darkSpyro

This week I got my shipment of 50% off used Skylanders from Gamestop and the majority of those characters were Swap Force characters. So last night I decided put on Swap Force to fill out my roster and that silly 256 possible combinations chart. After a few hours of doing that, I then played a few levels and I honestly had forgotten how GOOD Swap Force really was. Or perhaps SuperChargers really was that bad, you know?

Sure the levels were a tad too long but they had a lot of exploration and overall it was a rather solid game and extremely fun for me to play. It really felt like a "Skylanders" game to me. So now I plan to try to 100% the game as it feels like I actually have something to do now, unlike SC where I feel there is nothing else to do at all other than waiting for Splat to arrive.

One thing I noticed right off is nightmare mode really is a nightmare! My fully leveled 20 characters are extremely squishy and they do so little damage compared to SC. I was going though them like they were nothing!!! Perhaps I'm just out of practice or I have relied on cheats too much (like the Kaos Trap and Gear Shift) in the two following games. Still it felt really good as nightmare SC wasn't any real challenge to me other than two types of critters who were very hard to kill and does a ton of damage if they catch you. SF it seems like EVERY critter is a killer and could do you in a blink of an eye in if you're not being careful.

Leveling up was a bit of a shock. Having a level 9 character and getting it to level 10 can take several minutes. I had totally forgotten how that was like, but it felt honest and good at the same time, like I had really earned that level up. In SC, I just play Kaos twice and in about 10 minutes I have a fully leveled character. That's not really a bad thing as it helps me level up characters I don't care much for, but at the same time it's a total cheat. SC is really broke at how easily it gives away EXP.

I didn't get all of the treasures and stuff yet in SF, so it was really fun looking and trying to find them. We all know how SC gives that stuff away and it too made me feel like I earned nothing. Basically what I'm saying is that playing SF makes me feel that I'm really earning whatever rewards I get.

Another thing I noticed is that SF gives you a ton of stuff to do like time attack and score challenge. Back then I thought it was all unnecessary and overwhelming filler to make you replay the game at least three times more than you should, but now I see that it actually made the game more fun if you are not trying to do everything all in the same week. Give it time and enjoy it slowly and it's really fun. SC on the other hand has little aftergame that is worth doing, especially if you don't care much for racing. I refuse to buy all those multiple vehicles to unlock gates nor will I replay any racing level once beaten, so a lot of SC content is simply wasted on me.

Of course SF is long, but that is good, isn't it? SC felt like less than half a game, especially after playing the vast levels of SF. I was playing that Flynn transformed into a sheep whatever it's called level twice last night and it went on and on and on and ON!!! But it was soooo good compared to some of the short levels on SC where you explore just a little and then are forced to a land race. Once I'm in the zone of hunting baddies and looking for stuff, I don't want to be interrupted by a race.

One advantage that SC has over SF is that the graphics are far better on SC. Perhaps it's because I'm playing on the 360 or something and I really need an upgrade to PS4 or Xbone? Either way, I was looking at SF and I thought stuff like...well that looks awful, this needs more detail, this is almost like playing a PS2 game, etc. But at the same time, I loved how you got a huge image of the character on top of the health bar. The tiny coin icon in SC really sucks.

So yeah, I don't know if many of you out there has revisited the prior games right after playing SC, but the difference for me was rather shocking. I had forgotten how much like I really liked SF because I grew tired and bored of it once Trap Team came around. But returning back really made me appreciate the game all the more. Honestly, I never felt this way going back from TT to SF so the differences has to be rather great and noticeable for me to get these feelings.

Anyway, I didn't intend for this to be another bashing SC rant, we have enough of those. I just wanted to mention some of the new found love or refound love that I had forgotten about with SF. I guess it's true that you really don't appreciate what you got until it's gone, right? If you haven't played SF recently please do so after some SC play and you'll probably feel a lot like how I felt last night.

I agree so much.
I initially thought Trap Team was the best game, until I revisited SSF, and realized how much I loved it.
Then I thought SSC was going to be the best game, until I revisited SSF and realized how much I loved it.

I thought the same thing you did about the extra modes like Score mode, Time mode, etc. that they were just filler, and I had no intention of replaying the game over again. But then I realized I loved that too.


To sum it up I really like SSF.

Swap Force is still the pinnacle of the series for me. Fatigue is probably happening to the developers as well.

