This fall, Star Wars comes to Disney Infinity 3.0, bringing one of the world's best-love franchises into the already rich game world of Infinity.
The developers at Disney Interactive and Avalance Software heard gamers' complaints about 2.0, which focused on Marvel superheroes but offered a meager three Playsets (Disney Infinity's term for story mode campaigns), and are releasing at least five Playsets this go 'round. Three of those Playsets are devoted to Star Wars.
One, which we know almost nothing about, is being based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Details are being held back on that one to avoid spoilers for the movie. Another Playset, the one that comes with the Starter Pack, is a new story set in the Clone Wars' time period. It's called "Twilight of the Republic" and it features the playable characters/figurines Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, (young) Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Darth Maul.
The third Playset is the one that has us most excited at the moment, because it's based on the original Star Wars film trilogy. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Darth Vader are the playable characters for this set; Luke and Leia come with the Playset, the others are sold separately. "Rise Against the Empire" isn't an original story, it's a retelling of the entire trilogy, complete with every major moment, environment and battle.
"Rise Against the Empire" is developed by Studio Gobo. That's the small U.K. company whose only other credit is the Playset based on Pirates of the Caribbean from the first Disney Infinity. That huge, sprawling world was filled with loads to do, and was definitely one of the game's best sets. This bodes very well for Star Wars, which has an even bigger world to play in and endless potential for stuff to do.
Disney Interactive has released new screenshots from "Rise Against the Empire," as well as high-res photos of the five figures. The screens display a ton of familiar, beloved locations from around that galaxy far, far away, as well as favorite battles and even a few character beats. Take a look.
Locations
Jabba's Palace is one of many locations you'll visit in the Playset.
Here's a recognizable moment in the Cantina on Tatooine. A major part of Disney Infinity's aesthetic is taking the "toys-to-life" mandate seriously. Meaning, the in-game characters look exactly like their toy counterparts. The locations and objects and vehicles all look like toys, too. It gives everything a plastic look, which works well for the target audience.
The battle action on Hoth looks incredible.
Here's where it all began: the desert planet Tatooine. Disney says these environments are open worlds, too, so you'll be free to roam and explore. These screenshots are not comprehensive, by the way. We fully expect other playable locations like Bespin, the Death Star, Dagobah, etc.
Vehicles
What would Star Wars be without its spaceships and ground vehicles? Vehicles are totally playable in Disney Infinity 3.0, and that includes all of your favorites from the Star Wars movies. Here's the most famous of them all, and it looks pretty darn good.
Anyone up for a run down the Death Star trench in an X-Wing?
Yes, you get to ride a Tauntaun. We expect loads more vehicles to be revealed in the near future.
As much as we're loving the look of everything in "Rise Against the Empire," the character designs have given us some pause. Is it just us, or do they not resemble their movie counterparts very much?
It's not that they look bad. They appear to be designed and constructed with the same quality we've come to expect from Disney Infinity.
And we totally get that Disney Interactive has branding to consider and wants to have a consistent aesthetic across all of its products. Other properties like Marvel and Monsters University and Pirates of the Caribbean were reinterpreted to fit within the distinctive look created for these games. That's understandable.
I'm sorry, but that Han Solo looks nothing like a young Harrison Ford. Maybe it's something about the human faces, because we don't get the same effect looking at characters with masks or alien faces. Like Darth Vader, for example.
See? Vader looks like Vader. It's stylized, but he's recognizable. Chewie looks like Chewie, too. Well, a "Disney cartoon"-ized version of Chewie. But still.
Disney Infinity 3.0 arrives sometime this fall. It's expected for all the major game consoles, as well as PC and some mobile devices. "Rise Against the Empire" and its related figures will be separate purchases from the main game.
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