Disney has officially announced Disney Pixel RPG, a new mobile game from GungHo Online Entertainment (Puzzles & Dragons) with strong shades of Kingdom Hearts. In the game, the worlds of Disney have collided and combined, with various characters pulled together to defend their home realms.
What is most intriguing about this game is its stylistic flourishes. Each character in the game – Mickey, Ariel, Maleficent, Baymax, Genie, Pooh, Aurora and Stitch – hails from a different game genre, so they’re all brought to life with a unique style. Maleficent is from an RPG, so she’s a highly detailed, fluid sprite. Baymax appears to be from a Tamagotchi-like game, so he’s rendered in basic pixels. Meanwhile, Ariel is from a colourful, anime-like rhythm game, Pooh appears to be from a farm simulator, and so on.
Per the game’s description, “previously isolated game worlds have merged, throwing all characters into confusion.” Despite overlapping styles, each character will come together to “embark on an epic quest across multiple game worlds to restore order.”
If that premise sounds familiar, it’s likely because you’ve played a Kingdom Hearts game before. This franchise operates on a very similar premise, as Disney worlds are under threat by a malevolent force, and it’s up to the forces of good (including Mickey Mouse) to save them.
Read: Kingdom Hearts’ Steam release is the perfect excuse for a replay
Disney Pixel RPG will have microtransactions
In addition to announcing the game’s premise, GungHo and Disney have confirmed it will be free-to-play and reliant on microtransactions, with gacha pulls for new characters, and cosmetics for player avatars. It’s also been confirmed that gameplay will revolve around “fast-paced, strategic battles featuring simple controls” and options for auto-play.
With collectible Disney characters and a Kingdom Hearts-like story, there may be enough here to entice mobile gamers. Each character revealed so far is incredible cute, and remixing their art styles and appearances is a neat idea.
That said, it’s always best to be wary of mobile gacha games, as enticing characters can create a slippery slope of spending. Stay tuned for more details about the game and how its microtransactions will work before you commit yourself to a Disney-fied future.
Pre-registration for Disney Pixel RPG is available for iOS and Android devices now. Currently, the game is expected to launch around September 2024.
