The loveable and charming cast of Disney characters has a particular way of venturing into different genres of games, such as sprawling RPGs or a life-simulation, and making it feel all their own. Now, Mickey Mouse and friends land in the realm of an arcade racer, where they’ll compete to see who’s the top driver.
Disney Speedstorm sees Disney icons tear through various racing tracks and circuits inspired by the well-loved cartoons and films from across 100 years of the company. I got to spend some time diving into the opening hours of Disney Speedstorm ahead of the early access launch on April 18, and so far, it’s been shaping up to be a fun Disney twist on a kart racer. Unfortunately, some elements overcomplicate what is an otherwise enjoyable twist on arcade racing action.
When it comes to fundamentals, Disney Speedstorm nails the fast pace and satisfying moment-to-moment action of a kart racer. While on the tracks, you’ll tear into the asphalt with your chosen driver and their modded-out vehicle, drifting into tight turns, grabbing boosts, and using weapon pickups like bombs and perspective-skewing debuffs to cut down the competition.
It also comes packed with tracks that pull from both classic and modern Disney. Along with levels that reinterpret Pirates of the Caribbean, Monsters Inc., and Mulan into visually stunning and thrilling racing levels, there’s even one inspired by the original Steamboat Willie cartoon, which was a favorite track that I got to play.
It’s a compelling premise, and seeing the Disney aesthetic at work in a fast-paced racing game gives Speedstorm a unique personality that sets it apart from others like it. However, Speedstorm focuses on an array of solo chapters and modes to dive into, where players can compete in chapters focusing on individual character progression, along with a seasoned tour that focuses on themed racing circuits around Disney films.
For Disney fans, there’s a variety of deep cuts and returning favorites from across the entire library of films and animation. Along with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, Captain Jack Sparrow, Mulan, and other characters from Monsters Inc, Beauty and the Beast, and the Jungle Book are playable drivers. A particular favorite racer of mine was Donald Duck, whose aggressive and hot-tempered personality fits perfectly into the game’s hectic races. He even has a special skill that lets him unleash a flurry of strikes on nearby racers.
As you unlock new racing challenges, you’ll also expand the roster of Disney racers, all of whom possess unique skills and class types that open up particular strategies on the raceway. Speedstorm does a clever job of interpreting these Disney icons into kart racers, and it was fun getting to unlock new characters and their vehicles to see how they play on the raceway.
That said, as I went on further, Speedstorm began to overwhelm me with an assortment of gameplay modes and character growth systems that I had to contend with. This came off as quite jarring, considering this is intended to be an approachable kart racing game for all ages. This is concerning, as it overwhelms you with mechanics, which can hamper progression.
To progress into the game’s different modes and unlock more new racers, you’ll have to play through other chapters to gain resources and experience to unlock additional character ranks, levels, and crew add-on perks to buff up your chosen racer. These multiple layers of progression were confusing and in some cases I felt lost in the winding sets of menus for each mode and progression screen. With Speedstorm leaning on the familiar and well-worn framework of a mobile game with long-form progression paths, it felt like diving into another game unto itself.
I found a lot to like about Disney Speedstorm, to be clear. However, the sprawling systems designed to entice further engagement ended up over-complicating an otherwise enjoyable arcade racing game. With the game’s early access launch approaching, it could be a great opportunity for fans and the developers to find the true fun of Disney Speedstorm and focus on embracing what makes this kart racer such a blast to play.