We play another LEGO Incredibles (LEGO The Incredibles) on PlayStation 4. This time it’s in co-operative mode with Bob Parr and Syndrome teaming up in the real world to control Mr Incredible and Elastagirl in the game.

We play a whole Lego The Incredibles level called “The Golden Years” that is taken from The Incredibles movie, but the game includes The Incredibles 2 movie as well.

This follows up our LEGO Animation, Stop Motion Animation of Mario and Mario Odyssey unboxing.

We play LEGO Incredibles (LEGO The Incredibles) on PlayStation 4, but first Mr Incredible has to defeat Syndrome who steal the game of his dreams.

We play a whole Lego The Incredibles level called “Above Parr” that is taken from The Incredibles movie, but the game includes The Incredibles 2 movie as well.

This follows up our LEGO Animation, Stop Motion Animation of Mario and Mario Odyssey unboxing.

We take a look ahead at Black Friday and what you might want to be on the look out for in the world of PlayStation. It pays to do some research ahead of time so you know which products will work for your family. Also identifying the essentials and the non-essentials.

Key areas to consider and covered in the video:

– PlayStation vs PlayStation Pro
– Peripherals
– Official Controllers
– Mini Controllers
– Headsets
– Vouchers
– PlayStation Plus

The video was created in partnership with PlayStation including access to games and hardware.

The family gets to play through a level of Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 on the Playstation 4 and while we do I interview the developer about this and the Switch and Xbox versions.

I also ask about Lego Marvel Superheroes on the Wii U and PS3, Xbox 360. This is the moment where the Lego games are moving on to these next generation consoles.

There are lots of PlayStation 4 games that offer the opportunity to create as well as consume content.

Here are five that are great ways to get children into making video-games.
Stardew Valley
Portal Knights
Terraria
Minecraft
LittleBigPlanet3

Video supported by PlayStation including access to games and hardware.

How should you buy PlayStation 4 games for the family? We look at the different options that work for the families we work with.
– In Store
– Wallet Top Up
– On Console
– Online
– App

We also look at the settings to create a pocket money allowance for children and how to ensure no games are purchased by mistake.

I’ve had a look through the just out and upcoming games on the PlayStation 4 to see which are best suited to families.

Lego Worlds (PEGI: 7+)
This is an open world version of the classic Lego video-games. Rather than follow a movie plot, here you explore different worlds to collect, build, create and share Lego inventions. Players of all ages make their own fun while following the loose storyline.

Yooka-Laylee (PEGI 7+)
The talent behind Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country bring us an amazing open world platform game crammed full of characters, secrets and things to collect. It’s ideal for youngsters because of the bright visuals and simple pick-up and play experience.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (PEGI 3+)
Young players will enjoy the simple controls and immediate action while parents who remember the original are offered a new way to share gaming from their own childhood. If this sounds up your street then remember that you can also play as Crash Bandicoot in this year’s Skylanders Imaginators game on PlayStation 4.

Lego City Undercover (PEGI 7+)
Another Lego game set in an open world, but this time it’s back to the story driven form of more traditional Lego video-games. Players take the role of undercover cop, Chase McCain, to hunt down criminals. As they progress, a variety of moves and disguises slowly grant access to more and more of the city and with that the unfolding narrative.

Snake Pass (PEGI 3+)
This may look like any other brightly coloured puzzle game but Snake Pass has a twist in its tail. Rather than simply control the movement directly, players must use the game’s real time physics environment to really think like a snake.

If you have a PS4 Pro the game will also render in 4K Ultra High-Definition as well as offering enhanced HDR lighting on all PlayStation platforms — which means the colours should really pop off the screen.

Wipeout: Omega Collection
Wipeout: Omega Collection is a sci-fi racing video game coming later this year on PlayStation 4. It provides a visually remastered 4K version of Wipeout HD and Wipeout 2048. Players control futuristic craft around a super-fast track using turbo jets to stay on course.

Micro Machines World Series
The novelty here is the miniature vehicles and out-sized environments through which players race. Based on the classic games of the same name, this will pit mums, dads and children against each other in everyday locations around the home.

More Information on family gaming and the PEGI ratings:
AskAboutGames.com is the industry funding website for families.
Games Rating Authority (http://gamesratingauthority.org/Home/) is the statutory body who rates video-games.
FamilyGamerTV provides video game buying guides (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL02RKkMS5T4ijPfE7bW1KRWXT3jJW6TTw) for parents.

We join the Thompson family to play a range of games ready for our guide to Multiplayer PlayStation 4 games in the family. We try out:
– LittleBigPlanet 3
– Stikbold
– SportsFriends
– Tower Fall Ascension
– Rocket League
– Tricky Towers
– Rayman Legends

We have a hands on look at Skylanders Imaginators and talk to game producer Jeff Poffenbarger.

Along with 20 collectable Sensei figurines and playable Villain toys, Skylanders stay strong in the face of Disney Infinity’s cancellation.

The game will launch on October 16 in North America on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Nintendo Wii U. No mention of anything for Wii or handhelds at this stage.

Trying this out at the reveal event it felt both robust and simple. Although shying away from a full on RPG twist, this ability to design a character will be a strong hook for kids. Best of all is that the created characters always end up looking and sounding like Skylanders.

