A Magical Metroidvania for All Ages
2D platformers have faded into the shadows in the general spotlight of video game stardom during recent years. There are hit titles occasionally seen through Metroid Dread, but the focus has more so been on 3D platformers such as Astro Bot, or different genres altogether (of which the RPG genre seems to take all the accolades). Gone are the days of Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends, the Ori games, or practically any other collectathon 2D platformer.
However that doesn’t mean a gem can’t appear every now and again… case in point, Disney Illusion Island Starring Mickey & Friends.
Monoth’s Mystery
In this charming 2D platformer, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy embark on a beautifully animated, cooperative adventure across the mysterious island of Monoth. With Metroidvania-inspired exploration, fluid movement, and drop-in/drop-out local co-op for up to four players, Disney Illusion Island is a case study of gripping solo and co-op play.
The general premise of the game involves Mickey and crew searching the aforementioned Monoth Island following Mickey incorrectly reading a map. The story expands and weaves its way to the climax from there, but the narrative isn’t the key player in this title.
Balancing Fun and Exploration
A clear direction in where the gameplay wants to be helps Disney Illusion Island excel in maintaining a strong balance of fun, collectibles, and incentive to go on through its Metroid inspired systems. It revolves around searching the island during your various quests to progress through stages and gather rewards, all achieved whilst never betraying the source material. There is incentive enough to want to go ahead on the island of Monoth, but not too complex of designs to alienate the younger players who are the main demographic.
The gameplay can be likened to that of most prominent 2D platformers, in my eyes, particularly the Rayman series or New Super Mario Bros games. It takes the idea of set levels you must complete with collectibles throughout, whilst applying its own spin through quests, and of course the Mickey Mouse cast. All in all, whilst not the most innovative, the gameplay is enough to keep you entertained and engaged throughout your entire play-through.
A Charismatic Cast
Elaborating further on the charming cast of this title, they really do add so much character, being what separates this from the various other 2D platformers on the market. Each character has their own pros and cons – much like the New Super Mario Bros games – and will make your playthrough a little bit different each time you swap character. They all have so much charm with the devs spending time to add idle animations that fit, such as Donald who gets angry and pours water over his head if left idle for too long.
There was clearly so much love put into each little intricacy of the game that makes it impossible to not want to give it a go for at least a little while. These characteristics are only heightened during co-op where each player can have interactions with one another and use the unique traits to achieve otherwise impossible moves.
Designed for Everyone
Expanding upon the co-op play, Disney Illusion Island shows how a title can excel as a solo and multiplayer endeavour, without ever offering benefits to a particular side. The game was crafted to complement both forms of gameplay, which is extremely telling when you play in both modes, never noticing a difference. If you want to leave the kids to play this by themselves, or want to hop in with them, this title ensures their experience will never be soured no matter the situation.
To ensure that this experience is never soured, Disney Illusion Island excels in its customisability department. Practically everything can be altered to create a tailor-made game for you, whether it be the amount of hit points, or the various assists available to enable through the settings.
Hand-Drawn Wonders
Whilst gameplay is the make or break for titles to succeed, the presentation, music and visuals decide whether or not a game will be an all time great. In the case of Disney Illusion Island, the presentation is at a monstrously high standard. The game is told through these gorgeous hand drawn animations complete with full voice acting, sounding just like the Mickey and friends we know. The artistic decision to present the game through these takes it up a few notches and truly immerses you in it.
During gameplay the presentation shines through too, using things such as mailboxes as checkpoints, or various other Mickey themed items. This presentation is only heightened when you inspect the music. Each stage, boss and even the menus have a fitting soundtrack that elevates the emotional resonance of the game through a magical, dreamlike soundtrack. When you take into account the gorgeous hand drawn visuals, these three come together to create a fairytale aesthetic that represents what Mickey is about and is sure to immerse players young and old into the island of Monoth.
A Charming Platformer with Minor Hiccups
Despite all the praises I can give, there are a couple of flaws with Disney Illusion Island Starring Mickey & Friends. For starters, whilst an enjoyable gaming experience, nothing here screams innovative or groundbreaking, which is understandable due to the highly optimised genre. The other flaw takes the form of character movement, in which I sometimes felt I didn’t have full control due to the tendency to be slippy. These are both minor nitpicks and tend not to detract from what is an overall entertaining outing in the Disney world.
It’s safe to say, if you enjoy Disney, platformers or gaming for that matter, Disney Illusion Island Starring Mickey & Friends is worth having a go. For some, it will be an enjoyable addition to the backlog of oversaturated 2D platformers, shining through with a bit more love, enjoyment and creativity than most in the genre.
Important Links
Mickey, Goofy, Donald & Minnie Unite as Disney Illusion Island Brings Co-op Platforming & Scrooge McDuck to Xbox & PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/mickey-goofy-donald-minnie-unite-as-disney-illusion-island-brings-co-op-platforming-scrooge-mcduck-to-xbox-pc/
Buy Disney Illusion Island on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/disney-illusion-island-starring-mickey-friends/9pk36s3n5t1d
