Disney Universe
By Emily Hill
Runs on PS3 for $60 on Amazon.com. The game was released on October 25, 2011 and reviewed on November 14, 2019 by Emily Hill who played the game for two hours on the PS3. Also available on Wii and Xbox 260. The ESRB rating is Everyone 10+ (cartoon violence, crude humor).
Have you ever dreamed of not just watching Disney movies, but actually being a character in one? That is possible with the magical worlds of Disney Universe.
The plot of the scenes is in your hands as you dress up as your favorite characters and explore the world of differing Disney movie sites. After being assigned differing objectives, blue arrows direct you towards victory in each mini-game type level.
Costumes & Worlds
To start off, you get to pick which character to fight/play as: Cheshire Cat, Pumbaa, Randall, Jasmine, Hal, Angelica, Donald, Tron, or Mickey. After playing levels and collecting Mickey-shaped coins, you can buy more costumes to play in. You can play as any character in any world.
You get to choose from six of Disney-favorite themed worlds: Alice, Lion King, Monsters, Inc., Aladdin, Wall-E, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Each world brings different evils and different landscapes. They, like the costumes, can be unlocked after collecting Mickey-shaped coins.
Within the worlds, there are differing levels. Each level portrays different aspects of the world, which mimic different landscapes from the particular Disney movie. Therefore, you are able to visit — and play in — several different landscapes from the movies.
Objectives
During the levels, you are given objectives which pop-up boldly on the screen. From there, small blue arrows prompt you towards different task.
Depending on the world, the objectives are different. In some worlds, like Pirates of the Caribbean, you are building a wheel for the ship, and in others, like Lion King, you are planting and watering trees.
After completing one objective, the game pops up with another one. Often the result of completed objectives is aids in where to go or what to do next. For example, the trees planted in Lion King provide a stepping stool to higher grounds.
Along the Way
While playing the differing levels, there is more going on than just landscape and objectives. Basically every time you are assigned an objective, a new clan of evil characters attack you — their images differ based on the different worlds. Your mission is to kill them before, during, or after you have accomplished your objective.
Additionally, along the way there are Mickey-shaped coins to collect which can be used for costume and world purchases. These coins are either laying around in the game or can be obtained for killing the evil characters.
During the levels, sometimes arcade machines pop up. By approaching the machine, you can choose to play these mini-games for additional Mickey-shaped coins and additional satisfaction of the game.
Kid-Friendliness
The rating on this game implies appropriateness for anyone 10 years or older. The concept of the game as a whole is entertaining for anyone knowledgeable or interested in the worlds of Disney.
When it comes to difficulty, even though the blue arrows point you towards accomplishing different objectives, the characters can be difficult to control. There are also many obstacles in the worlds that kill you instantly (like fires, spikes, and drop-offs) that appear sometimes unexpectedly or out of nowhere. However, you immediately revive and continue the level from where you were killed.
On top of the assistance of blue arrows, the game constantly tells you what buttons to press and when. This helps in carrying items, throwing items, defeating evil characters, jumping, and much more.
There is absolutely no blood or gore, but very minor violence, making it appropriate for young children to play/watch.
Not Totally Magical
Although Disney is always striving to make things magical, this game falls slightly short. The characters, in my opinion, are not up-to-par for what they could have been. Instead of Pumbaa looking like a mammoth, he is a blue character in a mammoth costume; instead of Mickey looking like a silly mouse, he is a blue character with a Mickey-like costume.
It would be more aesthetic and entertaining if each character appeared and played differently than each other. Due to the lack of true differentiation, each character plays, fights, and travels the same through the worlds. This means that each costume is only for looks, not for any skill advantages.
Play Alone or With Friends
Additionally, you can play with up to three other players (four players in all), allowing you to interact and accomplish objectives together.
While one player is working on accomplishing the objective, the other can be collecting Mickey-shaped coins or fighting off evil characters. You are basically just traveling through the different worlds together to get to success quicker.
At any time, you can visit the “Player Area” menu which gives you stats and facts on all the previous levels played, including Enemies Defeated and Loser Badges.
The Bottom Line
Despite some downsides, this game is definitely one for any Disney-lover. Without having previous knowledge on the different worlds (movies, in this case) or characters, I am not sure how interesting it would be. For me, what made it more entertaining, was watching Jasmine (my personal favorite) travel through different worlds and defeat evil characters.
As a new gamer, I found Disney Universe easy to adjust to and use. I was pleased with the simplicity though it bore me within a few hours since the levels were all very similar.
For young children or any other Disney-lover, this game will provide endless amusement and entertainment. Watching Pumbaa travel across the ships of Pirates of the Caribbean and helping Randall put out fires in the plains of Lion King will never get old.
Rubric:
Entertaining: 8/10 (Weight: 0.15)
Kid-Friendly: 10/10 (Weight: 0.2)
Challenging: 7/10 (Weight: 0.1)
Features: 7.5/10 (Weight: 0.1)
Value: 7/10 (Weight: 0.15)
Creativity: 7.5/10 (Weight: 0.1)
Engagement: 9/10 (Weight: 0.15)
Accuracy: 7/10 (Weight: 0.05)
Final Rating: 8.2/10
Emily Hill is a marketing student at The College of New Jersey who grew up in Southlake, Texas. She is new to the video game world and plays/rates them as a hobby. Her dream is to go into supply chain management after graduation.
