Exclusive In-Depth Review – Everything You Need To Know About Disney Infinity 2.0

Are you ready for the next edition of the famed game, Disney Infinity? We spent the last several days digging into the game, writing notes, cataloging power discs, and even have a few tips we wanted to pass along to you. Read along to learn about the Marvel Play Sets, the Disney Originals Toy Box, and everything you need to get started in Disney Infinity 2.0.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Like the first Disney Infinity, the 2.0 edition combines the game disc for your console (PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, WiiU) and the beautifully designed figures that, when placed on the included Disney Infinity 2.0 base, appear in the game. Be sure to check out this video uploaded to the official Disney Infinity YouTube channel (UPDATED: Link removed as the video is no longer available) for a great overview of how the game works.

DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 OVERALL REVIEW

The enhancements to Disney Infinity 2.0 are seen, felt, and experienced from the moment you get started. Most notable is the addition of the skill tree which can be individually built for each character. Like before, as you find capsules and beat missions, your character gains experience points and are “leveled up”. As the characters achieve a higher level you will be able to assign individual skills in the skill tree which enhance that character’s in-game ability. The reason I find this to be the most significant enhancement in the game is that not only does it give you an incentive to level up your character, but you can also build out your team to be balanced – using the best character for the mission at that time. For instance, while you may choose to build Thor’s skill tree to make him extremely powerful, you could choose to build Captain America to have super speed and extra health.

Other areas which really caught my attention when playing were:

• The time is takes characters and power discs to appear in the game after you’ve placed them on the base is about two-times as fast as before. Although I never really complained about it before, it’s a great addition to the game as you’ll be switching characters a lot more often with the skill tree.
• Another reason you’ll be switching characters more frequently is because now when a character runs out of health, you don’t just instantly regenerate like you did in 1.0. For instance, if I was playing as Iron Man and he got defeated by the enemies, I’d see a warning saying that I can either place a new character on the base to continue, or I can choose to regenerate at the last saved checkpoint. Iron Man would be able to come back into the game “in a while” (typically about 10-15 minutes). The game states this as “in a while” because one of the skills that you can upgrade in the skill tree is the ability to heal dispatched figures quicker (TIP – be sure to build one of your characters’ skill trees to be a healer).
• Speaking of being defeated – another change to 2.0 that you can select is the enemy strength level (easy, medium, hard and expert). The game level is set to medium out of the box.
• One of the most requested features from 1.0 was the ability to play with characters across play sets. For instance, in 2.0, once you collect all 10 hidden Crossover Coins (shown in the image below) for Rocket Raccoon in the Avengers play set you’ll unlock a series of Avengers-based missions for Rocket.

• I was playing the WiiU version of the game and I must say that the use of the gamepad is so perfectly thought out. It’s so great to have the constant heads-up display of how many crossover coins and bonus boxes you’ve already located around the play set.

MARVEL PLAY SET REVIEWS

The Marvel Play Sets combine hours of gameplay (approximately 7-8 hours per play set) into three distinct play sets: The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man. The Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Starter Pack comes with the Iron Man, Thor and Black Widow game figures and includes the game disc, base station and two toy box discs (Assault on Asgard and Escape From The Kyln).

THE AVENGERS

The Avengers play set is an absolute stunner and draws you in right away – in fact, the story was penned by Marvel employee, Brian Michael Bendis. After a great introduction to get you acclimated to the game controls, snow slowly starts to fall as the Avengers learn that the ever-illusive Loki is purposefully freezing the city in order to further advance his legion of frost giants (who are more menacing in the cold). The Avengers must traverse dangerous missions and find their way to Loki to put at end to the mischief and damage. Just be aware that the story line will get repetitive slightly with this play set as it comes down to pummeling frost giants over and again.

One of the reasons I found myself constantly coming back to the Avengers play set was specifically because of Thor and Iron Man. The ability to fly in the game is so great and really allows you to get around the city in a hurry and search for all of the missions and hidden items. After you’ve flown, there doesn’t feel like much of a reason to want to walk (so grab a motorcycle or car if you’re any other character)!

At the September 23, 2014 launch, you’ll be able to purchase (in addition to the starter pack) the figures for Captain America and Hawkeye. The Incredible Hulk figure will initially only be available as part of a PS3 & PS4 Collectors Starter Pack and available to purchase individually on October 28, 2014. Falcon and Loki (included in the Marvel Super Villains pack with Green Goblin and Ronan) will be available in 2015 (specific date not set at this time).

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

The Guardians of the Galaxy play set is a visual explosion, with action and adventure happening in 360˚ around you. I had a hard time choosing which character was my favorite from this play set, but it has to be close between Gamora and Drax. Gamora’s special power is fantastic to dispatch enemies in no time flat (she’s insanely fast and her sword length helps her reach enemies in a wider swath with one swing).

