Vortex Gaming

It's such a cute game that you can't help but shout "Cute!" throughout the gameplay, but on the contrary, the game itself is surprisingly not easy, which is surprising. I experienced Disney Illusion Island in advance at Summer Game Fest.

Developed by Dlala Studios, Disney Illusion Island is a cooperative adventure platformer about the adventures of four characters that everyone knows: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, on the magical island of Monoth. 1 to 4 people can play the game together.

The on-site demonstration lasted about 30 minutes, and unfortunately, I was able to experience the game with 3 Disney warriors instead of a full party of 4 during that time.

First of all, the most noticeable thing is the cute and charming graphics, which is obvious. The beautiful Monoth Island, drawn by hand, as well as Mickey and his friends, have all been cleaned up, but the original feel has been preserved without excessive changes. And it doesn't just stop at being cute, but every single motion of Mickey and his friends has been carefully expressed.

Of course, the way they run is natural, and the movements that friends show during multi-jumps, the items they support when climbing down walls, and when they are precariously standing on a cliff, all the appearances you encounter while playing the game are special. All the very detailed aspects that can be seen through the characters are characteristically brought to life.

Thanks to this, if you are a Disney fan, especially a fan of these original friends, you will have a happy smile on your face just by playing the game and watching the various motions they take. Of course, it's okay if you don't know Mickey and his friends well, or if you're encountering them for the first time with this game. It's cute and attractive enough to fall in love with.

The interesting thing is that these cute motions don't just stop at being taken by each individual. There are also interactions, motions that are taken together that are perfect for the characters of Mickey and his friends.

And these interactions don't just stop at being shown. It makes you really 'interact'. If you hug a friend, a heart point is created for the two of you, or you can lower a long rope that you can climb up for a friend who is alone. A friend who has left the screen can move to where other friends are in the form of a 'letter' even if they stay still.

In this way, the game doesn't just show cute motions and interactions, but also hides delicate consideration so that you can communicate with the people you are actually playing with through small actions in the game. Hugging creates a 'real' heart, how sweet is that.

In the demo part I played, which I think was the beginning of the game, I could only control the four friends with jumping and moving. Of course, more new special abilities will be unlocked as the game progresses. But this time I had to be satisfied with multi-jumping and moving. Even though all I could do was jump, the game felt more dynamic than I thought.

This is thanks to the very delicate sensitivity of the controls. Double jumps that quickly change direction in the air, and multi-jumps that move while stepping on objects in an instant, etc., make the game experience very rich in the play that is centered on these.

And this delicate sensitivity is playing a role in definitely raising the difficulty of the game. You might think of it as just a cute Disney party game for 4 people, but Disney Illusion Island is, well, it's cute, but the gameplay itself is very classic and not easy, close to a platformer. Even the slightest wrong operation can reduce your HP or cause you to die.

Nevertheless, the reason why this game doesn't just stop at being a difficult platformer is because you can choose a mode. You can choose the number of HP, hearts. If you want a normal play, choose 3 hearts, and if you want a very difficult difficulty and challenge your limits, choose one heart. Not only that. If you want to enjoy the cute Mickey and friends without any burden, you can play with infinite hearts that don't die no matter how many mistakes you make.

In this way, the game has options to allow you to fully enjoy the cuteness of the game, and also enjoy the difficulty of the game itself, instead of recklessly destroying the childlike innocence given by the cute graphics. What I liked most was that each player can choose their own difficulty. In other words, both people who are not good at the game and people who are good at the game can play 'together' according to their game abilities.

Also, within the game, you can watch animated cutscenes with the original voice actors, or listen to the original soundtrack. In certain places such as spas that you encounter in the middle, you can also enjoy the cute appearance of friends relaxing during a hectic adventure.

This game is full of fun to watch, brings out the fun of platformers, and captures the joy of being together. Mickey's game comeback, Disney Illusion Island, will be released on Nintendo Switch on July 28th. If you were looking for a cute game to play with your family, I think it would be a good choice. Of course, Disney Illusion Island can also be played alone.

웹진 인벤김수진 기자
2023-06-20