Following the release of Toy Story 3 Complete Edition, we got a chance to speak to Digital Eclipse’s editorial director, Chris Kohler, about the classic title and its modern incarnation. Kohler spoke about a variety of subjects, including the game’s console performance targets, and the challenges behind porting over a game made for the PS3 and Xbox 360 era of consoles.
What was the biggest challenge in restoring Toy Story 3 for modern platforms? How much of the original code and asset pipeline remained usable, and which parts required substantial rebuilding? And while we’re on the subject, the Complete Edition makes previously restricted content, including playable Zurg and four additional Theme Packs, available more widely. What technical changes were required to integrate that material consistently across every version?
While I can’t go into detail about the technical process, I can confirm that Toy Story 3 Complete Edition was restored from its original source code and natively ported to modern platforms.
How did you define the scope of “Complete Edition”? Which original release forms its foundation, and are there meaningful differences or pieces of content from the other versions that fall outside this edition?
There were many different versions of the Toy Story 3 game that was released in 2010, and not all of them had all the available content. For this definitive re-release, we wanted to emphasize that all platforms and versions now had all of that content, and moreover, that all versions were now based on the “next-generation” console versions from 2010.
Which aspects of the original controls and camera did you feel needed updating? How did you distinguish between changes that improve accessibility and changes that would alter the feel of its platforming and character abilities?
The most significant change to the original game is actually that we have now added a subtitle system, which in addition to being a big accessibility upgrade has allowed us to add more languages and make Toy Story 3 available to even more players around the world.
Local two-player co-op returns in both Story and Toy Box modes. What have you improved about the shared experience, particularly camera behaviour, readability and helping players with different levels of experience enjoy the game together?
The gameplay of Toy Story 3 Complete Edition is identical to that of the original 2010 release.
Beyond higher resolution and frame rates, which visual elements have been upgraded, such as textures, lighting, shadows or character models? How did you preserve the original art direction while making those improvements?
These elements of the game were not altered in this version.
You’ve announced support for up to 4K at 60 FPS depending on platform. What are the specific targets on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4 and Xbox One, and are there additional PS5 Pro enhancements or support for DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers? And how do the Switch and Switch 2 versions compare in docked and handheld modes? Were any visual or simulation compromises necessary on the original Switch, and does Switch 2 maintain the same performance during two-player co-op?
Here’s the full breakdown:
- PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X: 4K resolution, 60 FPS
- Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One X: 1080p resolution, 60 FPS
- Xbox One S, Xbox One: 1080p resolution, 30 FPS
- Nintendo Switch: TV Mode 900p resolution, Handheld mode 640p resolution, 30 FPS