The only issue I had with the Guardians play set (along with moments of the Avengers play set) is that the game constantly reminds you to “get going” and get to your missions faster. I really enjoy searching for hidden items in the game and while doing so you keep hearing the mission givers remind you (with the same phrase repeated) to get to work every few minutes. It’s a minor concern, but it did start to get to me over time.

Star-Lord and Gamora can be purchased in the play set pack (including the play set piece to activate the Guardians gameplay), along with Rocket Raccoon, Groot and Drax on September 23, 2014. Yondu and Ronan will be available in 2015 (specific date not set at this time).

SPIDER-MAN

Spidey never lets you down and the Spider-Man play set is packed with beautiful cityscapes and action as you web sling-and-swing through the streets. Much like flying around the city with Iron Man or Thor, web swinging is the right way to travel – in fact, when web slinging, you don’t even need a real surface to shoot your web onto in order to swing through the streets. Just fire your webs into the sky whenever you want to swing. The play sets most-valuable-player is Venom – he’s extremely powerful (much like Hulk) and can soar through the skies with his webs in the same way Spider-Man can.

Spider-Man and Nova can be purchased in the play set pack (including the play set piece to activate the Spider-Man gameplay), along with Venom, Iron Fist and Nick Fury on September 23, 2014. Green Goblin will be available in the Marvel Super Villains pack releasing in 2015 (specific date not set at this time). 

POWER DISCS

Power discs are just as much fun within the play sets and toy box as before, but a the addition of the new Marvel Team-Up discs is fantastic. When you have the circular Team-Up disc placed on the base station you’ll be able to summon that character to fight alongside you as you defeat enemies. After you place the Team-Up disc on the base you’ll begin to see the disc “fill” with a yellow circle around it – once filled you can call your teammate by pressing down on the controllers d-pad.

The Marvel Power Discs will be sold at the September 23 launch. In addition to the great in-game enhancements the Power Discs bring to the Marvel world (play sets and toy box), there will also be a series of “Disney Originals” Power Discs releasing along with the Toy Box Starter Pack on November 4, 2014.

TOY BOX 2.0

The Toy Box 2.0 is yet another significant enhancement in the second iteration of the game. The Toy Box allows the same freedom to create your own world from scratch – but this time around there are also more templates and character construction builders who are able to help you get started on your masterpieces as well. Additionally, you can now create building interiors, create more detailed games/missions and even add text bubbles to help guide/describe toy box elements.

All of your 1.0 edition power discs and characters can still be utilized in the 2.0 toy box as well – and yes, you can still unlock the Lightsaber if you have all of the standard figures (not including crystal infinity figures). We also love that you can build out the skill trees for all of you 1.0 figures now as well and their experience points carry over from 1.0!

A few changes in the play sets and toy box is the fact that you no longer collect green capsules in order to unlock toy box components – in 2.0 you collect blue capsule sparks which can then be used to purchase toys in the toy box toy store. As a side note, green capsules contain health sparks and orange capsules help your character gain experience points.

TIP – Be sure to play through the Introduction to the Toy Box mission in the Toy Box. Pick a character you want to level up because if you complete all the very simple missions and search for all of the orange capsules you’ll easily gain 4-5 level points for your figure!

MARVEL TOY BOX GAMES

Included in the Marvel Starter Pack are two Toy Box Game Discs. The two discs contain many missions which will are more endurance-type missions (i.e., how long can you stay alive) and as you master each one a new one opens up.

DISNEY ORIGINALS TOY BOX (WITH STARTER PACK)

Coming to stores on November 4, 2014, will be the series of Disney Originals characters – which will contain even more Toy Box adventures.

Merida and Stitch will also come with the Toy Box Game Discs (similar to the Assault on Asguard and Escape from the Kyln discs included in the Marvel Starter Pack) while the remaining characters will be specific to the Toy Box.

Keep in mind that you only need to buy one starter pack – if you already have the Marvel Starter Pack on November 4 you only need to purchase Stitch and Merida individually. Likewise, if you choose to purchase the Disney Toy Box Starter pack, you will then be able to purchase the Avengers Play Set separately.

For Nintendo Wii Owners – If you had the Wii (not WiiU) version of Disney Infinity 1.0, you will now be able to upgrade to Disney Infinity 2.0 for free (play sets, base station, figures and power discs sold separately). To upgrade to the new Disney Infinity 2.0, head to the Nintendo eShop and download the game today.

WRAP UP

The 2.0 Edition of Disney Infinity succeeds in all areas over its predecessor – the gameplay is more sophisticated, the graphics are enhanced, the audio accents the adventures perfectly and I can confidently say that this also makes me want to watch or re-watch many of the Marvel movies and even pick up a few comics to start reading again. Let me wrap up by quoting what I said once I started playing the newest edition – Disney Infinity 2.0 is so good I’m not sure I’ll even be tempted to play the first version again – and that’s not to say that 1.0 isn’t still a great game, 2.0 is just so great!