Collectible Madness

I stare mournfully at my pile of shame. It was, quite literally, only yesterday I was telling myself I would ignore the call of the plastic temptresses. Now I find myself sitting in front of a worryingly large pile of Disney figurines and what is undoubtedly a game intended for small children. There is a lesson to be learned here, but I don’t need Mickey to tell me that I occasionally lack something in the way of willpower.

What I have managed to play of the game itself so far is slightly disappointing. I wasn’t expecting much, and this feels like a decent romp for what it is, but it also feels a bit clumsy, in that way that games so often do when the developers know the parents will buy it regardless of whether it’s good.

The game is not deserving of too much badmouthing though. What it sets out to do is primarily become a toy box for items both physical and virtual – a playground in which to adventure with familiar characters and build your own creations with the tools it provides. In that regard, it succeeds. The art is colorful and appealing, the character designs universally adorable, and there’s plenty here to explore and bring a smile to your face, even if the controls will sometimes frustrate.

If you’re in this for the gameplay though, you’ve come to the wrong party. The game itself, at least for the adult collector, provides only an ancillary benefit to the main attraction, which is the aforementioned pile of figurines I now have laying in front of me. It must be said that, while the gameplay isn’t what I was hoping it might be, the physical items driving the insidious marketing of this machine are even better than I was expecting. They have a solid feel and a consistency to the paint work that I wouldn’t have imagined was necessary given the target demographic. Probably a smart move, as it allows suckers like me that wouldn’t buy into the whole affair otherwise a great justification for diving in wallet first.

Still, these collectibles do allow me to allay some of my guilt over this ridiculous investment. My soft spot for many of Disney’s properties means I can’t help but find these stylized little guys charming and I eagerly await the day I can fill a shelf with a tasteful arrangement of somewhat cuter versions of characters I came to love through so many classic movies.

I’m not yet ready to give up on the gameplay half of Disney Infinity yet either. Roaming around the Monsters U campus has been worth a smile or two, which is notable as I haven’t even seen the movie it’s based on. Having not tried the worlds for Pirates of the Carribbean, The Incredibles, or Cars, I just bet there’s some more fun hidden away in here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to purchase the Lone Ranger set, which is based off of a terrible movie I haven’t even seen.