Disney Speedstorm dev on what sets the game apart from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Disney Speedstorm will be appearing on Switch later this summer, but as a kart racer, it has fierce competition on the console as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has proven to be a juggernaut. That being said, the team at Gameloft believes there are enough differences between the games to make the Disney and Pixar racer stand out.

Gameloft Barcelona game manager Aska Suzuki spoke to us about a few aspects such as how there are four character classes in the game and everyone on the roster has specific power-ups. Of course, simply having Disney and Pixar representation is a straightforward but appealing aspect. Updates and season passes are also planned, so players can look forward to additional content to follow after launch with new racers and more.

Suzuki shared the following with us when asked what sets Disney Speedstorm apart from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe:

“This is a great question. In Disney Speedstorm, characters aren’t just broken up by general types. We’ve given them one of four classes: Speedster, Brawler, Trickster, and Defender to support the strong combat racing element to this game. Boost management is really important, and each class builds extra boost in different ways, such as a brawler gaining more boost through stunning other racers, or a speedster gaining extra boost by going across boost pads. This provides the opportunity for very strategic racing if players wish to race that way. Additionally, individual characters don’t just have special abilities, but they are pre-loaded with specific power-ups, so a trickster character will be more inclined to get items that negatively impact other racers, or a defender might get more defensive items. On top of that, each power-up can be charged in order to perform a different action! More than any other racing game I can think of, character choice in Disney Speedstorm is closer to picking a character in a MOBA game.

Also, we really should reiterate how important the Disney and Pixar game elements are. The feedback we have gathered from Closed Beta players has been really positive, especially towards the audio and graphics elements of the game. From the gameplay to the remixes of popular Disney songs to the incredibly dynamic racing tracks, there is a lot to love!

Lastly, thanks to being a live service game and offering seasonal content, players will have access to regular new content via updates and season passes. New Disney and Pixar racers will be added regularly to Disney Speedstorm, bringing special skills for you to master (or overcome) and unique tracks to pump fresh strategy into the mix. Support crew characters, environments, customization options, and collectibles will also drop in regularly, so there’s always more to experience.”

Our full Disney Speedstorm interview with Suzuki will be shared soon.