Disney Speedstorm Early Access Review

ign.com:

You may have heard Disney Speedstorm was going to launch as a free-to-play kart racer from the crew behind Gameloft’s long-running Asphalt series. In fact, you may have heard this because that’s what we told you about it back when it was unveiled in June last year. Well, that’s changed. It’s still a kart racer from the Asphalt team, but it’s not actually going to officially launch in its free-to-play state until late 2023 or early 2024. What we have in its place is an “Early Access” version of Speedstorm that just… costs money to play – which, of course, is how all good video games worked before the game industry started copying the gambling industry’s homework. However, despite packing an entirely decent brand of arcade racing action on track, Speedstorm’s drowning level of gacha guff and free-to-play DNA may leave those shelling out a fee to play feeling a little goofy.

For those of you curious about how Speedstorm’s Early Access program works – and what you’ll receive for your money beyond simply being able to play it – a 5,000-word FAQ awaits you on its official website. This is roughly 4,950 more words than I generally like to absorb before playing what’s ostensibly a family-friendly kart racer. At any rate, if you come out the other side of that under the impression Speedstorm is a mobile game masquerading as a PC and console game, know that in its current Early Access state that feels like a fairly accurate way to describe it.

This is unfortunate for a few reasons, though none more so than the fact that, on track, Speedstorm is a plucky little arcade combat kart racer. It’s got a great drift feel in particular, with easy mid-slide adjustment that allows us to open them up into long, low-angle powerslides. There’s