Overview of Disney Illusion Island. Most affordable Metroidvania

The first full-fledged Disney mascot Mickey Mouse game in years has been released on Nintendo Switch.

In the era of the Genesis console (Mega Drive), almost all games based on the Disney series impressed with high-quality art and addictive gameplay. Notable among them were Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and World of Illusion, which are dedicated to the adventures of the cult mouse. Cartoon Metroidvania developers Disney Illusion Island said they used the word Illusion in their title for a reason. According to them, players are waiting for the heiress of those same cult games, but in a new “Disney” style. We couldn’t stay away and played a fresh cartoon platformer from modern day Disney.

I would like to give a special thanks to Achivka company for a copy of the game for review. The company allows Nintendo Switch owners to receive new games without regional restrictions in the territory of the Russian Federation. You can buy Disney Illusion Island from M.Video and Eldorado stores.

Disney Illusion Island is the most accessible metroidvania we’ve ever seen. While indie developers try to modernize, complicate or reinvent the formula of the original Metroid, studio Dlala goes the other way, leaving only platforming. Simplicity is the main feature of this game and can be found in every aspect.

In the center of the plot are cult characters – Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy. They receive an invitation to join a summer picnic on Monot Island. Upon arrival at the place, the heroes meet strange rabbit-like creatures. They state that the heroes will only get the treats by rescuing magical books stolen from a special library. Now you need to set out through three interconnected biomes and look for the missing books.

Of course, we shortened the retelling of the intro video, which is actually very long, but we’ve outlined the gist. The fact is that the plot of Illusion Island is made in the spirit of modern Disney cartoons: simple, sometimes clumsy and with deconstructed classic characters. But at the same time, there is former sweetness and kindness in history, which we saw on the TV screen in childhood.

Despite the fact that the script is presented as a simple children’s story, it conceals many topics that are relevant to adults. In some places, Illusion Island is full of witty dialogue that a child cannot interpret.

It is not easy to accept the new visual style in which modern cartoons are drawn and Illusion Island is implemented. It seems that with the development of technology, 21st century animation should surpass 20th century animation. Only the recent TV series The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse proves otherwise. In the game, therefore, the simplification is visible in everything: in the drawing, in the backgrounds and in the fluidity. In addition, the developers of Illusion Island have added stylization for less detailed characters. Battle Paths 2020. A kind of drawing with one continuous line.

The Illusion Island adventure is presented in a classic and hand-drawn art style. The locations turned out not to be rich in detail, but they were bright and colorful in colour. A similar implementation of backgrounds was seen in the late Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb and Kim Possible. Such a visual style is forgivable for games with active gameplay, where the player is mainly focused on the action, and not on looking at the environment. But when all of Illusion Island’s gameplay is laid-back platforming and the environment is part of the story, such stylization raises questions. Often we walked through monotonous corridors with rarely interspersed with geometric shapes, which was undoubtedly frustrating.

But what Illusion Island really gets lucky with is the musical arrangement. The soundtrack is filled with orchestral melodies and recognizable motifs from Mickey Mouse cartoons.

The Disney Illusion Island game world consists of two-dimensional tunnels that are intertwined into one continuous location. The study of the environment takes place using the metroidvania method: the passages to some areas are blocked by barriers, high ledges and large cliffs that can be overcome by a new ability of the character in a certain corner of the conditionally open world to obtain.

The gameplay is really set up according to the rules of metroidvania, albeit very simplified. But it is by no means analogous. Hollow Knight or Ori and the Blind Forest. Illusion Island tries not to confuse the player: all major story areas are indicated by in-game clues. At each insurmountable obstacle there is a sign that clearly states what power is required. At the same time, the locations are structured in a very logical way. Going strictly according to the signs and markers on the map minimizes pointless backtracking (walking back and forth along the same routes).

Disney Illusion Island is perfect for players just getting into the Metroidvania genre. The project has a good level design, which always creates a clear picture of the ultimate goal. Thanks to competent progression through the sequential release of new skills and the location of places where these skills must be shown, the player does not mark time and always moves forward in the story.

There are no battles in the usual sense of the word on Illusion Island. The entire gameplay is a continuous platforming action. With simple yet responsive controls, Illusion Island is a lot of fun to play. Animations are fluid and their duration can be easily adjusted through gamepad manipulations. In this case, you always know whether the character can fly to a certain point or not.

At first, the hero can only jump. Gradually, the arsenal of skills will be replenished and it will become much more fun to play. You can jump off walls, do double jumps, hit the ground, cling to a hook and dive. Of course, there is nothing in it that cannot be found in other platform games, but the skills are enough to solve simple, but varied spatial puzzles.

At the beginning of the game you can choose one of four characters. The set of skills of the heroes is the same, the difference is in the visual embodiment. Mickey uses a rocket pack to perform a double jump, Minnie uses a paper airplane, the choleric Donald uses fireworks, and hot peppers aid the food-obsessed Goofy.

Even without a direct collision with opponents on Illusion Island, you can die from a failed landing on spikes and a revived cactus. Heroes cannot jump on the enemy and start scattering, as Mario does – the authors have meaningfully abandoned any form of violence. However, there are boss fights in the game. Although, again, you have to win through platforming and not by swinging your fists. For example, in one of the skirmishes you have to jump on shuffling buttons and avoid dangerous peaks and objects falling from above.

As the game progresses, you need to collect the Glimt resource, which is an analogue of coins from Mario or Sonic rings. For a certain amount of money you can unlock a piece of the puzzle, and for the painting completed to the end, an extra heart will be added to the health bar.

It’s even easier to explore Illusion Island in co-op. Because the project is aimed at a younger audience, it offers appropriate opportunities. The game features a hugging mechanism that restores a party member’s health. If the hero cannot jump to a certain platform, the partner is always ready to drop the rope and help him climb. If the first player cannot pass the area full of enemies, the second player places a marker near them and the teammate is immediately teleported. All these features simplify the gameplay, but are ideal for playing together with a child.

Of course, Illusion Island is recommended to play alone. Despite the objective simplicity, the platform part closer to the final will start to cause difficulties. The complex geometry of locations, the thorn-strewn surfaces and the dominance of enemies will make even the most seasoned platformers sweat. Fortunately, Illusion Island does not punish for mistakes, there are many checkpoints on the map.

Despite the poor design, the locations on Illusion Island are interesting to explore. The game is full of secrets and caches. Have you seen a suspicious wall? Why don’t you jump in her direction! Effort rewards will appeal to Mickey Mouse fans: collectible cards, keepsakes, puzzles and memorabilia. All of the above can be viewed and rotated in a special menu.

Disney Illusion Island was released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch and it feels great. The hand-drawn graphics look great both on a portable device and on a large screen. Joycon controls are responsive and comfortable. We didn’t see any flaws in terms of frames, bugs, and roughness.

As a result, we got a good platform game with elements of metroidvania, which is suitable for both children and adults. The platform part came out interesting and shiny.