Disney Universe Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Welcome To The Disney Universe!

Disney has a huge library of properties. I don’t care who you are; if you were born in this century, you’ve known and loved a Disney movie. However, despite all the amazing properties that Disney owns and the billions of lives they touch around the world, Disney hasn’t exactly leveraged this power in the world of video games. Sure, they lent a hand to Square Enix the Kingdom Hearts series, but it wasn’t until Epic Mickey came out last year that they were able to utilize their brand on their own in a meaningful way on the current generation of consoles. And the results were fantastic. Although Epic Mickey was a huge hit among Wii fans and more advanced gamers, Disney still lacked that singular game that united their franchises in a meaningful way. Until now.

Disney Universe has a simple premise. You play as little blue creatures who like to dress up as their favorite Disney characters and borrow their powers, which is a great way to literally step in the shoes of your favorite Disney character. I don’t know a kid or adult alive who has never imagined themselves at one point as a character from a Disney movie, whether it’s a free-spirited pirate from the Pirates of the Caribbean series or one of Disney’s signature villains.

And no matter what kind of character you empathize with, Disney Universe has a suit for you. There are characters from the aforementioned Pirates of the Caribbean , Aladdin , The Lion King , Monsters Inc. , Wall-E , TRON and more. The game even features suits from “classic” Disney characters like Mickey, Donald and Goofy. And if that’s not enough for you, Disney has announced that there will be quite a bit of DLC support for this game in the future, which includes multiple character packs from even more Disney franchises.

But enough about the character suits, let’s talk about actual gameplay. Levels in the game are sorted by movie franchise, and you’ll have to complete a number of sequences within each level to move forward. The levels in the game correspond nicely with character suits, and you’ll be able to play through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Monsters Inc. , and Pirates of the Caribbean , just to name a few. Each level tasks players with solving puzzles, building items, and defeating as many enemies as possible.

Actually playing through the levels is fairly simple, as the game has a persistent arrow that shows you exactly what you need to do to proceed. In this way, Disney Universe is a little bit disappointing, as you don’t exactly have to think in order to solve the puzzles. However, the game does give players some challenge in the form of smart enemies. As you build structures, pull switches and use items, enemies in the game will actively work against you to try to trip you up. If you are playing the game solo, this can be a huge issue, as running around after nefarious characters can make your progress slow. But if you are playing Disney Universe co-op, distributing the labor between dispatching enemies and solving puzzles makes the game much more enjoyable.

Although the base game only comes with six worlds, there is quite a bit a meat to each one, and you can bank on spending an hour or more within each game’s world. And the game puts several replay stipulations in place for unlocking all the characters. Even if you aren’t a big replay enthusiast, chances are you won’t mind going through these levels again, as the simplistic platforming really lends itself to playing and replaying with family and friends.

Visually, Disney Universe has some great style. Nothing is represented exactly the way you remember from the movies, which gives the game a sense of freshness. The suit design is incredibly detailed for each character, and every costume from Jack Sparrow to Jafar is presented with meticulous detail. The worlds are also very detailed, with tons of enemies running at you and plenty of things to interact with. Level design is impeccably done, and you will never get bored exploring the Disney Universe.

Sound in the game is also very good. Each world has an original soundtrack “inspired” by the theme of each level. Though the background music is nicely varied, the game takes a very minimalistic approach to voice acting. Characters make vocalizations like grunting, sighing, and humming, but there isn’t any actual talking. Although this may take some getting used to for those of us who generally expect Disney characters to speak, it works well in the context of the game.

The only real fault I can find with Disney Universe is that it does very obviously borrow from other franchises. I know games don’t exist in a vacuum, but the extent to which Disney universe borrows from the LEGO series as well as LittleBigPlanet is fairly obvious. Collecting Mickey ears instead of caps, competing with co-op members for the highest score, and the focus on in-level construction have all been done before to grand effect. I can’t really hate on Disney Universe too much, as the game is undeniably fun. However, I really wish Disney would have blazed a bit more of their own trial here instead of relying on the formula laid out by other best-selling platformers.

Disney Universe is a lot of fun to play, and if you are a Disney fan, you’ll find a lot to love in Disney Universe. The fun platforming, inspired level design, and bevy of character suits all make this a game worth experiencing. Although the formula is a bit derivative, Disney Universe has such a unique style that you won’t notice it that much. Couple that with amazing co-op potential, plenty of replay incentive, and the promise of new content just around the corner, and you have a game that is perfect for any Disney fan, young or old.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.1 Graphics
Visuals sport that unique Disney style, but manage to break away from the visuals of the materials that inspired it. 4.0 Control
Controls feel natural and are about the same as you’d expect from any platformer. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Original music sounds great, but some may find the lack of dialogue jarring. 4.4 Play Value
Though there are only six worlds to explore, they are fairly lengthy, and unlockables make replaying a must. 4.1 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.