If you've ever dreamed of an impossible crossing between Mario Kart and the Disney universeDisney Speedstorm is, essentially, that desire transformed into a video game. Karts, impossible shortcuts, crazy items, and a collection of Disney and Pixar characters that grows season after season, all under the umbrella of a free-to-play model with a lot of fine print. And yes, it's also available on mobile, so the comparison to smartphone games isn't a coincidence.
What this title from Gameloft Barcelona proposes is a mix of highly accessible arcade racing and a progression layer Worthy of a modern live service game: coins everywhere, loot boxes, season passes, characters and items to level up, rotating modes, and events. On paper, it sounds great; in practice, it combines brilliant moments with design and monetization choices that take their toll.
A Mario Kart with a Disney flavor… and a free-to-play soul
Disney Speedstorm was first born in consoles and PC en paid early accesswith several founder's packs that granted early access, starting characters, and a good number of rewards. Although its primary purpose is to be a game free-to-play Multiplatform, during that early phase its free nature was suspended until its official launch, at which point it has been expanding systems and platforms, including mobile devices.
The game is currently available in PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PCIn addition to its later mobile version, it's presented as a full-fledged "game as a service." Gameloft has recycled many ideas from its smartphone titles: multiple currencies, consumables, loot boxes loot gacha-style, premium passes and a progression based on improving stats by repeating runs or paying out.
Entry into the game relies on the Founder's Pack and Season Passwhich offer unlocked drivers from the start, skins, premium currency, and other advantages. From the very beginning, it's clear that the core of the project isn't just the races, but the progression ecosystem, events, themed seasons (like the Mulan season), and a future where characters and tracks will rotate to keep the community engaged.
Gameplay: simple, effective, and with some drawbacks
At the controls, Disney Speedstorm feels like a classic kart racing game with a few twists of its ownIf you've played Mario Kart, it will take you seconds to understand what's going on: accelerate, drift to charge mini-turbo, collect item boxes, launch projectiles, use shields, and look for shortcuts; the formula works, and the studio has largely respected it.
The drift is fundamental: maintaining the drift for more than a certain time It charges a speed boost that activates when you release the directional brake, much like in Mario Kart, although the system here is simpler and less technical. There's also a special turbo that passively fills up and that all racers can activate for a significant extra acceleration, adding another layer of race management.
One of the most striking features are the rails you can grind onIt's quite reminiscent of the anti-gravity driving in Mario Kart 8. If you manage to maintain your balance while moving through them, you gain a higher speed and access to alternate routes. Classic speed boosts and spectacular jumps are also included. loops and uneven terrain that makes each lap slightly different depending on the paths you choose.
The controls are designed to be very accessible: accelerate, turn, drift, jump and use skillsThere are even lateral ramming maneuvers to force rivals off the track, almost like in Burnout with slow motion included when you manage to take them out of the racing line. On consoles and PC with a controller, the response is good, although some details that need polishing have been detected, such as conflicts when pressing several actions simultaneously, which can momentarily cut acceleration.
Where the game falters is in the physical sensations of the vehiclesMany players agree that the karts feel too light, almost as if they're floating a few centimeters above the asphalt. This lack of "weight" reduces the impact of drifts and crashes, and gives the impression that any character can take tight corners far too easily. Furthermore, the sense of speed in the lower classes is poor: in the initial engine sizes and slower categories, it feels like someone has left the brake pedal half-pressed permanently, something that's especially noticeable if you're coming from faster arcade games.
Pilot classes, roles, and unique skills
One of the most interesting ideas of the game is that The characters are not just skinsEach driver belongs to a class with a specific role, and also possesses their own special ability. This makes the design similar to a hero game with cars, where the choice of protagonist is as important as the track itself.
Hay four main types of conductors that define the style of play:
- SprintersSpecialists in pure speed and acceleration, perfect for aggressive players. They make better use of the track's speed panels, but are more difficult to handle and somewhat more fragile in combat.
- CheatersThey focus on boosting and disrupting opponents. They can gain an advantage by dashing over an opponent and manually recharging their turbo by performing aerial tricks. They offer a fairly balanced profile.
- WrestlersEasier to control, with less top speed but more focused on contact. By charging an opponent, they can stun them and, in the process, recharge their manual boost bar.
