Mario Kart created one of the most accessible racing genres we have in gaming. Despite any number of high-profile contenders like Sonic, Sackboy and Crash Bandicoot, no one has ever been able to knock Mario off the top step of the podium. As serious contenders go though, Gameloft partnering with the House of Mouse for Disney Speedstorm might just have Mario looking over his shoulder.
At launch there’s a slightly odd mix of Disney characters in Disney Speedstorm, though if you played the old Disney Infinity games, you’ll probably recognise the scattershot approach to Disney’s multiple franchises. Mickey Mouse remains the face of the company and therefore the game, though his relevance today feels considerably lower than that of Nintendo’s Italian plumber. He’s joined in the first instance by Disney stalwarts Donald Duck and Goofy, with recognisable faces like Mulan, Hercules and Captain Jack the next to join the roster as you unlock them.
Opting for any of the current Founders Pack also lets you instantly add another driver, so you can begin the game with five, with many more to collect and unlock. They’re currently spread across an array of classic franchises including Jungle Book, Monsters Inc. and Beauty and the Beast, but I was left wanting more, especially when secondary characters like Mulan’s Shang just don’t seem all that exciting. More are undoubtedly coming, but right now I can’t see characters such as Mowgli having that big a draw these days.
Things are made more interesting by different racer types and individual special abilities, and this really adds to the experience. Racer types fit into three categories, with Speed, Defender and Brawler types each behaving slightly differently on the track, with Defenders gaining a shield when they boost into an opponent. Each racer’s unique ability plays an even bigger part, and whether it’s Mickey’s magical symphony trail or Mulan’s firework barrage, they have the potential to change your own fortunes and those around you.
What of the racing? Gameloft has created a perfectly competent kart racer with rock-solid handling, though there’s currently some clear rubber-banding to keep races close right up until the last moment. While you could say the same about Mario Kart, it’s not as blatant as it is here. Hopefully, some tweaking will be done to balance the drama with a more organic racing experience as there’s a lot to like with the frantic but accessible action.
Speed starts at the ready, you’ll find all of the expected components for an arcade kart racer in place, with long drifts providing a boost, a steadily growing gauge offering a further manual boost, and boost pads strewn across the tracks. So that’s going fast covered. On top of that, there’s items to pick up with a bevy of defensive and offensive options to confound your opponents with, from explosive mines to magic spells that reverse your controls for a short period of time. They’re fun, and satisfying to use, though thanks to the rubber-banding they don’t always feel as impactful to others as they seem to you.
Being a Disney-themed racer, it makes sense that each of the tracks are taken from different Disney franchises, but it’s a lovely surprise to discover how thoughtful some of them are. An early favourite is the Big Screen track that commemorates Mickey Mouse’s first foray into celluloid, with much of the track appearing in black and white after lining up on the grid in a full-colour cinema. It’s touches like this that Speedstorm needs to set itself apart from the karting competition.
Each track is accompanied by its own theme and it’s fair to say the soundtrack is thumping – truly thumping – with heavy dance versions of Disney themes. An early favourite has to be the banging version of Pirates of the Caribbean’s ‘Yo Ho, Yo Ho’ which is as good as it sounds, though the dubstep Bare Necessities is an abomination that might just be stuck in my head forever. I can’t quite work out if they’re works of genius or the devil, but they definitely add to the high-octane experience.
Speedstorm certainly looks fantastic. It has all the sheen and glamour that you’d expect from two such well-funded companies, and on PC it’s safely one of the best-looking kart racers to ever grace the platform. Everything has a solidity and robustness to it, and you can customise both your kart and your driver to give them the personal touch. I wanted them to be wearing more recognisable outfits rather than the race suits though – Elizabeth Swann and Captain Jack Sparrow in particular – so here’s hoping that’s an option at a later date.
While it’s currently in a paid early access launch, Disney Speedstorm isn’t afraid to show off its monetisation model, and if you’ve been playing Gameloft’s games, or in fact any modern free-to-play title, the myriad types of currency, levelling up and unlockables is unlikely to phase you in the least. If you haven’t enjoyed live service games elsewhere, well, this is unlikely to change your mind. Each racer is upgradeable, gathering Upgrade Parts by racing in order to do so. That’s not the only place to upgrade them though, with each racer also having a star rating. Boost this and you’ll gain even better bonuses to improve your chances of winning.
There is, of course, a limited-time Season Tour, which is the equivalent of a battle pass, with a series of unlockables to collect as you progress through its 50 tiers. Racing earns you XP, which in turn moves you up the ladder. Along the way there’s a specific currency called Season Coins which you can turn in for specific Season-related paraphernalia – it’s currently Monsters Inc. – and at the moment it seems to progress very slowly, with too many intangible unlocks. All of these foibles are likely to be fixed in the near future, or by the time the game gets its full F2P release, but you might not want to drop more than the current entry fee until they have.
There’s a host of modes to check out in the meantime, with the opening series of races designed to ease you into the game and its various upgrade paths. You can then add in local multiplayer, online modes including Ranked competition and limited-time challenges with unique rewards. If kart racing is your thing, and perhaps you’re waiting for the next batch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tracks to drop, Speedstorm has enough to keep you coming back for months.
Disney Speedstorm is already a great deal of fun, and I can see it growing into a potential rival to Mario Kart. For players on non-Nintendo systems, Speedstorm has already pulled into the lead, and it is well worth checking out.