They look so good in fact that it feels like you should be able to create a physical version in some way. I asked Skylanders producer Jeff Poffenbarger, is there any plans in that direction. He wouldn’t be drawn though, “seems like a good idea, certainly we are exploring every avenue.”

Each Sensei can access one of the 10 powerful Battle Classes (Knight, Sorcerer, Brawler and so on) that means they can unlock the related Sky Chi ultimate Battle Class super move. Sensei Skylanders have a master-to-apprentice relationship with newly created Imaginator Skylanders seen in their unlocking of more unique Imaginator weapons, increase of Imaginator level caps and access to special areas.

Also new this time are 11 playable villain characters. These bring back star villains such as the Golden Queen in both toy and on-screen playable form. This is another nice touch and I hope they include some lesser bad guys such as Glumshanks.

To create a character you require a Creation Crystal toy, included in the Starter Pack. Children’s characters are then stored in the Crystal and can be used at friend’s house regardless of whether they have unlocked the same parts. As ever the game supports all the previous 300 or so toys from old Skylanders games, although there’s not place for the traps this time round.

In terms of game modes, Skylanders Imaginators will support local co-op multiplayer. Players can place two Creation Crystals or two toys or a combination of the Crystals and toys on the Portal of Power to play. At the reveal event there was also mention of the return of the kart racing part of the game, although this is as-yet not fleshed out.

Also of note is that we are without packaging for the Wii U game, which seems to suggest we will be seeing more Skylander-Amiibo cross over creations from Activision and Nintendo. Completely unconfirmed at this stage but it wouldn’t be a big leap to expect news on this soon. Perhaps the moment Mario and Yoshi will enter the Skylanders fray.

Add all this to the upcoming Skylanders Academy television series, and it certainly seems like full steam ahead for Skylanders this year. With Disney Infinity being cancelled there will be more pocket-money spending power up for grabs.

In association with the Games Rating Authority, here’s our parents’ guide to Dark Souls III.

1. Genre

Dark Souls 3 is an action role playing game in which the player explores a fantasy realm and engages in challenging, strategic combat with monstrous enemies.

The game is played from a third person perspective, and mainly involves combat that requires quick reactions and careful play to beat each enemy with light and heavy attacks as well as judiciously evading blows and defending yourself with a shield. Different weapons, armour and items can be used as well as character types and other customisations, allowing for a deep set of options as to how to approach combat.

Dark Souls 3 is a complex, challenging game and its online multiplayer options are similarly unusual, with special in-game items required to summon friends or strangers for co-operative play or player vs player combat, as well as the ability to leave messages in the game world for other players to find.

Dark Souls games are really only directly comparable to themselves, but as well as its two direct predecessors and Demon Souls, Dark Souls 3 comes from the same creator as recent PS4 hit Bloodborne.

2. PEGI Rating
In the UK and Europe, PEGI rates Dark Souls 3 as PEGI 16, suitable for age 16 and over, for moderate violence and sustained depictions of death.
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=dark+souls+3

The Games Rating Authority expand on their PEGI details by saying that Dark Souls 3 features the player fighting ‘a host of human-like and fantasy characters’ and that ‘violence mainly consists of characters slashing each other, with swords and other close-combat weaponry, as well as magic.’ While most damage is shown by life bars decreasing, ‘blows are also met with flinches and blood effects from humans, whose dead bodies may remain in the scene and pile up.’
http://gamesratingauthority.org/pegi/search_aci.html

3. Story

Dark Souls 3 is set in the Kingdom of Lothric, a dark fantasy world of restless spirits and atmospheric, fog-laden ruins. The player character is the Ashen One, an undead warrior who has risen to avert an apocalypse by destroying many enemies.

4. Developer

FromSoftware created Demon Souls, Bloodborne and the previous Dark Souls games.

5. Format

Dark Souls 3 is available for PS4, XBox One and PC for around £40 or $60, with more expensive collectors editions available. A PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold account is required for online console play, and two downloadable content packs will be available for purchase later in the year.

6. Duration and Difficulty

Dark Souls 3 has at least 29 hours of gameplay in its main storyline, though as a challenging game this will be very dependent on player ability. Exploring every corner of the game will take over 50 hours, with hardcore souls fanatics digging into the possibilities of the game for even longer.

7. Themes

The Souls series never makes its themes explicit, instead working in imagery and mood. Lothric is a mournful place of shadows and ashes where lumbering knights patrol the depths of long-forgotten ruins, rousing themselves only to lash out at any interloper. In such a relentlessly hostile world life is hard and either short or, potentially more worryingly, never-ending. While it never has much to directly say about itself, this is a game where, if you persevere to explore its secrets, you’ll be left with an unsettling mood and many lingering questions.

8. Why people play:
Dark Souls 3, as with previous installments, is a game that actively fights the player. The story is opaque, combat is a struggle of experimentation and repetition, and even some of the game’s mechanics, like summoning other players, are secrets that need to be found and interpreted. For those willing to commit themselves and feel the satisfaction of tough challenges overcome, this is a game to sink into for many hours. For players with less time and attention to spare, the most memorable violence they encounter with Dark Souls 3 may be throwing a controller at the wall in frustration.