- DefendersThe game's tanks, with better acceleration and combat stats. They gain shields by dashing into other racers and recharge their boost by passing through special rings on the track.
In addition to the class, each pilot has a Exclusive skill inspired by your characterMickey, for example, activates a kind of musical turbo with a flashy trail behind him; Donald unleashes a flurry of blows that wipes out any rival that crosses his path; other characters boost their speed, fire projectiles or generate defensive fields.
Among them all, one of the most ingenious is that of Mike Wazowski, who can put gates on the trackIf he goes through one, he teleports forward, gaining ground; if his opponents do, the door sends them back, causing them to lose positions. These kinds of ideas show how well the licenses could be exploited, although for now the other unique abilities aren't quite as imaginative and feel more generic.
The biggest challenge of this system is the balance between characters and rolesIn the game's initial state, many abilities were clearly unbalanced, a very dangerous issue in competitive multiplayer: as soon as the community identifies the "broken character of the meta," the rest of the roster becomes secondary and variety is reduced. Gameloft has been adjusting values, but it remains a sensitive area, especially since improving stats is also tied to progression and monetization.
Scenarios, characters, and questionable art design
Visually, Disney Speedstorm opts for a constant spectacle on screenThe tracks are inspired by highly recognizable licenses: Pirates of the Caribbean, Hercules, Beauty and the Beast, Monsters Inc., The Jungle Book, classic black and white Mickey Mouse films, the Great Wall of Mulan… Each track is full of nods, dynamic events and details that fans will instantly recognize.
There are some very powerful moments, like running between two pirate ships that are bombarding each otherWith smoke, sparks, and particles filling the screen, or traversing environments that look like they're straight out of Disneyland attractions, with routes that rise, fall, and twist upon themselves. There are also antigravity sections, impossible bridges, hidden shortcuts, and variations of each circuit that slightly change paths and access points, giving the feeling that every lap can be different.
The initial roster included characters such as Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Hercules, Megara, Belle, Beast, Sulley, Balú or Jack SparrowThe games are organized into themed collections. From there, the content plan involves adding new drivers and tracks each season, drawing from the almost inexhaustible Disney and Pixar catalog. In addition, there are "support characters" (Pluto, Chip and Dale, Clarabelle, secondary characters from each license, etc.) who don't drive, but improve the main driver's stats when you equip them to your team of up to four companions.
However, where the game surprises (and not always in a good way) is in its general artistic directionInstead of fully embracing the fantasy and playful look of the films, it opts for a pseudorealism It's a bit lackluster: the characters wear fairly neutral racing suits, and the cars are essentially stylized but quite conventional racing vehicles. You can change colors, license plates, wheels, and spoilers, but there aren't any truly crazy shapes or designs that recall iconic objects from each franchise.
With the licenses it handles, many players feel that a potential has been wasted. huge opportunity to create highly recognizable themed karts: a hydra-shaped car for Hercules, a vehicle based on the scream bottles from Monsters Inc., something more magical and playful for Mickey, a rolling teapot for Belle… Instead, the design of the cars remains “racing cars with details”, which contrasts with the boldness of the tracks and detracts from the personality of the whole.
There is also disparity in the quality of the character modelsSome look great, others seem like they came from a watered-down version of Disney Infinity. Added to this is a somewhat gray color palette and very "damp" lighting in certain circuits, which doesn't quite capture the colorful and lighthearted nature of the Disney universe. The special effects, however, do provide the touch of spectacle and color that the environments sometimes lack.
Soundtrack and dubbing: a tribute with reservations
One of the game's biggest draws is its music. As you run, it plays Remixed versions of iconic Disney songsadapted to a more electronic and modern sound. Recognizing chords from "With Courage" from Mulan or themes from Hercules while running is a real treat for those who grew up with those movies.
The problem is that these versions are heavily filtered through a pounding techno/electronic base which sometimes almost completely drowns out the original melody. This diminishes the nostalgia factor: you know the song is there, but it's camouflaged by the game's overall style. Furthermore, the tracks are usually in English, and they lack clearer integration with the context of each race to truly shine.
