Toy Story 3: The Video Game

Toy Story 3: The Video Game is a third-person adventure based on the massively popular animated film. Like the film series, the game follows the story of a group of toys who come to life and go on an epic adventure. Worried that their owner Andy is growing old and leaving them behind, the eclectic gang attempt to have one last play session. Unlike other licensed games, Toy Story 3: The Video Game provides a refreshingly fun and varied gameplay experience with an abundance of content to boot. In addition to an eight-level long story mode, there's also an expansive free-roam mode with loads of goodies to unlock. For both kids and parents, Toy Story 3: The Video Game is a great game adaptation of the beloved family film.

Main Game Features

• Features iconic characters from the film
• Linear and free-roam game modes
• Single-player and two-player co-op

Story

The story in Toy Story 3: The Video Game is presented as a board game, with various character recounting their adventure as they play. The assorted mix of sentient toys includes Woody the Sheriff, sci-fi hero Buzz Lightyear, the sassy cowgirl Jessie, and more. Upset that they might be stored away for good, the toys embark on a mission to be played with again. This loosely follows the events of the Toy Story 3 movie, including a trip to a deceptively dangerous daycare and other memorable scenes. However, the board game setting allows for some fun fantasy diversions, such as a daring wild west train chase and infiltrating an alien base. By combining both original story elements and scenes from the movie, Toy Story 3: The Video Game presents a whimsical yet slightly simplified version of the known tale.

Gameplay

Toy Story 3: The Video Game contains two major modes, the main story campaign and a free-roam “Toy Box” mode. Both modes are played from a third-person perspective, focusing on platforming and puzzle-solving gameplay. The main story plays out across eight linear levels, with three playable characters available. Players can control Woody, Buzz Lightyear, or Jessie, with each character possessing a unique ability needed to solve puzzles and progress through levels. Levels mostly involve platforming challenges with some occasional combat, although some stages feature free-roam challenges in smaller areas. The game is playable either in single-player or two-player co-op, with multiplayer supported in both modes.

While the story levels are fun enough, the free-roam Toy Box mode holds the most amount of content and replayability. In this wacky sandbox adventure, Woody fulfills his role as Sheriff in a dusty Wild West town, completing quests for various characters. As you complete missions, you'll earn new items or gold to purchase new attractions for the town. You can customize various elements of the town by unlocking cosmetic upgrades, including new paint colors, yard decorations, and more. There are dozens of collectibles to find and bonus missions to complete, offering hours upon hours of open-world entertainment.

Conclusion

While other licensed games scrape by on the bare minimum, Toy Story 3: The Video Game shows us that inspired game design makes a big difference. Not only does the game retell the events of the movie in an entertaining way, but it also adds a hefty amount of original content, which expands the world in some fun ways.

Pros:

• Easy-to-learn controls and concept
• Toy Box mode is impressive
• Fun perspective switches

Cons:

• Mediocre voice-acting
• Some weak level design
• Playable characters feel similar