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Review: New ‘Skylanders’ delights and frustrates

By WTOP Staff

LOU KESTEN
Associated Press

There’s a peculiar kind of tension at work in Activision’s wildly successful Skylanders series. If you just want a dozen or so hours of fun, with fast-paced action and an amusing story, a $75 starter pack will get the job done. But if you want to see every little thing packed into a Skylanders game, be prepared to spend a couple hundred dollars more on additional toys.

“Skylanders Trap Team” (for the Xbox One, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Wii, $75) doubles down on the “gotta buy more” strategy. As usual, some areas of the game are accessible only if you have a Skylander figurine of a certain element. This time, though, you also need an assortment of traps to round up the bad guys. Start saving your allowance now, kids.

The “Trap Team” starter kit comes with the game software, two Skylanders creatures, two traps and a redesigned “Portal of Power,” which plugs into your game console. (There’s also a version for tablets that has all those features, as well as a nifty consolelike controller.) When you place a Skylander on the portal, it appears onscreen and you can take control of it.

The new portal also has a hole you can fit a “traptanium” trap into. Whenever you defeat a major enemy, you can force it into a trap, provided the enemy and the trap are made of matching elements. There are eight elements, so if you want to catch them all you’ll need to buy six more traps at $6 apiece — plus a special trap for the series’ ubervillain, Kaos.

Once trapped, the erstwhile villains will accompany your Skylander on missions. Most of the time, the villains contribute useless but often hilarious chatter, which you hear through the portal’s built-in speaker. If your hero gets into trouble, you can summon a villain to fight in its place.

All of this takes place in the sprawling Skylands, an archipelago of islands that float in the air. Most of the action involves exploring the islands, beating up enemies and collecting loot, which you can take back to Skylanders Academy and trade for more powerful attacks. There are also plenty of side missions, such as “Kaos doom challenges” where you battle wave after wave of monsters. There’s a rudimentary trading-card game and an amusingly silly rhythm game.

Unfortunately, an increased number of blocked-off areas lead to some inescapable frustration. The elemental zones — which have always been a part of the series — can be opened only by the new Trap Team Skylanders ($15 apiece), so all those toys you’ve collected over the years are pretty much stuck on the shelf. More aggravating, there are some areas that can’t be opened yet by any of the currently available toys.

I’m still impressed by the care and creativity that Activision and developer Toys for Bob continue to invest in each individual Skylander, and the joyful parts outnumber the frustrating. I’m worried, though, that the balance may be shifting. Three stars out of four.

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Online:

http://www.skylanders.com/

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Follow Lou Kesten on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lkesten

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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