Skylanders: Swap Force

About Skylanders: Swap Force

Skylanders Swap Force launched in late 2013 as the third main entry from Vicarious Visions. This platformer and hack-and-slash title lets players use physical figures on a portal to bring characters into PlayStation, Xbox, Wii U, or Wii worlds. The story follows Flynn and Tessa as they investigate the Cloudbreak Islands after villains banish the legendary SWAP Force to Earth. Players can team up with friends for split-screen co-op or tackle levels alone. John DiMaggio and Troy Baker voice this cast of heroes and henchmen. It arrived in North America first, breaking the usual release pattern for the franchise before Trap Team followed later.

Gameplay

You scan figures onto the portal to fight through platforming stages filled with enemies and puzzles. The core mechanic involves swapping halves between characters like a fire-breathing bull and a wind-slicing fox to solve environmental riddles. A typical session requires constant switching between ground attacks, aerial maneuvers, and special abilities that cost magic power. You collect gems and trade cards while battling hordes of Greebles in hack-and-slash combat. The split-screen mode works well for local multiplayer since each player controls their own figure with distinct stats. Controls feel responsive on consoles, though the Wii version simplifies some mechanics to match its motion inputs.

What Players Think

Metacritic gave this entry an 80 out of 100 score. PlayPile data shows a strong positive sentiment from our users who rate it highly compared to previous titles. The community moods lean toward nostalgic and energetic, with many players logging over 20 hours to find every collectible. Completion rates for main story missions hit 92 percent among active players on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions. Review snippets frequently mention the swap mechanic as a standout feature that keeps combat fresh. Average playtime for a full run sits around 18 hours, but completionists often spend double that time hunting for missing pieces to unlock every achievement available in the game.

PlayPile's Take

This title works best for families or groups who want local co-op action without needing an online connection. The swap system adds enough strategic depth to justify the price tag despite some repetitive level designs. Players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One get the smoothest experience with a solid control scheme. While the story remains light, the gameplay loop delivers consistent fun for about 20 hours. You will earn achievements by completing specific challenges and collecting all rare gems. If you own the figures or can find them cheaply, this offers more value than most entries in the series due to its unique character combinations.

Storyline

The story begins with Master Eon introducing the player to the world of Skylands as well as its protectors, the Skylanders. The veteran Portal Master then reveals the backstory of a special group of Skylanders known as the SWAP Force, who protected the Cloudbreak Islands and its magical volcano that regenerates the magic in all of Skylands every one hundred years. During an epic battle against a swarm of Fire Vipers summoned by a dark figure, the SWAP Force were caught in the eruption of the magic volcano, which granted them the ability to swap halves, but in the process banished them to Earth. In the present, Flynn is on vacation at the Cloudbreak Islands to see its next one hundredth eruption. He is encountered by Tessa, a fox girl riding on a large bird named Whiskers, and thrust into another adventure when Kaos ordered a group of Greebles to attack Tessa's village before the volcano celebration...