Game review: Disney Infinity 3.0

Yoda and the Star War team from Disney Infinity 3.0.

Have you seen all the Star Wars movies? What about all six seasons of The Clone Wars? Do you collect figurines, then leave them in the box in case it devalues them? And are you hanging out for December 18, the day The Force Awakens is unleashed upon the world?

The big question is, how much of a Star Wars nut are you?

Even casual fans might find the latest version of Disney Infinity tempting. The third edition of Disney's toys-n-games franchise comes with non-Star Wars options: there's an excellently dreamy story mode for Pixar's hit, Inside Out, as well as two new Tron characters, Mickey and Minnie Mouse figurines, plus an upgraded and streamlined Toy Box mode (see sidebar).

But Star Wars is stealing the focus for 3.0, and it's no wonder. Disney has finally nailed it. While previous Infinity releases struggled under the sheer weight of options - did anyone buy The Lone Ranger playset? - and competitors like Skylanders, 3.0 finally fulfils its brief to combine toys and games in a package the whole family can enjoy. Mainly thanks to lightsabers.

Infinity 3.0 narrows its focus to a six-hour original Star Wars story called Twilight of the Republic, that takes place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Quite simply, it's brilliant. With many of the voice cast from The Clone Wars on board, some stunning cartoon visuals, plenty of saber slicing action and a story worth getting wrapped up in, playing through it feels like you're bingeing on an incredibly tense series of the underrated cartoon. And it's one that you're in charge of.

A scene from Disney Infinity 3.0.

With Anakin, Obi Wan, Ahsoka and Yoda at your disposal, you choose who you play as and how you want to dispatch foes. Picking the right characters is important: Ahsoka's smaller height and dual lightsabers are better for taking out bigger foes, while Anakin's jump attacks are perfect for dispatching multiple droids. You'll get to visit Star Wars scenery, such as the conveyor belt escape from Attack of the Clones, and a frenetic battle against the four-armed reach of General Grievous, and the slow-motion scenes that end battles are a nice touch.

You've got about a month to get through this before you can destroy the Death Star with Luke, Leia, Han Solo and Darth Vader in the next instalment, Rise Against the Empire, while Infinity's version of The Force Awakens will be released around the same time as the movie. Fingers crossed for a playable version of the BB-8 droid.

At $20-$25 for each figurine, or $100 for the starter pack, there are plenty of fun negotiations to be had with your kids closer to Christmas. Just make sure you take the lightsabers off them first.

Game: Disney Infinity 3.0
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U
Rating: PG
Verdict: Say goodbye to your free time - and money.