There’s a better than average chance that you’ve played a Disney-themed kart racer for years, whether Mickey’s Speedway USA from GoldenEye 007 and Diddy Kong Racing maestros Rare, or Toy Story Racer from the LEGO experts Traveller’s Tales. There’s even the largely forgotten Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour – a whimsical little racer from Crystal Dynamics directed by the creator of the… Dead Space classic. Either way, Disney will return to the well of enchantment in 2022, thanks to the support of the team behind Gameloft’s long-running Asphalt series. Does it have necessities or is Gameloft using mickey? IGN was given a glimpse of the game in action ahead of this week’s closed beta.
Presented as a hero-based combat racer, Disney Speedstorm appears to be an intuitive and accessible arcade racing game. While IGN has yet to get hands-on time with the game itself, the team has described the handling as easy to grasp, difficult to master, and certainly informed by the experience gleaned from the Asphalt series – especially the Asphalt 8: Airborne, Asphalt 9: Legends and Asphalt Xtreme.
Approaching driving dynamics is, of course, the minimum input required when competing in the racing space with incumbents like the flawless Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the successful Nitro-Fueled Crash Team Racing (and even the non-racing racers like Hot Wheels Unleashed, one of the best arcade racers of the last decade). Disney Speedstorm’s trump card here is the unrivaled treasure trove of characters, the world, and even the music it draws inspiration from.
This means Hercules and Megara racing through the Scarecrows of Monsters, Inc., Baloo and Mowgli glowing through the Enchanted Castle of the Monsters, Elizabeth Swann and Captain Jack Sparrow crashing through ancient China, and with all other combinations. The characters revealed so far will appear to be coming as a pair and include Belle and The Beast, Mulan and Li Shang, and of course Mickey and Donald. The studio has focused on this theme by dressing each character in custom racing clothing, which is a cute touch.
More importantly, however, each character has a specific set of skills. They can be roughly sorted into categories like defenders, hitters, cheaters, and speeders, which will change the best way to earn money in rank. Speed players get more power from boost pads, while gamblers get more power from skirmishes, defenders earn more from slides and tricksters get more boost from drifting.
Each also has its own set of stats that can be boosted based on your playtime with them, plus unique special moves. For example, Hercules can summon Pegasus and get a boost by driving in his magic slide. On the other hand, Belle can summon obstacles in front of her opponent using her enchanted mirror. Mickey’s Fantasia-inspired skill increases his speed, but also the speed of the racers around him. Disney Speedstorm’s hero side looks like an interesting development challenge to balance, although the team explains matchmaking options and lobbying for level limits riders must keep for players. fair competition online. Disney Speedstorm will feature cross-platform multiplayer support, so it doesn’t look like the studio will experience a shortage of online competitors.
The tracks, raised from iconic locations from Disney and Pixar movies, include circuits that hang over docks from Pirates of the Caribbean and wind through Hercules’ Mount Olympus. They’ve been decked out with a variety of iconic backdrops and props to make them instantly recognizable, and even have what the team describes as grinding rails so the car can move through in a magnetic style. reminiscent of the anti-gravity mechanical tool introduced in Mario Kart 8. Keyboard shortcuts are included, although the team notes that Disney Speedstorm shortcuts won’t be the top secret variety, hard to reach and instant win. For better or worse, keyboard shortcuts won’t require particularly complicated tricks to perform.
Disney Speedstorm will be free to download and play upon release, with a seasonal model offering new characters, new circuits, new customization options, and new collections. Any associated costs for this content are not clear at this stage. It will come to PS4 and PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S, Nintendo Switch, and PC at an unspecified date later this year.
Luke is the Games Editor at IGN’s Sydney office. You can chat with him on Twitter @MrLukeReilly.
