, and another 15 in Wave 3.  Not sure when those next Waves will be, but hopefully holiday season will be the next!  That’s what I’m assuming anyway.  The Power Discs are fun to collect because they feature different Disney characters, they add more power to your characters in Playset mode, and unlock new toys and options in Toy Box mode.  Phew that’s a lot to take in, and I haven’t even talked about the game itself yet!

When I first started up my game, I didn’t know what to expect.  I’d played the demo at E3, but it was at a specific part of the game.  In my previous experiences with Disney games, I sometimes end up disappointed.  The controls tend to be confusing or cumbersome, and the explanatory text on screen is usually so small that you need a microscope to read it.  (I experienced both of these issues while attempting to play Disney’s Epic Mickey game.)  Luckily, these issues are nonexistent in Disney Infinity!

Right when you start your game for the first time, there is a tutorial/introduction.  You go over the basic controls while “creating” and exploring the Toy Box area.  Disney characters greet you and guide you along as you learn to jump and climb.  Did I mention that the HD graphics are INSANE??  They look fantastic, and you can play either on the TV or the Wii U Game Pad.

Once the Introduction is complete, you are free to do whatever you’d like in Disney Infinity.  You can play around in Toy Box, where you can build and create your own world.  The Toy Box can be fully customized, and there are also pre-made Toy Boxes that can be downloaded as well.  If you crave a bit of structure, you can try some of the Toy Box Challenges, which further explore the different controls and features within the game.  Also in the Toy Box is the Hall of Fame.  Each playable character has a statue in the Hall of Fame, and the statues change as you progress in the Playsets.  (I don’t want to give too much away here so I’ll stop at that.)

If the Toy Box wasn’t enough, there is Playset mode, which are entirely separate games that you can play.  Each Playset takes place in the setting of the movie that the character is from, for example, the Pirates Playset takes place in the Carribean!  You can sail the high seas, firing cannons at enemy pirates from your customizable ship, or fight Davy Jones’ minions on land.  Treasure is hiding everywhere, and it’s up to you to find and collect it!  Each Playset also has collectibles scattered all across the world, and the collectibles unlock new Toys that you can use in the Toy Box!  I don’t want to give too much away about the storylines for the Playsets, so I’ll stop there.  I might go into more detail after I beat one of the Playset story modes.

I’ve only had the game for a few days, but I’m already really impressed with the amount of content available for Disney Infinity.  I also just read that there is going to be a PC version of the game, as well as an iPad version coming out soon!  So far the only complaint I can think of for this game is that I haven’t been able to save a screenshot to the Miiverse.  But who has time to play around with that when there are pirates to fight, monsters to scare and super villains to battle??

Just a word to the wise, this game is best for people who have their own dispensable income, as the Starter Pack retails for about $75 and the figures are $15 each at some stores.  If you can afford the habit, this is a fabulous game and I highly recommend it!!