Regarding the voices, many players have pointed out the strange absence of a Full Spanish dubbing for the charactersGiven how iconic Disney voices are in our language, hearing Mickey, Donald, or Hercules only in their original version somewhat breaks the magic, especially for younger audiences or those who directly associate the films with their traditional Spanish voices.
A convoluted and very "mobile-like" progression system
Beyond the races, the true core of Disney Speedstorm lies in its Mobile game-like progressionThe title functions as a live service: seasons, gold passes, multiple currencies, loot boxes, components to level up characters and vehicles, allies that boost stats… and an interface that, for many, becomes too cumbersome.
Each pilot has Stars and levels that improve their attributes (Speed, acceleration, handling, turbo, combat). To upgrade these, you need specific parts that you obtain by playing, completing challenges, opening chests, or simply by paying. The same applies to support characters and certain vehicle components. All of this is governed by various in-game currencies, some of which are slow to acquire and others tied to spending real money.
This system has a direct impact on gameplay: Improving stats makes your character objectively betterfaster or more resilient, with more powerful abilities. You can progress solely through gameplay, but the pace is clearly slower if you don't spend money. This leaves the game teetering on the edge between the classic "pay to fast" model and a risky business model. pay-to-winespecially in competitive modes.
The gacha-style loot boxes They offer components, allies, character fragments, and other resources, with associated probabilities and the promise of not repeating items already obtained. While this detail reduces some of the frustration, it remains a random system often tied to premium currency. Added to the maze of menus, levels, passes, and modes, the experience can be overwhelming for someone who just wants to log in, choose a Disney character, and run around for a while without any hassle.
On the positive side, the game includes a seasonal adventure modewith themed campaigns (like Mulan's) structured in chapters full of races with specific challenges: finish first, ram a minimum number of rivals, drift for X seconds, use certain abilities, etc. This format serves both as a light story mode and as an extended tutorial that unlocks features, teaches mechanics and offers rewards that feed the entire internal economy.
Multiplayer is another key pillar: there are competitive and cooperative online play, as well as local split-screenThis allows for friendly competitions in the living room, although on the Switch, for example, local multiplayer is limited to two players and the field of view is somewhat narrow. Even so, for those looking for a Mario Kart alternative with cross-platform play, the game is appealing as long as they accept the progression and grinding system it includes.
Performance and console and mobile versions
On next-gen consoles and PC, Disney Speedstorm offers a reasonably solid performanceWith flashy races and a good level of detail on the tracks. On PlayStation 5, for example, the game looks decent, although some environments appear excessively bright and wet, reinforcing that somewhat generic "powered-up mobile game" aesthetic.
The Nintendo Switch version makes the most concessions: it's surprising how spectacular some of the tracks are in handheld mode, but The resolution and frame rate suffer at certain moments.There have been very noticeable drops in frame rate, to the point of being annoying in certain situations, and basic features such as vibration or the use of the gyroscope are conspicuously absent, which reduces immersion and leaves the experience somewhat underdeveloped compared to other more polished ports.
On mobile, the game takes its F2P philosophy to the extreme: short sessions, highly fragmented progression, and a strong presence of microtransactionsThe touch controls are adequate, although using a controller is recommended if you want to fully appreciate the precision of drifts, jumps, and ramming maneuvers. It's essentially the same console experience compressed onto a small screen, with the same strengths and weaknesses of the business model.
Among platforms, Disney Speedstorm is betting on crossplay and shared progression (within the limits of each ecosystem), making it easy for you to access your characters, upgrades, and cosmetics wherever you play, which is very welcome in a title that aims to accompany you for months or years.
Disney Speedstorm falls short of the dream of a Disney's Mario Kart is round and affordable And it's a game as a service heavily influenced by its monetization systems. Its tracks are spectacular, the races can be genuinely fun, and the idea of mixing roles, unique abilities, and legendary licenses works surprisingly well.
On the other hand, the feeling of lightness in the vehicles, a rather unadventurous artistic direction in karts and drivers, and above all a convoluted internal economy mean that it doesn't quite shine as much as it could in the hands of any player who just wants to pick up Mickey, step on the gas and forget about menus, coins and chests. Share this information about Disney's Mario Kart and more users will learn important details about the game.
