Disney INFINITY

***Disney Infinity*** (also stylized as ***Disney INFINITY***) is a video game developed by Avalanche Software and published by Disney Interactive Studios which was released on August 18, 2013. The video game uses collectible figurines that are then virtualized within the game allowing for characters from Disney and Pixar properties to interact and go on adventures, an aspect originally from ***U.B. Funkeys*** and ***Skylanders***.

At launch, three worlds were available: ***The Incredibles***, ***Pirates of the Caribbean*** and ***Monsters University***. Other incorporated elements include the ***Cars franchise***, ***Toy Story***, ***Wreck-It Ralph***, ***Phineas and Ferb***, ***The Nightmare Before Christmas***, ***Aladdin***, ***DuckTales***, ***Tron***, ***Up***, ***Tangled***, ***Frankenweenie***, ***The Lone Ranger***, ***Frozen***, ***The Muppets***, ***Disney Parks***, and more. The game was released for Wii, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo 3DS in August 2013. A PC version was also released on November 14, 2013. A portable Toy Box was also released exclusively for the iPad, along with another app for mobile devices called ***Disney Infinity: Action!*** where you can edit the characters into your own personal videos.

## Gameplay

The game has the player place their ***Disney Infinity*** figures onto the circular spots of the ***Disney Infinity*** base to jump into the game and come alive in a fully animated interactive world. With the exception of non-biped characters such as those from the Cars series, each character has a double jump and a default set of attacks, as well as an ability unique to each figure.

For example, Sulley can roar to scare others whilst Violet and Randall Boggs can turn invisible. There are two main modes in the game: Play Set and Toy Box.

### **Play Set Mode**

Play Set mode has ***Disney Infinity*** play sets of films which are accessed via placing the relevant play set piece onto the hexagonal spot of the Infinity Base. This includes ***Pirates of the Caribbean***, ***Monsters University***, ***The Incredibles***, ***Cars***, ***The Lone Ranger***, and ***Toy Story***. These play sets have their own unique campaign, which can be played with up to two players locally. The player takes control of characters, and plays as them in original adventures in different worlds. In these worlds, the player battles enemies, solves puzzles, overcomes obstacles and completes a variety of other unique quests. Each play set is essentially a self-contained world, based on a specific movie or series with recognizable characters, gameplay and storylines. Characters from one world cannot enter into another world, meaning two figures from the same series are required to play a play-set in split-screen multiplayer. Playing through the play sets unlocks objects and vehicles that can be used in the Toy Box Mode.

### **Toy Box Mode**

Toy Box mode allows the player to create their own world and stories, similar to Toy Box mode in ***Toy Story 3: The Video Game***. It also allows the player to mix and match everything that is unlocked within the play sets including characters, weapons and gadgets. There are various "adventures" in this mode, which help teach the player how to use the mode's tools. Players can also earn "spins", which can be used to unlock additional items in the Toy Box, by playing through play sets as well as the "adventures" for the first time, or leveling up their characters. The mode supports online multiplayer, in which players can play around with items that only the other player has, albeit only during that session.

A portable Toy Box became available in late 2013, exclusively for the iPad. A version of the Toy Box is also available for the Microsoft Windows personal computer. These versions of the Toy Box utilize the web codes included with each ***Disney Infinity*** character.

### **Physical Elements**

The Starter Pack edition of the game is bundled with three figurines (James P. Sullivan, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Mr. Incredible), the play set piece for ***Monsters University***, ***Pirates of the Caribbean***, and ***The Incredibles***, and an Infinity Base. The Infinity Base has two round spots to place figurines, and a hexagonal spot to place play set pieces. When the figurines are placed on the Infinity Base, the characters are imported into the game, while play set pieces unlock Play Sets.

Power Discs are discs that can be placed on the Infinity Base along with their characters to add new elements to the game. Players can use up to three environment enhancements (Hexagonal Power Discs) that can only be used in the toy box mode, and up to two character enhancements (Circular Power Discs) per character. The environment enhancements can alter the terrain, change the background "sky," add new vehicles or add new weapons. The character enhancements will alter things about the character such as damage done, replenish health, allow for faster experience gain for leveling and so on. One Power Disc is included with the Starter Pack whilst additional discs are sold in blind bags each containing two discs.

### **Alternate Versions**

Following a delay, the PC version of ***Disney Infinity*** was released on November 14, 2013. This version is available free of charge, and can be downloaded from the official Disney Infinity website. This version originally contained only the game's Toy Box mode, similar to the iPad version. However, a patch was released on February 28, 2014 that added in all six Play Sets, putting it on par with the console versions. The game features several changes from the console version, however. The game does not support the Infinity Base. Instead, characters are unlocked either by purchasing them from the Disney Infinity website (at a discounted rate, due to the lack of a physical figurine) or by redeeming a web code card included with the physical figurines. Since Power Discs do not come with web codes, they must be purchased from the PC Shop. The game also does not support multiplayer, though players can link up with the console version to share Toy Boxes between the two versions.

Due to the space limitations of the Wii platform, some design decisions had to be made in the game. The gameplay does not have online play or multiplayer in Play Sets, but there is multiplayer in Toy Box. That means: smaller play set worlds, no downloadable or shareable toy box worlds. Toy Box version has only 6 different Toy Box Worlds, each with different toys and tools. On August 21, 2014, the Disney Infinity software was released as a free download for the North American Wii U eShop, for the convenience of upgrading to the superior Wii U version for players who originally own the Wii Starter Pack, although the Wii version is backwards-compatible on Wii U. The follow-up game is not available for Wii.

Different from the console and PC versions, the Nintendo 3DS version of the game is a party game, in which up to four players play on various themed game boards and participate in various minigames. The Toy Box mode can be used to create new game boards. This version uses its own Infinity Base, which has only one character slot compared to the console version, and connects to the 3DS wirelessly.