I'm personally thinking about replaying through the series of Skylanders with all my Skylanders for the particular game reset, and just levelling them all up in that game (IE: Resetting the 32 original Skylanders from SSA and playing through the game with them). Superchargers really hasn't kept my interest as long as the other games. So much so that I don't really want to get any more Vehicles or Superchargers. With the other games, all the Skylanders felt unique, in play and in functionality (Yes, even the Trap Masters, despite the fact that they were the only ones able to open gates). With Superchargers, it didn't really matter whether or not you played as Fiesta or Spitfire, all except for a Supercharged Bonus (which really isn't that significant) or the Elemental Boost (which only makes a difference with a large collection). So despite some issues I have with SSF (Lookin' at the story here...), I well and truly want to replay with all my Swap-Force Skylanders reset with no upgrades and no experience. On top of that, maybe just sell Superchargers. I've been wanting to get some things I've missed out on in my years of Skylanders (Pokémon games, cool board games, the whole deal).

I am enjoying Superchargers so far, but yeah, it doesn't seem like there's much to do after you've finished except for racing. That's why I loved Swap Force so much. There's still things in SF that I never finished yet, and I never got to portal master rank 80 either. I should consider playing it again, I haven't done so since Trap Team came out.

I agree with all points listed by the OP of the thread. I'm glad somebody else's thoughts are in line with mine with regards to how great of a game Swap Force was and how inferior Superchargers is in comparison to prior entries (more so for people who don't enjoy racing). Superchargers is a huge step in the wrong direction and I think the replay-ability inferiority is summarized well in words above. The finding of rewards, the challenge of leveling up, and the focus on actual Skylanders play (rather than gimmicks like playing with villains in traps or riding on vehicles) seems to be an afterthought now with Superchargers. Sure Swap Force wasn't perfect, but seeing the direction of the franchise, it has me longing more for a game like the ones we used to have. It proves that a superior game doesn't need to incorporate a non-Skylander gimmick/accessory like traps or vehicles (one and done cash grabs). Skylanders and their gameplay need to the the star of the show again...and it wouldn't hurt to have some challenge in leveling up, hunting down stuff in the game, and decent post game content like PVP and battle arenas (heck...I'd even welcome back time challenges like in Swap Force with open arms).

Quote: mastermc54

I agree with all points listed by the OP of the thread. I'm glad somebody else's thoughts are in line with mine with regards to how great of a game Swap Force was and how inferior Superchargers is in comparison to prior entries (more so for people who don't enjoy racing). Superchargers is a huge step in the wrong direction and I think the replay-ability inferiority is summarized well in words above. The finding of rewards, the challenge of leveling up, and the focus on actual Skylanders play (rather than gimmicks like playing with villains in traps or riding on vehicles) seems to be an afterthought now with Superchargers. Sure Swap Force wasn't perfect, but seeing the direction of the franchise, it has me longing more for a game like the ones we used to have. It proves that a superior game doesn't need to incorporate a non-Skylander gimmick/accessory like traps or vehicles (one and done cash grabs). Skylanders and their gameplay need to the the star of the show again...and it wouldn't hurt to have some challenge in leveling up, hunting down stuff in the game, and decent post game content like PVP and battle arenas (heck...I'd even welcome back time challenges like in Swap Force with open arms).

I agree with this. I said in another thread that in the next game, the gimmick should actually be the Skylanders again, not a separate toy. It seems like when that whole thing started, the series started going downhill.

TfB or VV need to make another game that rivals or even bests Swap Force in content and replayability. Neither Trap Team nor SuperChargers were that game. I'm hoping that 6 or 7 can deliver on this well.

@fairyland, after all swap force is the best skylanders so far i think. so its no strange you feel the same..

Seems I'm in the minority, I really don't like SF. The gimmick and characters are fun but the game is long and boring. Not a fan of any of the new NPC's besides Tessa, the levels themselves are way to long and get tiring quickly, Kaos' s mother is just a bad character, I think Kaos and Glumshanks are not near as entertaining as they are in other games and the final boss was just a huge disappointment especially compared to what would follow it. The weakest entry in my opinion.

Quote: GaiaMemories

Seems I'm in the minority, I really don't like SF. The gimmick and characters are fun but the game is long and boring. Not a fan of any of the new NPC's besides Tessa, the levels themselves are way to long and get tiring quickly, Kaos' s mother is just a bad character, I think Kaos and Glumshanks are not near as entertaining as they are in other games and the final boss was just a huge disappointment especially compared to what would follow it. The weakest entry in my opinion.

dont forget people was complaining skylanders was to short before swap force... but i guess you wasnt one of them that bought skylanders from the start.

