Disney Speedstorm
Review
A solid race to the finish that doesn't crash and burn...
by Dan Lenois
reviewed on PC
When it comes to monetized progression: "You have a debt to pay..."
Players purchasing the standard Founder's Pack, the lowest-priced edition that'll get you in-game now, will start out with only a meager handful of classic Disney characters, such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, before eventually grinding to unlock additional, generally newer, characters as well, such as Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc., or Mulan. Similar to mobile games, players will have the option to collect character-specific currencies, either through grinding through both new levels and replaying previous ones, or by purchasing said character unlock progression through the in-game premium item store, assuming said desired character is among those featured in the daily or weekly rotation. For those wondering why bother spending $29.99 USD or your regional equivalent on a game already stuffed to the brim with F2P-oriented monetization, it's a perfectly valid question with no clear answer. Players who choose to buy either of the two more expensive upgrades, the Deluxe Edition ($49.99), or the Digital Deluxe Edition ($69.99), will have instant access to a handful of additional characters, including Captain Jack Sparrow, Mulan, and Hercules, and an influx of in-game premium currency. It almost goes without saying that, unless you have little regard for your income, Disney Speedstorm offers nothing making it worth these upcharges.
“The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all...”
Whether you're a casual or competitive racer, Disney Speedstorm offers up a multitude of both permanent and seasonal mode offerings to keep things lively at any given time. Whether you prefer to engage with the solo campaign, pitting you in a vast array of the game's playable maps, often with a number of unique modes and win conditions, that you never feel like you're playing the same exact race twice. A few of the more enjoyable examples that come to mind include the single-item races, where you can find yourself surviving bomb strikes from other racers so intense that you can barely steer straight for a moment without checking side-to-side, or racing through fog so dense that even those abiding on the streets of London would be jealous. The game's competitive mode ups the stakes for those seeking something of a real challenge. Playing against the game's AI bots during the normal course of things is fun enough, but when you have other human players to face off against, that's where the adrenaline will often kick in.
When it comes to balance: “The code is more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules."
Balance is one of those few areas where Disney Speedstorm both succeeds technically, and yet fails miserably from a gameplay perspective. All of the currently-available racers tested as part of this review played out near identically, with the only noticeable differences being from a cosmetic angle. How they reacted both verbally and nonverbally gave them each a strong sense of individualism, but mechanically they ultimately prove largely one and the same. There are no major advantages nor drawbacks to playing any particular one over the other. No trying to decide between one racer who exceeds at acceleration but conversely has poor handling, or another with an increased max speed but simultaneously gets less speed from boosts found on the track. The discussions of balance, or imbalance, regarding any casual racing game's cast and vehicles, is ultimately a large part of what gives said game its longterm identity. No one ever accused Mario Kart: Double Dash of being a perfectly-balanced game.
Overall:
Disney Speedstorm is by no means a bad game. In fact, the core foundation seen here in the Early Access build gives strong hope that it can be improved and expanded upon. Its greatest failing, at present, is its extremely limited lineup of racers, none of whom are distinct enough from one another in any gameplay sense. Had the game launched with several dozen racers from the start, this might have been excusable. However, as is so often the case with other games, if the developer goes out of their way to excessively curtail the amount of day one content, with the vague promise of more content being dripfed in as free or paid post-launch content, the content you do have better go out of its way to blow the minds of the playerbase. Simply put, Disney Speedstorm has not achieved this. It in no direct way disappoints or falls short of its promises, but does nothing to exceed expectations or raise the bar for other future ambitious AAA casual racing games.
8.0
fun score
Pros
Vivid art style, well-balanced racers, decent content offering, lively soundtrack
Cons
Excessive grind, pointless live service elements
