We may not be getting another Skylanders console release anytime soon, but the next best thing is now available from Activision and Com2us for early beta testing on select mobile devices.
Today, a pre-release build of Ring of Heroes is available to download exclusively on the Google Play Store, completely for free. While the title is expected to launch in full on both iOS and Android platforms in Q3 of this year, Apple-oriented fans are out of luck with this particular sneak peak. The beta will run through June 25, so if you're at all interested in checking things out before the actual launch, I’d jump on this now.
The game is being described in the official press release as “a turn-based, action RPG adventure where players assume the role of Portal Master, drawn into the Skylands from a dimensional rift caused by the dastardly dark magician, Kaos. As Portal Master, players will traverse ten diverse Skylands with multiple stages and boss battles.” There’s also mention of being able to upgrade and customize different Skylanders, some degree of dungeon exploration, a PvP mode and “deep progression and combat systems”.
From what I’ve tried so far, Ring of Heroes seems like a nicely upgraded version of the now-defunct mobile game Lost Islands, only with extra RPG elements sprinkled throughout. On the down side, and as far as I can tell, there’s no way to scan your current figure collection into the game, something that was possible in previous mobile Skylanders releases via special redemption codes and a Bluetooth Portal of Power. Especially with how advanced phones and tablets are now, I expected at least minimal internal NFC support. Kind of a letdown in that regard for those of us still holding onto bins of these toys.
Beyond that, the game seems pretty decent. I’m disappointed that we’re not getting a proper AAA Skylanders entry in 2018, but going mobile seems like a solid move for the series, at least until some of that franchise fatigue has faded from the market. Here’s hoping that Ring of Heroes is well supported and gathers some steam for a 2019 return to form.
