Title: Disney Universe
Formats: X360 / PC / Wii / PS3 (Reviewed on Xbox360)
Release Date: Out Now
Publisher: Disney / Renegade PR
Developer: Disney Interactive
Price: £24.99 – £32.99 depending on platform.

I love Disney; well at least I do now since playing Disney Universe, the latest release from Disney Interactive. Be warned adults, this game will provide you with just as many hours of entertainment and amusement as it will the kids and teenage target audience.

Disney Universe heard you liked video games, so it took your game and put it inside a game.  Disney Universe is based around a new Disney experience that aims to let players relive some of their favourite Disney moments. Unfortunately for Disney, their super system had a bit of a split personality problem and decided to trap all beta testers in the game, so it’s up to you and your ultra-cool platforming skills to save the day!

At its core, Disney Universe is your standard platform title, presenting almost 2.5D gameplay. All-in-all the mechanics are pretty solid, allowing you to easily work through levels, solving any puzzles along the way. If anything the only issue I had with the mechanics was the way the game handles jumping between platforms, making it far too easy to miss and well… die.

The game caters well for its target audience (kids and young teens) as it throws in some handy arrows that will always let you know where to go next. Whilst these arrows might seem a little too helpful for older players, they fit perfectly with the games target age group. The arrows can also be switched off, making them less of an ‘in your face’ thing and also opening up the chance to earn an additional Achievement.

Costumes take centre stage in Disney Universe, bringing a huge variety of Disney IP’s to the game.  As you power through worlds you will find yourself freeing various costumed players, and in doing so, unlocking the individual costumes for use in game. This is pretty cool, as it adds to the games collectible focus, encouraging players to pile on through the game, unlocking all their favourite characters.  Costumes also encourage further play as they incorporate a levelling up feature. As you play through various worlds, you are able to collect blue stars, each allowing your character to gain an extra level. Of course, powering up costumes with no incentive would be a little boring. Fortunately Disney Universe adds noticeable change, providing your character with more insane weapons and special attacks that are (literally) filled with Disney magic.

In total there are six worlds available without DLC, providing players with video game imaginations of Tim Burton’s Alice, Wall-E, Monsters Inc., Lion King, Aladdin and the swash-buckling Pirates of the Caribbean. Each world is then split into nine sub-levels, allowing players to venture through environments that are fairly reminiscent of the films they represent. Every level in Disney Universe is littered with collectibles and power-ups. Collectibles come in sets of three and unlock the standard goodies like concept art and music, all of which are available in the games generic extras menu. Power-ups add a bit more flavour to the game than collectibles, providing some amusing game-play as players suit up with boxing gloves, laser blasters or even turn into tornadoes. These power-ups aren’t just good for single player either, as they shake up the multiplayer realm, encouraging you to be a little mischievous when playing with friends.

There is no doubt that co-operative play was always at the forefront of the developers minds, as Disney Universe is a game that begs to be played with friends. The beauty of CO-OP in Disney Universe is that it adds a competitive twist, introducing a bit of a trust factor to the way you progress through levels. Players will of course need to work together if they wish to actually reach the end, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun, as you find yourself rushing to collect the most gold and attempting to take out team-mates wherever possible.

The game adds a lot of replay value, as it encourages players to hang that little bit longer. Each level comes with two trapped players and only one can be freed on your first play through. This is great, as it gives you a valid reason to revisit the level other than ‘I forgot this collectable and need it for an achievement’.  The level also looks to avoid repetitive streaks when going back for these additional players as it shakes things up, adding some additional challenges and harder enemies to the world, making it a real challenge to complete.

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