Quote: CountMoneyBone

Quote: GaiaMemories

Seems I'm in the minority, I really don't like SF. The gimmick and characters are fun but the game is long and boring. Not a fan of any of the new NPC's besides Tessa, the levels themselves are way to long and get tiring quickly, Kaos' s mother is just a bad character, I think Kaos and Glumshanks are not near as entertaining as they are in other games and the final boss was just a huge disappointment especially compared to what would follow it. The weakest entry in my opinion.

dont forget people was complaining skylanders was to short before swap force... but i guess you wasnt one of them that bought skylanders from the start.

No I was not. I got Giants in 2014, got TT on release but got SF when it was about $20 at the beginning of this year.

Quote: GaiaMemories

Quote: CountMoneyBone

Quote: GaiaMemories

Seems I'm in the minority, I really don't like SF. The gimmick and characters are fun but the game is long and boring. Not a fan of any of the new NPC's besides Tessa, the levels themselves are way to long and get tiring quickly, Kaos' s mother is just a bad character, I think Kaos and Glumshanks are not near as entertaining as they are in other games and the final boss was just a huge disappointment especially compared to what would follow it. The weakest entry in my opinion.

dont forget people was complaining skylanders was to short before swap force... but i guess you wasnt one of them that bought skylanders from the start.

No I was not. I got Giants in 2014, got TT on release but got SF when it was about $20 at the beginning of this year.

im talking about people here from the start, not people that jumped on the skylanders in 2014.

Quote: CountMoneyBone

Quote: GaiaMemories

Quote: CountMoneyBone

dont forget people was complaining skylanders was to short before swap force... but i guess you wasnt one of them that bought skylanders from the start.

No I was not. I got Giants in 2014, got TT on release but got SF when it was about $20 at the beginning of this year.

im talking about people here from the start, not people that jumped on the skylanders in 2014.

I'm not saying you were, I was just stating my opinion on the game in question.

Quote: GaiaMemories

Quote: CountMoneyBone

Quote: GaiaMemories

No I was not. I got Giants in 2014, got TT on release but got SF when it was about $20 at the beginning of this year.

im talking about people here from the start, not people that jumped on the skylanders in 2014.

I'm not saying you were, I was just stating my opinion on the game in question.

no problem at all...

Quote: GaiaMemories

Seems I'm in the minority, I really don't like SF. The gimmick and characters are fun but the game is long and boring. Not a fan of any of the new NPC's besides Tessa, the levels themselves are way to long and get tiring quickly, Kaos' s mother is just a bad character, I think Kaos and Glumshanks are not near as entertaining as they are in other games and the final boss was just a huge disappointment especially compared to what would follow it. The weakest entry in my opinion.

Nobody is saying that Swap Force was perfect, but it had many like-able elements to it that many of us now miss because they haven't been incorporated into recent games (a turn for the worse). To each their own opinion though. I certainly don't think it was the worst game in the series. I'll take a future game which is more like Swap Force over Superchargers any day of the week.

I completed just about everything I could in this game on PS3. I kinda feel like I wanna buy it on PS4 now.

I agree fully. SF is a phenomenal game. ALMOST everything about it is perfect. It's an incredible game in and of itself. Just hope VV or TfB came bring back what made SF amazing.

Swopforce really knew how to push our addictions and toy buying with those star awards .

That's how I felt going back to my first game, Giants. I had a great time earning 100 percent for the first time in that game. I also think that the wow pows were much better in Giants. But after reading this thread, I look forward tho going back to Swap Force and taking the 100 percent challenge. Also after recently making a list, I realized that I have more favorite characters in SSF than SG. Boom Jet is one of the best!

I have always thought that Swap Force is the best game of the franchise. I know a lot of people are fans of Trap Team. I didn't spend too much time playing it.

Any old game is better after playing Superchargers. I'm having fun in Trap Team lately. A lot of favorites there, too. when I list my favorites, I have so many from each game, but only 3 from SC that I really like: , , .

I started replaying Swap Force not long ago and it is indeed a solid game. But I still prefer Trap Team because I prefer TFB's vision of how a Skylanders game should look and feel IMO. I expect Imaginators to be my favorite game in the series when it is released.

It's the favorite in our household.

I love this game too. Just started playing it again.
Ordered the remaining swappers on ebay today. Can't wait to have all 16!

Quote: TakeYourLemons

Swap Force is still the pinnacle of the series for me. Fatigue is probably happening to the developers as well.

My favorite as well. Meaty, lengthy levels with lots of enemies and the best gimmick (by far) of any of the games. The bonus swap areas weren't always the best, but they offered a great deal of variety to the game.